The Air Force has to tuck pants into boots!

Oh no! I'm currently on the phone with my brother (stationed at Davis Monthan AFB, AZ)... Air Force wide, starting immediately, ABU pants have to be tucked into boots rather than bloused. It is a sad sad day.

One thing I get to look forward to when I re-enlist....

Yeah, I know half of you are thinking "what they heck is this guy talking about?" The other half knows... I personally like the crisp look of bloused trousers. I complained switching from BDUs to ABUs because you don't iron or starch ABUs. My BDUs were as flat as a board!

I guess I'll need to get cuff stuffers.

Does the Air Force ABU pattern match the: office desk, the office walls or the floor of the club?

WR Moore said:

Does the Air Force ABU pattern match the: office desk, the office walls or the floor of the club?

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Hey don't knock the AF. I served in the USMC and can say that thanks the AF, I'm alive today!

Back in '04 an AF combat controller picked off a sniper who was holding us down for a good hour. Not long after he had to call in the BIG GUNS... one of those big ... butt.. AF gunships came and sent about 30 Taliban a-holes to their maker. I never made fun of zoomies after that day!

The gentle tease is not a knock. One of my best friends was an AF recruiter-formerly a BUFF crew chief. On the very few occasions when I'd be in his office when a prospective recruit would drop in and ask about basic, he'd periodically interrupt his spiel to look at me and laugh. As you know so well, their basic isn't boot camp.

Sir, that's very unfortunate and clearly a "desk jockey directive." Field troops know better. Perchance, did the clown who issued that order also decree that the rocks in front of his CP be painted a different color?

Curtis LeMay must be spinning in his grave.

Semper Fi,

Ron H.

WR Moore said:

The gentle tease is not a knock. One of my best friends was an AF recruiter-formerly a BUFF crew chief. On the very few occasions when I'd be in his office when a prospective recruit would drop in and ask about basic, he'd periodically interrupt his spiel to look at me and laugh. As you know so well, their basic isn't boot camp.

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It would be a strange day if the branches stopped teasing each other! I mean, I enjoy pointing out to soldiers the only reason they're in the Army is because they couldn't make USAF ASVAB scores!

I agree with the AF basic comment though. Way back when my uncle went through, it was a breeze. When I went through.. well I found it very easy. 7 weeks (6 official)one of them being Warrior Week. The USAF is more a support branch, so people who go in for fields where they're not doing much.. um.. militaristic jobs.. I think it's fine.

My job training was a different story. Aerial Gunner. SERE school was a hoot. My first ruck really woke me up! And they only got "better"....

Actually though... The Air Force now has a 9 week BMT (8 weeks officially). They're slowly making it more like the Army's. The Navy has the honor of shortest training now.

Ron H. said:

Sir, that's very unfortunate and clearly a "desk jockey directive." Field troops know better. Perchance, did the clown who issued that order also decree that the rocks in front of his CP be painted a different color?

Curtis LeMay must be spinning in his grave.

Semper Fi,

Ron H.

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Ron,

They always change their mind of goofy little things like this. When I went through BMT, our U.S. lapel pins were "U.S." only... not long after, enlisted members needed the encircled "U.S." pins. When the ABU's first came out, no rolling of sleeves... now you can. Tan boots as well as green were authorized.. now only green.. BUT tan can be worn until 2011 I think. The blues light weight jacket didn't have rank insignia, rather rank pins.. WAIT now the rank has to be sown onto the shoulders. Oh.. and the female formal blues skirt used to have a slight slit in it... now they can't have that. The list goes on...

I'm looking to re-enlist (Reserve)... I have a feeling every month when I show up for drill I won't be in regs because of all the changes that took place since the last month!

When I went in the boots were the short top brogans. Had to be spit shined. The really ugly ill fitting fatigues were the gray green, (bought army greens soon as left boot camp). You had the horse blanket top coat that had to be worn in parades formation up until June, (lots of guys passing out on the field). Our weapons were the tool boxes we used to fix the planes that protected the army & marines. Never was in a foxhole, but changing engine parts on the flightline in 20 below weather was no picnic.

