New service dress prototypes pique interest [possible new USAF uniform]

Air Force Link ^ | 18 May 2006 | Air Force Public News

[holyscroller]

Yeh, looks like that uniform must be worn while walking the goose step. It's horrid. More German prison guard than U.S. Air Force.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

I don't know about the uniforms, but the chairs should all be replaced with motorized scooters designed to look like F-15s.

[Paladin2b]

That's the old Mess Dress uniform, not the Service Dress uniform sought to be changed.

That being said, I'd deep-six the Mess Dress as well. The most embarassing moment in my father's duty in the USAF was when he (a major) was mistaken for a waiter at a swank dinner party in a Chicago club.

[RoadTest]

Naaa. Too much like The Empire's uniforms in "Star Wars". Makes them look like bad guys. Kind of looks like some Communist countries' uniforms, too.

[Lee'sGhost]

Who's the gay guy in the middle?

[highball]

Naaa. Too much like The Empire's uniforms in "Star Wars". Makes them look like bad guys. Kind of looks like some Communist countries' uniforms, too.

Don't let the "you stole our uniform!" contingent of the Marines hear you say that.... ;)

[Billthedrill]

It looks better with a sidearm.

[Centurion2000]

Looks like a blued version of the Wehrmacht uniform.

[TontoKowalski]

That being said, I'd deep-six the Mess Dress as well.

Dump the Navy version, too. It has a sparkly gold cumberbund. Who the hell came up with that. Otherwise, it doesn't look too bad. Depending on the affair, you could actually wear funny non-regulation bow ties. I recall at a squadron dinner once, our wardroom all wore red ties with white stars a-spangling them.

Well, nothing we had was worse than those old-style covers the women had to wear. Talk about unflattering.

[AngryJawa]

"Star Wars"

Nah. These blues are a dead ringer for the ones in the new Battlestar Galactica series.

[TXnMA]

One of my favorite USAF unforms was the blue "Ike jacket". But, then, I'm wierd: I also enjoyed wearing the tan "505" tropical short-sleeved shirt and bermuda shorts...

Didn't care much for the 505 "bush Jacket" as a uniform, though -- but I still wear mine on photo-taking trips -- lots of roomy pockets...

[ops33]

That's the Mess Dress uniform, worn for formal occasions indoors. It's the AF's equivalent of a tuxedo. BTW, the medals shown in that phot are incorrect. They are placed way too low on the uniform.

[Centurion2000]

Close .... but not quite.

[ops33]

It's not a First Sergeant star. The First Sergeant wears a diamond. The Chief shown in the photo is a Command Chief Master Sergeant, as indicated by the star.

[jagusafr]

Well, ya know, with the new ABU looking so much like the Jarhead version, may as well go the whole route. I'm sick to death of uniform changes - this (the ABU) makes three utility uniforms in my 20 years, and this new service dress will be the third as well. Glad I'm not doing this on a captain's pay anymore!

Colonel, USAFR

[jagusafr]

That would be the 1505s - my dad wore 'em. Not a pretty sight in the tropics - permanent sweat stains under the arms.

[ops33]

God, that looks like crap. The AF has been searching for "a distinctive" uniform since it was formed in 1947 and still haven't found one.

If I had my druthers I wish they would bring back the old 1505's, not 100% cotton so they were completely wrinkled by noon but perhaps a cotton/polyester blend. I always liked the khaki color with the blue belt and stripes.

[jagusafr]

Not if you're a JAG. Lots of opportunity to wear the service dress (though not as much these days, with such a shrinkage in courts martial).

[pabianice]

Geez... the Air Force has a real talent for creating uniforms that make it look like the Official Auxillary of the Salvation Army...