(She would kill me if she knew I was posting this photo.)
Posted on 06/02/2006 1:51:10 PM PDT by Paladin2b
My point was that the class A used to be mandatory wear, much of the year. Unless one was working on the flight line or doing other work where mechanics clothing would be appropriate. It's no accident that the old fatigues were pretty much the same, except in green, as what auto mechanics, plumbers, etc wore at the time. They were a work uniform, "blue collar" type work. If you worked in an office, you didn't wear 'em you wore class A's or something similar. In the 80s that meant the same pants with a shirt that could be worn open collar, or with a tie, depending on circumstances. (Of course that was too comfortable for certain brass, so they changed the rules to require wear with a tie, unless it was the outer garment. You couldn't wear the lightweight jacket unless you also wore a tie. Other wise at most southern bases, folks would rarely wear it any other way.
What's currently missing, but present when I was serving, is something equivalent to "corporate casual". Once the kahki 1505s (named after the number assigene to the color/shade) later it was the regular dress uniform's pants or something like "dockers", which didn't hold up as well as today's dockers, and tended to get shiny after a washing or two, with the short sleeved shirt worn with an open collar (Until the 80s that was the only sort of sort sleeved shirt we had. That one had no epaulets, rank was worn on the collar by officers and on the sleeves by enlisted). You can still wear that combination, although I'm not sure if you can wear the open collar, I've not been on an AF base in a long time, and then everyone was wearing green bags or BDUs. When our AF customers visited us at our facility, they usually wore the same, but occasionally they'd wear the blue pants, light blue shirt, but I think always with a tie. I hate ties with a passion!
Neither have I, but most officers, at least those Captain and above, plus Academy graduates, both own and wear them. Usually at least a couple of times a year, as far as I can tell.
Heck they have so called Dining Ins and Dining Outs (which started out as Wing Dings during WW-II in England and grew out of similar RAF affairs), just so they can wear them. Then there is often a Military Ball, and a Christmas affair of some sort. But Reservists don't have all that stuff, maybe a Military Ball and/or a Christmas dance depending on location.
No blue uniforms anywhere...the AF projects a "warrior" image now...BDUs or deserts everywhere now...
Thanks....I had to call Mike to look and see...he really got a kick out of the ribbons.......his fav was *Never got a ribbon ribbon*.....LOL
The most common uniform on an AF base has "Carrier" on the back.
Can you picture the fat guys in that uniform?;)
Thanks for that visual!!
How're ya doing?
Your screen name puts me in mind of a former boyfriend who wanted to marry me (seriously). I need to say Seriously because of what follows.
When I asked him why he wanted to marry me, he said, in this order: Because I want to spend the rest of my life looking at your legs; you are so loving; and you're fun to be with.
Enjoyed your home page.
Being a tall girl is such a hardship. ;-)
Glad you liked my homepage, I enjoyed yours as well!
I forgot to mention that I'm average height but I can empathize with your plight.
Thanks re the home page. =)
Yeah, yeah you're right. And the Star with oak leaf clusters was CMSgt of the Air Force. My bad, but it's been a very long time...
This is better. So long as they keep the shoulder rank, that is......
Nodding, thanks for the info!
"The bag" is very comfortable - trouble is, only flyers get to wear them. I only know how comfy it is 'cause I got an orientation flight in a T-38 a couple of years ago. Yup, every time there's a change, they give us a drop-dead date for when we have to start wearing the new uniform. And the more rank you get, the sooner they expect you to convert to the new uniform. Apparently, it shows leadership or something...
"Reservists don't have all that stuff" - hmmm. I'm a reserve JAG O-6 and have had to wear my mess dress a couple times a year for the last 6 years (since I was an O-4). Maybe not in the unit world (although part of my time was as an SJA in a flying unit).
In 1955, the Air Force introduced its new summer uniform (above, getting a second look from conventionally dressed airmen at Mac Dill AFB, Fla.). In addition to the shorts and pith helmet, options included a bush jacket and long pants, but the look never really caught on.
This style never quite made it either, but the Post Office adopted it.
Don't think the senior officers' garrison cap of this pith helmet style would have looked good with "farts and darts" style scrambled eggs.
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