ChadW said:

Hey don't knock the AF. I served in the USMC and can say that thanks the AF, I'm alive today!

Back in '04 an AF combat controller picked off a sniper who was holding us down for a good hour. Not long after he had to call in the BIG GUNS... one of those big ... butt.. AF gunships came and sent about 30 Taliban a-holes to their maker. I never made fun of zoomies after that day!

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A little service rivalry is good. Builds good espirit de corps. All that matters is that when we face a common enemy, ALL branches will jump on and kick the bad guys in the you-know-where...no pity.

All that said, remember the last verse of The Marines Hymn....just add the Air Force and Coast Guard!

A Corporation

A retired Army 06 told me the Air force is more liken to a corporation than the military. That said is daughter is an Air force nurse.

CHADW, some of my "most fond" memories were as an AF radio operator(tactical air control party) with a Marine unit at a little known place called khe sahn. i thought i was the president and had a large secret service detail keeping me alive. they loved that TAC AIR. saved all our asses more than a few times. as to tucking in trousers, truly the idea of some RIMF that's never been on a flight line or in a combat zone.

lee, MSgt, USAF, Retired(19 yrs now)

I though I would die laughing when an AF buddy referred to the "scrambled eggs" (clouds and lightning bolts) on USAF field grade hats as "Farts and Darts"

I guess this means a surplus of blousing rubbers. I'd like to have a dozen or so, they have many other uses!

Berate

Can’t believe no one has said a word about the berate. That is the most useless head gear I have ever worn. It sould only be worn with dress uniforms. It is a pain every month showing up for drill wearing my berate with patrol cap in my pocket. I seldom meet any one that likes it. Yet the army insist on keeping it. I have no use for a cap you have to groom like a pet.

Do the other branches wear this silly thing.
It was cool back in the day when SF's wore it, it ment something. Now it is just useless head gear.

berate?

Have never had that play on that word.

Of course folks in some of the other services wear it. I know the AF police folks wear it. Navy women wear something like it with some uniforms. Not sure if that thing they wear is actually a beret.

Believe it or not, the Marine Corps played with the idea. I used to know a few Marines that had actually worn one in Edzell, Scotland. It didn't last long. I never saw such a thing and have never heard of Marines anywhere else wearing it.

As for blousing trousers: Early in my Marine Corps career, I took to using the springs. Once you use those, you can never go back to using anything else. They are tight enough that if you don't use them but use something else, you are left with the uneasy feeling that maybe you forgot to blouse your trousers before coming to work.

I think I still had a ring indentation around my lower legs for at least two years after I retired (USMC 14Jun1981 - 30June2001).


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It was just wrong when the army took the black beret from the SF's and told them they would have to pick a new color. They were proud to wear it and it ment something to them.

Ase for blousing. I just cant tuck. Hope they never inforce this in the Guard.

USAF385 said:

Ron,

They always change their mind of goofy little things like this. When I went through BMT, our U.S. lapel pins were "U.S." only... not long after, enlisted members needed the encircled "U.S." pins. When the ABU's first came out, no rolling of sleeves... now you can. Tan boots as well as green were authorized.. now only green.. BUT tan can be worn until 2011 I think. The blues light weight jacket didn't have rank insignia, rather rank pins.. WAIT now the rank has to be sown onto the shoulders. Oh.. and the female formal blues skirt used to have a slight slit in it... now they can't have that. The list goes on...

I'm looking to re-enlist (Reserve)... I have a feeling every month when I show up for drill I won't be in regs because of all the changes that took place since the last month!

Click to expand...

Sounds like the Marine Corps Motto of Semper Gumby or Always Flexible. Our uniform items have been undergoing "change" at the rapid rate as well. I'll reenlist one more time only and it will be vor 2 years to cross the finish line at 20. That doesn't have anything to do with the changes, yet. If the current administration repeals DADT, that will help make the decision.

