Utility uniforms

From USAFA Folklore

The Academy has used a number of utility uniforms in its history. These have included fatigues, the Battle Dress Uniform (BDUs) and most recently, the Airman Battle Uniform (ABU). Utility uniforms are worn by cadets during field training, most notably in Jack's Valley during Basic Cadet Training and SERE. They have also been worn during the academic year on Warrior Days.

Contents 1 General wear of the uniform 2 Fatigues 3 Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) 4 Airman Battle Uniforms (ABUs)

[edit] General wear of the uniform

• Fatigue/BDU trousers are typically bloused.
• Combat boots are worn with this uniform unless the cadet is one of the walking wounded with blisters or other problems. In more recent years, basic cadets have alternated between tennis shoes and boots for the first couple of weeks of BCT to prevent blisters.
• A poncho may be worn over the entire outfit, including any knapsack or backpack, in rain.
• A field jacket is worn in colder weather.
• Hats have varied by class. Fourth class cadets normally wear class colored baseball caps (in the 1970s they wore black baseball caps), third and second class cadets wear the standard fatigue/BDU cap, and firsties wear blue berets. Any cadre, such as BCT cadre, whether first or second class cadets, also wore berets.

[edit] Fatigues

• Fatigues were the solid olive drab green uniforms, issued from (when) to (when)
• A class colored ascot was worn with the fatigues through 1988, until the Class of 1992 was issued BDUs.

[edit] Battle Dress Uniform (BDU)

• The Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) is a woodland camouflage utility uniform, first issued class-wide to the Class of 1992 when it entered in 1988. At the time, many of the upperclass cadets bought BDUs, especially those working as cadre for summer programs that involved field training.
• The Class of 1992 was issued blue ascots, and wore them once with BDUs, until someone among the PTB agreed that the ascots looked stupid, and ascots were worn no more.

[edit] Airman Battle Uniforms (ABUs)

The Class of 2012 was the first to be issued the new Airman Battle Uniforms (ABUs).