New ABU's

[Beaver]

That chick looks like a zombie. And for all the bally-hoo about woman specific sizes, her sleeves are still too long.

Other than the fabric, it looks like the only functional improvement is the removal of the bottom pockets. Wow.

[ 02. June 2005, 22:30: Message edited by: Beaver ]

[Guest OdetoBillyJoe]

I think its not NEARLY as sexy as the old stuff!!! Sexy IS what REALLY matters right?!?! Especially for all you single dudes. ;)

[Phil Ken Sebben]

Since the main driving factor from the powers that be seems to revolve around "more economical, and distinctive", wrap your minds around this. Every other service is changing from the woodland style... everyone in the Air Force has at least 1 or 2 sets of the current style... anybody else pursing this line of thought? I know it all goes back to OPR bullets and such, but give me a break. Shouldn't we spend our money on upgrading our aircraft rather than our uniforms? (My first post as an LT )

[Guest jmac2222]

Originally posted by Wxpunk:

Only thing I can think of is that it might send the wrong message to the Middle East. I mean, there isn't that much desert here in the US and if we wear nothing but desert camo it might be interpreted that we are anticipating war in the desert to be the norm.

At least with our old camo, we blended into our own environment (home defense).

Just a thought.

-----------

Wxpunk

Yeah I hear you, but the fact that we have 20+ fairly permanent bases over there sends a stronger message then the military issuing desert camies as the battle dress utility.

Let's face it, this were the terrorist came from and this is were we now do our business. It would be cheaper issuing deserts to everyone and woodlands (or smurfs) to the people in Japan and ROK.

[Guest jmac2222]

were...where...whatever...

[StoleIt]

I hereby invoke Occam's razor: the reason why we have woodland patterns on our uniforms is because America is primarily a woodland environment. If someone were to invade us stateside, desert BDU's would be pretty useless for 90% of the country, wouldn't it?

The last post before you was in June of 2005!!! Let the thread DIE!!!!

[Login Name]

I hereby invoke Occam's razor: the reason why we have woodland patterns on our uniforms is because America is primarily a woodland environment. If someone were to invade us stateside, desert BDU's would be pretty useless for 90% of the country, wouldn't it?

revival after two years? is that a record?

[Guest Tertle]

This is weird. When I first looked at this thread earlier today it said that jmacc was the last poster.....

[Champ Kind]

It has a poll. I think when someone makes an entry to the poll the software bumps it back up to the top.

[Guest Mr T]

Anyone have any idea as to how much money was spent on the design and development of the new BDU's? Just curious.

I talked to a SNCO who helped with the wear test and he said, though it seems too cheap, that the program only cost around $50,000. Like I said, I find this a little hard to believe, so I am assuming this is only the development cost, not the wear test.

[SuperWSO]

One more change in the two years since people cared about this issue.

Back then, the leadership said the ABU would only be for use in the CONUS. We would deploy with the Army uniform.

Starting with this AEF, all AF personnel are going to CENTCOM in their shiny new ABUs, just in case the enemy is short on ammo.

Didn't somebody ever mention to the folks at the puzzle palace that rule one in a combat zone is "don't look different"

[Guest Jimmy]

I talked to a SNCO who helped with the wear test and he said, though it seems too cheap, that the program only cost around $50,000. Like I said, I find this a little hard to believe, so I am assuming this is only the development cost, not the wear test.

50 grand to kill and skin a tiger, put its hide in a scanner and use pixelate filter in photoshop and taint it blue/tan and stick it on the same BDU cutout we're already wearing?

Jesus Christ.

This is all way beyond my paygrade, so I'm gonna go ahead and switch off the vocal actuator, and kill the master switch cuz it's getting kinda late.

Edited July 25, 2007 by Jimmy

[HerkDerka]

that the program only cost around $50,000.

I have a hard time believing that.

I talked to a SNCO who helped with the wear test

In other words, he drank the kool aid and has no idea what the program costs.

HD

[HercDude]

revival after two years? is that a record?

No. I'll proudly lay claim to that with my FOUR YEAR DLAB thread revival

Yeah dude I rock!

[HerkDerka]

No. I'll proudly lay claim to that with my FOUR YEAR DLAB thread revival.

And the best part...you revived it for a reason! As opposed to the "It's been a few months so here's a thread bump" in the '08 Elections thread.

HercDude wins.

HD

[M2]

I talked to a SNCO who helped with the wear test and he said, though it seems too cheap, that the program only cost around $50,000. Like I said, I find this a little hard to believe, so I am assuming this is only the development cost, not the wear test.

Cheers! M2

[HerkDerka]

Damn, you beat me to it. I was trying to find that icon for my post earlier, but no success. The google is strong with you.

HD

[Champ Kind]

This might belong in the Dumbness at the Deid thread, but since that's not where I'm at, I'll post it here.

Speaking of uniform buffoonery.....

So here I am, at my undisclosed location's finance shop, max-performing my pay for all entitlements bestowed upon me for my deployment, when this SMSgt walks in, "Goooood morning finance people," to which most people in there just groaned in response.

