Airman Battle Uniform

Airman Battle Uniform

The Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) is the new service-distinctive camouflage battledress uniform for the United States Air Force. It is currently in full production and is expected to completely replace the Battle Dress Uniform by close of Fiscal Year 2011.

History

Close-up of digital tiger stripe pattern.

The first prototype of the ABU was unveiled in the summer of 2003, based on the Vietnam-era tiger stripe pattern. The early uniform prototypes consisted of trousers, an embroidered undershirt, and a blouse. The camouflage pattern, developed by Tiger Stripe Products and based upon their popular copyrighted Original Vietnam Tiger Stripe was a blue/grey, tiger stripe pattern.

After months of "wear testing," Air Force officials revised the color scheme and camouflage pattern due to feedback received from Airmen. The new elementary semi-pixelated tiger pattern would trade its dominant blue overtones for a more subdued palette, which still includes some blue tones. However few of the functional recommendations made by Airmen in the field were implemented into the uniform which remains very similar in design to the older BDU style uniforms. This has been a subject of many complaints from Airmen returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan who had been wearing the U.S. Army-issued Army Combat Uniform (ACU) as a temporary issue uniform. These complaints include the ABU's inability to keep Airmen cool while working in desert conditions due to the thickness of the material (13 ounces) and large interior "map" pockets, lack of storage space and the low ease of use with government issue personal body armor. While not officially recommended, USAF Airmen can cut the pockets out of the inside of the blouse because it does not alter the outer appearance of the uniform.

On October 2, 2007 the Air Force began issuing the ABU to enlisted trainees in Basic Military Training at Lackland AFB and was issued to the Class of 2012 at the United States Air Force Academy on June 26, 2008, and is now becoming available for purchase by all Airmen. Since 2008, it has been issued to Airmen deploying to locations in CENTCOM, including Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. Personnel in other countries were issued DCU uniforms while inventory lasted. The ABU is available at Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) military clothing stores. Although the Air Force has officially recognized color variations in different set of ABUs, all variations are currently authorized to wear and the problem should be fixed when the patterns are finalized within a year. The current projected mandatory wear date for the new ABU is slated for FY 2011. In 2010, MultiCam was authorized for use on the ABU in the War in Afghanistan by Air Force ground forces.

Features and attributes

Deployed Airmen wearing the Airman Battle Uniform

The Airman Battle Uniform is similar to the Army Combat Uniform (or ACU) in color, with the inclusion of slate blue, but is otherwise nearly identical to the current BDU layout. The ABU is to be worn with low-maintenance foliage green suede combat boots, although tan suede is allowed until the mandatory foliage green boot phase-in date. Desert boots may be worn with the ABU, and accessories such as backpacks and gloves may be black, until the foliage green phase-in date. The ABU does not have features of the U.S. Army ACU, such as tilted/slanted pockets, sleeve pockets, hook-and-loop attachment points and closures, gusseted back, mandarin collar, etc. However, the ABU does have essential NIR (near-infra red) qualities. Unlike the ACU, the sleeves are authorized to be rolled up. The heavy weight of the material, along with the multiple layers used to make the interior pockets, retains more heat than the ACU or BDU in hot climates such as the Middle East. A new version of the ABU blouse has the multiple layers and inside pockets removed.

Overview of the Airman Battle Uniform is as follows:

• Headwear
  • Patrol cap's shape remains the same, including sewn vent holes instead of grommetted vent hole.
  • Boonie cover is available for the ABU for use only in deployed locations.
  • Organizational (e.g., squadron, group or wing) ballcaps are not authorized (exceptions being authorized bush hats, berets, and RED HORSE)
  • Sage green watch cap for cold climate garrison and deployed locations with the All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS) parka.
  • The Army's Sage green ACU fleece watch cap was authorized in 2010.
• Sand T-shirt (Cotton, Cotton Blend, flame retardant, or wicking material)
• Jacket
  • All insignia including occupational badges (aeronautical wings, occupational badges, etc.) are embroidered in midnight-blue thread with urban-grey background with the exception of rank insignia for 2nd Lieutenant and Major, which incorporate brown thread.
  • Name and service tapes are embroidered in midnight-blue thread on ABU background tapes.
  • Patches (e.g., MAJCOM, USAF Weapons School, wing, group, squadron, etc.) are not worn with the ABU, with the exception of aeronautical and chaplain badges and duty shields for Security Forces and Fire Protection; however occupational badges (up to 3) are authorized and encouraged.
  • 2 internal map pockets (allowed to be removed and no longer a feature in current production runs).
  • Pen pocket on left forearm (holds two pens).
  • No other patches are authorized – including the Commander's badge.
• Outerwear such as APECS parka, rain jacket are available for the ABU
  • The sage green fleece liner is now authorized as an outer garment.
• Rigger's belt, sand
• Trousers
  • Elastic stretch waist
  • Additional pocket inside thigh cargo pockets
  • Two lower leg cargo pockets
  • Tool pouches on lower leg pockets (with two pen pockets on the right pocket)
• Combat boots are rough-out sage green
  • Boots are available from a number of manufacturers (Belleville, Corcoran, Bates, etc.).
  • Sock color must match boots.

The ABU comes in 236 different size options in both male and female sizes which are only offered in temperate weight. Additionally, its permanent press finish means the uniform cannot be starched, pressed or dry-cleaned. Airmen are able to pull the ABU from the dryer and wear it without further treatment. Any further treatment would degrade the effectiveness of the uniform and damage the NIR capability.

