I found out today that the Air Force Personnel Center has a spiffy web site devoted to what used to be known as AFR 35-10... the bane of my military existence and a perpetual thorn in my non-conformist side... but is now AFI 36-2903. (Minor digression: Today's Modern Air Force doesn't have regulations; it has "instructions." This irritates me slightly, an unusual position for a non-conformist to take. Whatevah.) I found out about the web site through the (other) usual source, of course.
Eye on Style: The Air Force's dress and appearance standards website is now fully operational and ready to help airmen with their uniform questions. The site is accessible via Air Force Personnel Center's public website (left column under "featured programs"). It's designed for ease of use. "It has both pictures and word descriptions of everything," said Capt. Meghan Liemburg-Archer, Air Combat Command force management officer at Langley AFB, Va. She continued, "So you can click if you have a question specifically on [physical training] wear, or you can type in 'PT uniform,' and it will show you a picture for both genders." The website also has a frequently asked questions page. Personnel officials will keep the site up to date. "The website is going to be your most accurate resource," said Liemburg-Archer. The website debuted last July. (Langley report by SrA. Jason Shamberger)
"Well, cool!" sez I while promptly trotting off to check out all the different unis. I was suitably (heh) impressed with the site's ease of use, the clarity and brevity of the writing, and the sheer diversity of all things 35-10 36-2903. A couple o' screen shots:
There sure are a LOT of unis these days! One wonders how many of these uniforms are part of an airman's original issue, how many are "optional" (by that I mean authorized for wear but bought at one's own expense), and how many are organizational issue. As an example, the parka used to be "organizational issue" back in my day: you drew one from supply at your cold weather base upon arrival and turned it in when you left. Those things were expensive, Gentle Reader... and warm, too. The Air Force gave me the absolute best cold weather gear I've ever worn... period, end of report.
Long time readers know my "Not Your Father's Air Force" series tends to run heavily on snark and/or "Get Off My Lawn!" sorts of comments. I was thinkin' "Good on the AF" as I scrolled down and clicked on the various uniform combos, read the verbiage, and all that happy stuff. No snark potential here! Well, check THAT, coz there's THIS:
O my aching ass... It's the Mr. Rogers uniform!
I've always wanted to have a neighbor just like you.
I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.
Way t'go, Air Force.
The Mr. Rogers look, well, ummm... He looks like an advertisement for "We've repealed DADT!!"
ReplyDeleteGood looking website. We had the old AR 670-1, Wear and Appearance of... Bane of my existence, indeed.
ReplyDeleteI'll second the cold weather gear, from an Army standpoint. The stuff was top notch (when we were allowed to wear it). I believe our rain gear went by the name of "Shut up and march."
Not gloating over the Wings victory yet? Decent game, all around, if a little heavy on the penalties. By and large good calls, though. Wings could have hurt themselves there, but the PK was ridiculously solid.
Inno: Heh. I had... ummm... similar thoughts.
ReplyDeleteNot gloating over the Wings victory yet?
First game, first round. There's a lot o' hockey to be played yet... but they DID look pretty good. ;-)
re: rain gear. I used to have a GI poncho that worked REALLY well, but it got lost somewhere along the line. I wish to hell I'd have kept any one of my parkas but most especially the short one issued to aircrews; that was spiffy!. Hell, I'd have even paid for the damned thing after "losing" it. Woulda, coulda, shoulda...
We were forbidden by BGen A to EVER wear one of those sweaters...
ReplyDelete"No maintainer worth a shit will EVER be caught dead in one of those!"
I may be paraphrasing, but it's pretty close!
SN1
Heh. Gen Atkinson is a man after my own heart.
ReplyDeleteMen in any kind of uniform are a turn-on, well, maybe not the Mr. Rogers outfit.
ReplyDeleteVW: grayses - should have said blueses.
Lou: I noticed that "men in uniform" thang this past summer; even old geezers get second looks from the wimmen when we're in uniform. They were mostly of the WTF!?! variety, but any look is a good look at my age.
ReplyDeleteHmmm uniforms. And cowboy hats. The only way it could be better is if they were worn together. (I'd be a puddle on the floor) Wait! We got that! The RCMP!
ReplyDeleteThe RCMP? I thought they wear Smokey Bear hats. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWe got some new flight-suits in the 80's that had a crease down the pants permanently formed into them. Then to top it off, they had eppaulettes! (That's french for sexy shoulders).
ReplyDeleteGood God!
As an enlisted man, I had no need for eppaulettes on a flight-suit, so just to be funny I taped a plastic fork to one, and a spoon to the other.
I almost always flew with black cats dangling from my uniform from the bottles of zeller schwartz katz we lived on at Ramstein.
Can you imagine getting shot down and having to escape and evade with sexy shoulders and a gay crease in your pants??
I'd rather die...
Hey! My roomie and I tried to crisscross our dorm room with garlands made out o' those cheesy schwartz katz when I was in Turkey! We were moderately successful, too.
ReplyDeleteI like the spoon and fork thing. You have a LOT o' class, Anon.