Uniforms of The United States Air Force - Utility Uniform

Utility Uniform

U.S. Air Force utility uniforms, also known informally as "fatigues," have continuously evolved since the Air Force became an independent service in 1947. Until 2011, USAF utility uniforms were the same as those of the U.S. Army, with the exception of unique USAF insignia. In the 1960s, this was a solid green uniform, differing from its Army counterpart with cloth white insignia on an ultramarine blue background for "U.S. AIR FORCE" and last name nametapes above the pockets, white collar rank insignia on a green background for officers (with the exception of yellow thread replicating gold for rank insignia for 2nd Lieutenants and Majors) and blue and white sleeve rank insignia for enlisted, a full color patch of the major command (i.e., SAC, TAC, MAC, ATC, etc.) worn on the right pocket, and a blue belt. As the Army transitioned to black and brown subdued insignia on a green background on their utility uniforms in the late 1960s and 1970s, the Air Force effected a similar transition to subdued insignia in the 1980s, transitioning to blue or brown on on a green background and with subdued major command patches also employing subdued reds and black.

In the 1980s and 1990s, as the U.S. Army increasingly transitioned to the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) in woodland camouflage, the Air Force also followed suit, retaining the USAF versions of the subdued cloth insignia of the previous utility uniform. As the Army concurrently incorporated the first version of the Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU) at the time of the first Gulf War in 1990/1991, so did the Air Force, followed by its replacement the second iteration of the DCU worn by all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces from the mid-1990s through 2011. In the case of the Air Force, subdued brown insignia on a tan background was worn on the DCU, with the exception of black officer rank insignia for 1st Lieutenants and Lieutenant Colonels.

For work duty today, USAF ground personnel and flight personnel not engaged in flight operations wear the Airman Battle Uniform (ABU). The ABU replaces the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU), the latter having been discontinued after 31 October 2011. The ABU is also authorized as an optional item for flight crew and missile personnel when not directly engaged in flight crew or missile launch duties that would typically require a Nomex flight suit. Flight suits for missile personnel replaced a previous ultramarine blue jumpsuit that was not fire retardant.

The ABU was issued to Airmen deploying as part of Air Expeditionary Force 7 and Air Expeditionary Force 8 (AEF 7 / AEF 8) in Spring 2007. In October 2007, ABUs were issued to enlisted Basic Trainees at the Basic Military Training School (BMTS) at Lackland AFB, Texas, and became available for purchase at AAFES outlets by the rest of the Air Force in June 2008.

Due to its lack of flame resistance, the ABU is no longer considered an appropriate uniform for combat duty. Air Force personnel deploying in support of OEF are also being issued Airman Battle System-Ground (ABS-G) uniforms. Beginning in August 2010, the Air Force began planning to issue Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern uniforms for Air Force personnel deploying in support of that operation.

Pilots, navigators/combat systems officers, air crews and missile crews will continue to wear olive green or desert tan one-piece flight suits made of Nomex for fire protection when performing, or when in direct support of, flying or missile duties, or when otherwise prescribed. HH-60 aircrew are authorized a two-piece Nomex desert tan flight suit in certain situations. The black leather boots previously worn by flight crew and missile personnel with green flight suits were discontinued on November 2011 and all personnel now wear the same green suede boot with green flight suits as directed for the ABU. The exception to this rule is the desert tan flight suit, where tan suede boots remain the prescribed footwear.