How is the Airman battle Uniform a battle uniform?

Question

Ever been forced to wear the equivalent of a heavy jacket in 120 degree weather under an IBA and helmet, with an EXTRA lining?
Or trying to access awkwardly positioned pockets?
Or Instead of having zippers for emergency removal, having buttons?
Or one of the thousand other problems
It just seems the ABUs were meant for the harsh temperature-controlled environment of the Pentagon and not so much for the hell-inspired inferno-like environment of any of our current war zones.
I'm not complaining, but a name-change would be appropriate; how about Airman PowerPoint uniform (APU)?

Issued four, recieved four all look and feel like winter versions, along with everyone elses, as near as I can tell there are no summer versions

According to the link below
"The ABU will be offered in 50-50 nylon-cotton blend permanent press fabric eliminating the need for winter and summer weight uniforms"

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123017545

Answer 1

It sounds like they are going to have to do what the Army did and get some opinions from the field make improvements to the uniform. I understand that they are making some changes to the ACU because of that.

Answer 2

The one thing I have learned from military service is that no one gets promoted for saying that the equipment/uniform/procedures in use at any given time are sufficient. You only make a name for yourself by changing something, whether for better or worse.

Sometimes all you have to do is change the name on something. That's how we got "Life Skills" instead of mental health and a "fitness center" where they gym used to be. Or you lump all of a fighter wing's maintenance functions into an Aircraft Generation Squadron. In a few years some other genius divides that up and puts maintainers under the fighter squadrons for a while. Then ANOTHER genius pulls them back and calls it an Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. Every time somebody gets glowing endorsements for being some kind of innovator.

If only you could get credit for saying, "Hey, my predecessor already worked all the bugs out of this and we'd better not change a thing."

Answer 3

Hey quite bashing the ABU, when I was in the Air Force as a TACP one of my brethren had his life saved by that uniform. His compelling story is below....lol.

I know we have been bashing this uniform, but I have a testimonial. Since I am at AFSOC, I was able to get one of the new uniforms sent here ahead of schedule. The decision to be pro active and pro ABU saved my life.

NO **** there I was, humping through the Korengal Valley, down on my energy and having a hard time of it. Suddenly crack/whiz, bullets are snapping over my head. Whoosh, RPG flys by to left and impact three feet from me. I scrambled to cover as fast as I could and started returning fire. The enemy's fire was ineffective, but everyewhere.

THen it happened, "kapow" bullet went right though my 117F and then severed the antenna to my MBITR. No comms. With my team pinned down and the TL yelling at me to get CAS, I suddenly had an epiphany. My cell phone pocket. Holy **** thats it. I reached down to my leg and walla a Snickers bar. Snickers bar? WTFO? Oh know, I forgot to put my cell phne into my cell phone pocket. All was not lost as I remembered the Taliban's love for chocolate. I stood up, braving the incoming fire and started waving the Snickers bar in the air. Infidel or not, who can turn down a Snickers bar. This caught the TB off guard and the firing stopped, just long enough for me to pull my throwing knives out of the pencil pockets on my sleeve and slay two of the attackers. This gave us the uppperhand and we charged killing the rest of the ACM.

After BDA was done I was smoked and starving. Of course it was only supposed to be a one hour mission and here we were two and a half hours into it. I didn't have room in my ruck for chow, but I did have room in the lower blouse pockets of my ABUs. Thinking ahead, I had put a cheese sandwich in each pocket prior to the mission. With the heat and pressure generated by my Body Armor pressing against the pockets, I was able to have two piping hot grilled cheese sandwiches while the rest of team suffered with MREs.

SO say what you want about the ABU, I'm all for it. You never know, someday it may just save your life too.

MS

As an Airmen I hope you got as much of a laugh out of this as I did when I first read it.

Answer 4

Borrow one or two from the Army or Marines. That should be enough"battle uniform" for the Air Force.

Answer 5

Well, when I was in the US Army we had BDUs. There was a summer and a winter version, which was heavier material.

Perhaps there is a heavier winter version for ABUs and you happen to have that one.

Answer 6

wait wait wait..... since when does the air force have a battle uniform?