He walks around with this little USO bag with tiny, folded-up flags inside, distributing them out to all of the clerks. As he is doing so, he starts chanting, and I quote, "Now, make sure you all get rid of those "sloppy floppies so that you can all sport these inside of your eight-points!"

I looked at him in pure dismay. "Sloppy floppies? Are you serious?"

He uttered something about "looking professional" (I honestly wasn't really listening, as his credibility stock with me had plumutted by that point) and he just walked out, like the assistant-manager of a Sears that he wants to be one day.

I turned to the clerks inside as I left, smiled, and said, "Well, don't forget your 15 pieces of flare today. Thanks for the help, have a good day!" Laughing ensued, so that made me happy that at least most of them had a sense of humor.

"Sloppy floppy." Wow. My wife teaches kindergarten, and I think she speaks to her kids on a higher level than that.

Speaking of the hat issue, why is it that everyone on the "hill" of my base (ie, the non-ops, shoe-clerk part) is making this huge push for everyone to wear that 8-point cover. Do we really care about looking professional in a combat zone? Is that why they have a thriving dry-cleaning shop on base and I see shoe-clerks walking around picking up their freshly-starched DCUs in a supposed combat zone?

Was this SMSgt THAT bored and useless in this operation that he has time to go around and make pushes for people to ditch the "sloppy floppies"? Is there some kind of AFSO 21 form I can fill out to have specific people removed from the Air Force, therefore saving us that much more money?

Really made me want to puke.

[Riddller]

I won't comment on whether or not you need to "look good in a combat zone", but the new covers do look way better in general, definitely not .

[HerkDerka]

but the new covers do look way better in general, definitely not .

Yeah, if you're a Marine. WTFO?

I hate the 8-point. I wore it on day-one my first deployment. After that I threw it in the trash, went to the BX, and bought a boonie. If you're in the desert, you need a hat with shade, period.

It still surprises me how many shoe clerks stick with the stupid ass 8-point. A word to the wise, the jar top doesn't make you look like a warrior when you're overweight/underbuilt and have it smashed down on your head like a beanie with the brim pointing up at a 45 degree angle. If Big Blue ever tried to take away the boonie, I'd use the shoeclerk mojo against them and start barking about it being a "safety issue".

Not to mention the 8-point doesn't fit into any of the pockets on a flight suit.

HD

[Scooter14]

Now that you mention the 8 point vs floppy issue:

On my first deployment to the desert (holy shit - 10 years ago) I did what HerkDerka did. I had the regular DCU hat that looked like a regular Army/AF BDU hat - no points. When the floppies came into the BX, I bought one because they didn't issue me one. Best 11.95 I ever spent. That hat has as many days in the desert as I do.

I have noticed that the tanker CC both times I deployed opted for the 8 point. Do they make these guys do it, or did I just end up with two guys that actually preferred the 8 point? It just seems like the majority of SNCO's and CC's wear 'em. Both CC's are good dudes and have been crew dogs for a while. I'm wondering if they get some IV kool aid at Right Start about morale patches and floppy hats.

[HerkDerka]

-Do they make these guys do it, or did I just end up with two guys that actually preferred the 8 point?

-I'm wondering if they get some IV kool aid at Right Start about morale patches and floppy hats.

There's your answer.

HD

[Login Name]

Yeah, if you're a Marine. WTFO?

HD

he's a former Marine so that's probably why he said that. as far as the whole push for making people wear it please tell me that it's not going to be mandatory for 9/10.

[M2]

I hate the 8-point. I wore it on day-one my first deployment. After that I threw it in the trash, went to the BX, and bought a boonie. If you're in the desert, you need a hat with shade, period.

Not just the desert, I also wore one while in Bosnia the summer of '98. As we had a hardcore US Army commander, I made my team wear the normal BDU cap in garrison, then switch to the boonie once we went out the gate. Then he went out on an op with us, and as usual my crew swapped for the boonies as soon as we cleared the compound. I figured I would catch hell, as this guy had a hard-on for regs,; but to my surprise he agreed that the boonies made much more sense as we spent most of our time outside in the heat and sun.

Of course the Army went to the black beret for everyone in 2001. Whereas I understood Shinseki's logic behind the decision, in reality it was a bad idea. Nothing funnier than seeing some '4x4' Army Sergeant (4 feet tall and 4 feed wide) busting out of their ACUs wearing either a too small or too large beret on their cranium. Honestly, unless you are airborne, Ranger, SF (the real ones, not our cops), Combat Controller or a PJ, you shouldn't wear a beret. OK, I'll include the TACPs and even the weather guys in that group, but no one else.

Hat rant over...

Cheers! M2

[HerkDerka]

Nothing funnier than seeing some '4x4' Army Sergeant (4 feet tall and 4 feed wide) busting out of their ACUs wearing either a too small or too large beret on their cranium.

It is funny to see the Army chairborne in berets. I equate it to the rampant flight suits in the AF prior to the new regs.

Honestly, unless you are airborne, Ranger, SF (the real ones, not our cops), Combat Controller or a PJ, you shouldn't wear a beret.

Agree 100%.

HD