Pictured from Militarygear.com: The Propper ABU
Looks like the USAF has at least got one thing right, they’re getting rid of their old BDU’s for the new ABU and it’s now mandatory wear since November 1st. . The thing they are not getting right in my opinion, is using the multicam pattern. It drives me crazy to think of all the money spent coming up with a different camo pattern just to be different. This goes for all services by-the-way. Now if only the SEAL Teams would update their working camo uniform….maybe they’ll be smart and invent their own pattern too. Brandon
Click here for full ABU info
As Defensor pointed out, Christian called it "tactical Hawaiian".-Looks like he was dead on.
Official Airman Battle Uniform (ABU)
- Digital tiger stripe pattern
- Permanent press
- Permanent crease
- Chest pockets
- Lower front pockets – body armor accessible
- Smaller pockets within chest & lower pockets
- Small pocket on left forearm – body armor accessible
- Reinforced elbows
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank for keeping us up to date with the latest news.
I'm confused
That's redundant.
Just for clarification this is the same uniform that not so long ago Christian labelled "tactical Hawaiian?" Also one of the main criticisms of the ABU is that the pockets on the blouse are NOT accessible via body armor. Incidentally that armor accessible pocket on the left sleeve is for pens, that's it. The material is way to bulky and heats up way to easily. If the Air Force is going to do anything uniform wise, it should be to come up with a version of the ABSG made from conventional materials so the you don't have to sacrifice your first born child just to purchase your uniform.
Thanks for the clarification and I agree with Christian on the Hawaiian comment…this pattern is terrible looking.
Thanks for reminding me about the Christian comment. Just updated the post and thought I'd point out the Hawaiian similarities! -Brandon
Old news. The ABU has been out to service members since 2008. What the article should have specified was that the ABU became mandatory wear this November (http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123067390).
It was meant to point out the mandatory change over date..
Thanks for the clarification
I do not know for the life of me why the DOD does not develop uniforms for all 5 services and just set them as the uniforms that they wear. They could get away with just 4 or 5 different uniforms (Other than dress uniform which I don't see why they should change) that all services could wear for 99.9% of duties and duty stations. There will always be a one off exception that has to wear something else do to duty but they should be the exception. I would suggest 1) woodland, 2) desert 3)coverall (Mechanics, vehicle crewmen, etc), 4) flight suit. There isn't really much more than that. Maybe Arctic… Anyway the point is the same, get them all on the same page, save everyone lots of money.
I totally agree.
But there is a problem. Bureaucracy, and the need to look important in front of fellow officials in order to higher up on the ladder. That looking important often includes begging congress for a few spare million. Of course, congresspeople will always agree to vote for whatever their party tells them too, so you better get higher up on the party's ladder too. And you know what that that entails.
Unfortunately the ABU is a downgrade from the BDU. It is hotter, more expensive, and doesnt blend into anything. The Air Force should have kept the BDU if anything for they hide grease stains easier, especially the boots. If you go out the the flight line, all the maintainer's boots are shot cause it is hard to get grease out of the suede boots. Worst of all when Airmen go to Afghanistan, they wear multicam.
Boot issue addressed. http://www.bellevilleshoe.com/product.php?current…
Good luck getting ahold of any. I get JP-8 on my boots and that doesn't come out. I still can't get any of those boots.
I hear they still did those wrong, people I know with them say they are uncomfortable and don't last long at all.
If someone gets pissy about my boots I just tell them I'll gladly accept a new pair if they're buying.
I am slightly confused regarding the comment about the teams. Don’t they have their own patterns for desert and woodland environments? AOR1 and AOR2?
No dedicated uniform for each AOR, usually we wear the pattern for each service we get attached to. As an EOD guy, the Army will officially request for forces. For example i've been attached to 1-71 Cav, Rakkasans as their EOD guy so I got to wear both ACU and Multi-Cam, thats been my experience being an Air Force guy.
I’m retired from the USAF, and never once did I ever feel like I needed any sort of camo. I’m so disappointed that the Air Force is still trying to play Army. All of this smacks of poor leadership.
sigh….
Plus about 900 on that Bro.
Exactly.
I hope you understand I was speaking about the AF in general, not those Airmen who are operating in a combat capacity. Those folks need to be wearing whatever the mission requires. I want to know how the ABU performs in the most common AF theaters. You know, cubicle commandos, ramp rats, etc. I worked in BDUs in the Dakotas where it was white for half the year. To even suggest there is a need for a new camo pattern for the AF speaks volumes about mislaid priorities.
You know that old joke about how the AF spends all the money on MWR and still gets the money for the operations and maintenance of their planes in the end….