No mixing of camouflage patterns is currently authorized with the ABU except when in deployed locations such as the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR), or when ACU or camouflage field items, such as magazine/utility pouches, personal body armor, helmet covers, knee/elbow pads, etc., are authorized. Exception to this policy is the BDU Gore-Tex parka which, with installation commander approval, is authorized for wear with the ABU. Only the AF APECS Parka or DCU Gore-Tex is authorized in the USCENTCOM AOR. Backpacks and other accessories must be sage, black, or ABU pattern. As many accessories are not made in ABU specifically, ACU pattern accessories are authorized.

Uniform Criticisms

Despite improvements to the uniform such as wash and wear fabrics and improved NIR coverage, the uniform still has known problems. One of the most common complaints is that the uniform is too hot for wear in high temperature environments. In 2008, responding to these criticisms that the new Airman Battle Uniform was too heavy and hot, the USAF's 648th Aeronautical Systems Squadron at Brooks-City Base revealed their plans for a switch to a lighter, more breathable fabric with the combat blouse section of the ABU. The original heavyweight nylon/cotton blend was changed to a lighter-weight nylon/cotton poplin material. Priority will go to those serving in the Middle East or other hot-weather theaters.

Airmen generally rejected the "map" pockets inside the blouse because they are difficult to access without unbuttoning the shirt, are poorly placed for use due to sweat, and act as an additional layer of an already heavy uniform. Newer production blouses lack these pockets.

A second criticism is that the suede boots are too easily damaged and impossible to clean if they are exposed to grease, oil, or other petroleum products.

Additionally, the uniform has been criticized for failing to incorporate any but the most superficial features designed into the ACU and MCCUU. The digitized, tiger-strip pattern has been criticized for being ineffective and unrealistic. This specific issue was addressed in an open letter from the pattern developer to members of the USAF.

Airmen deployed to locations in Southwest Asia were forced to ditch their ABUs in favor of DCUs because ABUs can't hold up in the intense heat. However, as of 1 October 2008 the DCU was no longer authorized for wear at any deployed location.

As DoD regulations require uniforms that do not melt when exposed to fire or high voltage, for certain AFSCs, a cotton variant is in initial production (2010) for fire fighters, electricians, mechanical personnel who work with electrical power for HVAC, and several other AFSCs.

Disapprovals from the 98th AF Uniform Board

The following suggestions regarding the ABU were rejected by the 98th Uniform Board:

1. Wear of American Flag on the ABU
2. Boonie Hat W/ABU and BDU in all Garrison and Deployed Locations
3. Wear of Bright NON-Subdued Grade Insignia on ABU cap in NON-Deployed Locations
4. Wear of Pin-on Occupational Badges on ABUs for ease of sanitizing/changing badges
5. Wear of Enlisted rank on ABU collar lapel
6. Wear of 8 point utility cap
7. Permanent reduction of sleeve length of ABU
8. Velcro in place of buttons on ABU
9. Slanted chest pockets on ABU
10. Wear of beret with ABU by all Airmen
11. Embroidered name on ABU vice name tape
12. Wear of Organizational caps with ABU
13. Black socks with ABU
14. Remove two lower pockets on ABU blouse
15. Wear of blue belts with ABU
16. Remove third cuff button, replace other cuff button with hook and loop velcro fasteners
17. Add name tape similar to ABU nametape to back of ABU hat
18. Wear of unit patches on ABU
19. Wear of Army light green fleece watch cap with ABU
20. Wear of ABU cap with elastic band
21. Allow wear of watch cap with ABUs alone, vice with APECS
22. Pen pocket on right sleeve of ABU for left-handed Airman
23. Small pocket on ABU to accommodate Common Access Card
24. Metal zipper in lieu of buttons on ABU trousers fly & blouse
25. Elastic bands inside bottom of trousers of ABU for blousing
26. Wear of weapons school patch on ABUs
27. Black lettering vice blue on nametape/USAF/occupational badges worn on ABU
28. Permanent wear of tan boots vice sage green boots
29. Pix-elated background for enlisted rank on ABU and eliminate creased rank
30. Green undershirt with ABU
31. Blue polar fleece jacket with ABU
32. Tan gloves with ABU
33. Wear of black or dark blue undershirt with ABU
34. Olive green/Beige/Tan beret in garrison and muti-point hat with ABU while deployed
35. Optional instead of mandatory wear of Space badge on utility uniforms
36. Authorize Airmen to wear earned sister service service patches/badges on ABU when operating with sister services

Users

• Dominican Republic - Dominican Air Force
• United States - United States Air Force

See also

Current

• Uniforms of the United States Military
• Army Combat Uniform, current US Army uniform
• CADPAT, new Canadian Forces uniform pattern
• MARPAT, current USMC uniform pattern
• MultiCam MultiCam is currently in use by some units of the US military's Special Operations Command, and some private military contractors. Several members of the US Army's 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, Charlie Company were also seen wearing MultiCam when followed by ABC News. Some local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies also make use of the pattern, including the Drug Enforcement Agency DEA FAST teams operating Afghanistan as well as the Department of Homeland Security ICE SRT and the Spokane Police department.
• Navy Working Uniform
• Operational Dress Uniform, current US Coast Guard uniform
• List of camouflage patterns

Former

• Battle Dress Uniform
• Desert Battle Dress Uniform
• Desert Night Camouflage

External links

• ABU Information
• History of U.S. Air Force Uniform Project - Tiger Stripe Products