Bill

I was a U.S. Air Force Security Policeman (Law Enforcement Specialist) from 1975 to 1979.
We had to blouse our dark blue, polyester trousers over black combat boots.
If you had a special detail that day, such as flag retreat or a retirement ceremony with a color guard, you had to use white shoelaces laced in a box pattern. Common, white parachute shroud lines were used for the laces.
Our green fatigues were bloused over black combat boots, or green jungle boots when I was in Panama.

As for basic training, mine was no cake walk. Our Training Instructor (T.I.) had been reprimanded the flight before ours for shoving a recruit against a locker and slapping him repeatedly. Hard.
Yeah, I know, sounds like nothing compared to horror stories of the Army or Marines but such a thing was unheard, even in 1975.
We had to run or quick-march wherever we went; he wasn't about to let a bunch of pampered, lazy recruits ruin HIS Air Force!
And every other morning at Oh God Hundred was a Fire Drill, rousing us from our sleep.
Security Police school was strenuous too. We ran everywhere and spent hours in the gym learning P.A.R.T. (Physical And Restraining Techniques) with Judo and wrestling moves and the like.
By the time I got my first assignment, to Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, I was ready!
Unfortunatlely, for whatever reason, the base refused to recognize my weapons qualifications from the academy. So, for the first few days of patrol, I rode around unarmed, with a sergeant.
The sergeant was furious at the paper-pushers who let me work with full uniform -- badge and all -- but no gun. All I had was the 36-inch riot baton mounted to the dash.
Typical military.
I survived. I'm proud of my service.

Incidentally, when I was at Howard Air Force Base, Panama, I met officers and enlisted from many branches. Some of the nicest officers I met were Marines. As long as you had your act together, and gave them a snappy salute, they didn't mess with you. Often, they were friendly and asked how you were doing and where you were from.

Army officers looked for an excuse to mess with you, especially lieutenants. Warrant officers cared less; they just wanted to fly their Hueys or Cobras.
Naval officers were quiet but friendly, as long as they got their snappy salute.

Even today I get sneers among co-workers for being in the Air Force.
"Odd, I didn't see you humping a 40-pound ruck in the jungles of Panama," is my reply.
Security Police were responsible for airfield security for three miles out, in every direction. I spent many 72 or 96-hour humps through the jungle.
Nothing compared to what VietNam vets endured, of course, but it was far from an air conditioned office.

In the Army you could do either. The mark of a garret trooper was he bloused his trousers
over his socks. You were supposed to blouse them on the boots so the blousing rubbers didn't restrict circulation.

tx77901 said:

Have never had that play on that word.

Of course folks in some of the other services wear it. I know the AF police folks wear it. Navy women wear something like it with some uniforms. Not sure if that thing they wear is actually a beret.

Believe it or not, the Marine Corps played with the idea. I used to know a few Marines that had actually worn one in Edzell, Scotland. It didn't last long. I never saw such a thing and have never heard of Marines anywhere else wearing it.

As for blousing trousers: Early in my Marine Corps career, I took to using the springs. Once you use those, you can never go back to using anything else. They are tight enough that if you don't use them but use something else, you are left with the uneasy feeling that maybe you forgot to blouse your trousers before coming to work.

I think I still had a ring indentation around my lower legs for at least two years after I retired (USMC 14Jun1981 - 30June2001).


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Click to expand...

Several units of the USMC "experimented" with a beret back in the mid-1980's. The one unit I was told of lasted about three days. Since this is a family forum, I will not type here what was universally thought of it or said about it.

When we first got kevlar helmets, the suspension system was "lacking" (keeping it clean) so a lot of us got our hands on ROK Marine berets and wore them under the helmet...they padded the helmet and kept bounce to a minimum when running...plus you could soak it in water to keep your head cool. This was the only use I ever found for a beret.

Other than that, berets should be left to SF and other operators and not regular units.