My dad, a former Airmen, said his favorite BDUs were the ones issued when he joined in 84. It was the same ones from the 60's on. He thought DCUs were to baggy.
OG-107 Fatigues not BDUs
Abu’s suck. Air force needs to go multicam.
Not sure what one thing the AF got right with this uniform. The wife is AF and this uniform is heavy, stiff, bulky and cut very strangely. There are different uniforms for Men and Women – and while BDUs fit her fine, the pants on these are hitting at the bottom of her rib cage. Honestly, who is that made for?
I agree that all services need to standardize and move along. Seriously, can someone tell me why the Navy needs a different (blue cammo) pattern in the same cut as the USMC uniform?
Sorry, I may just be very emotional about all the uniform stuff until I decide how I feel about the Marines not rolling up their sleeves anymore :)
I never understood the Navy blue camo. If you fall in the water wouldn't you want to stand out so you can be picked up not blend in?
The Navy NWU pattern is designed to hide dirt and grease, not as any kind of camouflage. Unless you're wearing bright orange, it's hard to see you in the water anyway.
The Navy AQUAflauge is even worse…they should have picked a solid navy blue color for a working uniform. People want to feel proud in their clothing and everyone I've talked to in the Navy about that pattern hates it…..
Is it worse than looking like a gas station attendant?
The ABU has to be the worst pattern in US military history. most airmen where fine with BDUs in woodland and 3 color desert till some dumb general who was jelous of the Marines had to have a new uniform. Even Army ACU was better than this. Most JTACs and USAF SOCOM units don't use the ABU. I hope like the Army they will dump crappy grey uniforms soon.
I miss my BDU's more than I thought I would, not that I was excited for the ABU's.
As for the new Navy NWU, why couldn't we just have went with dark shorts and trousers like CG? ( I am from the days of Bell Buttoms.) The Navy had so many different uniform changes recently from new working uniforms to new dress uniforms for the officers (Khaki Dress). It's hard to keep up. As for the ABU's, it looks like from the posts that Air Force don't like them. I would agree with them especially on those new Sage Combat boots. The suede is probably tough to keep clean when you are working on an aircraft. There needs to be some sort of standardization like the days of the BDU and 3 color desert. It's crazy how all our branches have new uniforms.
This uniform would have so made me not re-enlist if I was still in!!! It is a complete joke, and NOBODY that I know thinks it is worth a damn!!! Someone high up in the food chain has to be getting some kind of kickback on this one!!! DoD, pull your head out, and make all the services have standard uniform set!!!
I don't like the ABUs at all. How could the Air Force design a uniform with ONLY heavyweight fabric when the majority of our troops are deployed in hot, desert climates? It seems like a gross oversight. Yes I know that they are starting to make a lighweight fabric version but they should have started off with that. It's so obvious that the uniform is way too hot, how could they make a mistake like that?
And I agree with others that say we changed our uniform just for the sake of change, not because it was required. That is the wrong reason to change.
And the camo pattern is awful, at least the BDU has a chance of camoflauging you if you were in the right environment. We should ditch the ABU and go to a lightweight multi-cam and go back to leather boots.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Been in the AF for near 8 years. Spent almost half of that wearing BDUs, which were great. Comfortable, functional camo (compared to the digi-tiger), and we were able to be proud of our unit/MAJCOM with the patches we had sewn on to the pockets.
From the first day I started wearing ABUs, I hated them. Especially the first-gen ABUs with map-pockets sewn into the INSIDE of the coat. Completely useless, especially in a deployed environment where you’d be wearing IBA or other body armor… just like the 4 pockets located ONLY on the torso portion of the coat. The material is stiff, heavy, and very uncomfortable. As others mentioned, the pattern and color scheme makes no sense and is completely un-functional. Just someones asinine idea of being “different” and thinking this would be cool to wear.
Currently deployed in AFG, wearing MultiCams (or OCP as it’s been dubbed, now), and this is by far the best uniform I’ve warn. In terms of comfort, form, and function it is ideal in my opinion. It makes sense and it works.
On a side note, the sage-green boots are horrendous. There’s nothing wrong with wearing tan boots with ABUs. There are already hundreds of styles for Airmen to choose from so that they can feel “different” while still wearing a retarded looking uniform. No need to waste millions of dollars more on a hideous boot to further differentiate us from other services.
I don’t get why they wont just switch over to MultiCam, the Army&Air Force both have the same problem where they are only allowing MC to be worn in Afghanistan. How about all branches standardize to MC, the only ones who got a decent digi pattern are the Marines.
RE 1013
Why the AF/Army wont switch to Multicam
Because its the military, nuff said