Air Force Experimental Camouflage Tiger Stripes

[ChrisG43]

Picked up a couple pairs of pants and jackets today, caught my eye as it was a pattern I'd never seen. The Girl that sold these to me told me that they were issued to them for a short time period on Elmendorf AFB, she remembered it being 6 months. She said they would have a debreif every week to discuss what they liked and didn't like, suggest improvements, and relay comments given to them by others who had seen them in the uniforms. Anyways, it has probably already been discussed, but figured I'd start the discussion w/ the Experimental Top (do we dare call them an ABU?).....

[ChrisG43]

Here's some more pics, it actually has quite a bit more of a blue tint than my photos convey. Chris....

[ChrisG43]

one final pic

[ChrisG43]

I'll take a closeup tomorrow of the small US Air Force inprint in the material, you can see it in my next to last picture posting.

[DutchInfid3l]

Indeed. The precursor to the ABU. The 8 pointed cap, black belt, and the embroidered undershirt are other components to this uniform (also, what I don't have are the grey boots)

 

 

[DutchInfid3l]

Here are some AF promo "wear test" photos...

 

 

 

 

 

[bravo_2_zero]

Just to note

 

There is a mk1 & mk2 in this uniform , it is a little unclear what the differences are but we guess has to do with fabric weight. I have a mk1 male suit mint unissued with the paper set #91 wrote on them.

[Johnny Signor]

Very nice and lucky find as they are fairly rare !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You have two pairs of pants, I'll take the other pair

Johnny

[bravo_2_zero]

Here are some AF promo "wear test" photos...

Side note **

 

All these test shots have the name tag JONES except the high ranking officers.

 

 

The Jones twins.

[DutchInfid3l]

Side note **

 

All these test shots have the name tag JONES except the high ranking officers.

 

 

 

 

 

Right, which is why I labeled them as "AF promo "wear test" shots"...

Each USAF photo originally gave a brief description of the ins and outs of the uniform features, there are a few out there for actual "wear test" testimonials.

Here's one:

 

 

 

View Photo Gallery »

Staff Sgt. Jason Hinton, left, reaches out to touch the Air Force prototype uniform worn by Tech. Sgt. Tony Castro. Castro, an Air Force News broadcast producer, is one of 47 airmen in the Kaiserslautern, Germany, area test-wearing the uniform.

MARNI MCENTEE / S&S

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany Can I touch it?

 

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tony Castro gets that question a lot, but he doesnt take it personally. Its not him that random passers-by want to touch, its his new Air Force prototype uniform.

 

Its show-and-tell time again, Castro said as a steady stream of curious people caressed his sleeve, checked out his new gray-suede boots and ogled his elastic waistband.

 

Castro, an Air Force News broadcast producer, is one of 47 airmen in the Kaiserslautern area who are test-wearing the utility uniform. The blue-gray-and-green tiger-stripe design and the eight-point hat get a lot of stares, generate a ton of questions and sometimes get a few guffaws.

 

Thats OK, because thats what wearing the uniform is all about.

 

You dont get anywhere fast, said Staff Sgt. Mary Walker, who works at the 435th Air Base Wings Comptroller Squadron.

 

I had a lady stop me in the middle of traffic and yell, Hey! Do you like it? Walker said.

 

By most accounts, the test-wearers like it a lot.

 

The nylon-cotton fabric is comfortable, durable and wash and wear. No ironing and starching. No sewing down the pockets so they lay flat. No ungainly male-style high waists on petite women. Steel-toed, no-shine boots so comfortable they barely need to be broken in.

 

In addition to Ramstein, select airmen are testing the uniform at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, Hurlburt Field in Florida, Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, McChord Air Force Base in Washington, Robins Air Force Base in Georgia and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

 

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper ordered the new design last year and most bases started testing it in February and March. It will be worn through September.

 

All airmen will be able to comment on the design via a Web site the first ground-up uniform selection process in the military, according to Senior Master Sgt. Robert Henson, the Kaiserslautern military communitys project officer for the new uniform. The Web site should be up by the end of April.

 

Henson, of Ramsteins 786th Security Forces Squadron, said Jumper had three goals for the new design: to make a distinctive Air Force uniform, to provide a better fit, and to make the material more durable and less expensive to maintain.

 

Henson said he has saved an average of $50 a month in dry-cleaning bills since he got the uniform and untold hours shining his shoes.

 

The new uniform comes in mens and womens sizes with many waist-size and length options. It includes a pen pocket, an inside map pocket and a utility pocket that Walker called a Gerber pocket, after the popular knives many troops carry.

 

Two new boots also are being tested; one in black, charcoal gray or tan suede and another that is low-polish, low-shine black leather.

 

The new uniform doesnt always get rave reviews.

 

I dont like the color. Tiger stripes just arent my thing, said Staff Sgt. Jason Hinton, a television maintainer for the Armed Forces Network. And I dont like the hat. Thats the Marines, he said.

 

Some are put off by the colors. Others wonder about the tiny Air Force logo that appears all over the fabric sometimes upside down.

 

It sort of looks like someone had an address stamp and just stamped it around, said Gen. Gregory S. Martin, commander of the Air Force Materiel Command and the first general officer to wear the prototype.

 

Castro said the Air Force wants to hear the good, the bad and the ugly about the test uniform. Once the feedback is in, a revised outfit could be available within about two years, with full phase-in in about five years.

 

General Jumper is not going to make a decision thats detrimental to the force. Its going to be beneficial to us down the line, Castro said.

 

 

[COOKIEMAN]

Been trying for years to add an Experimental Blue Tiger Stripe uniform to my USAF Collection. As luck would have it, I picked up an almost complete experimental set of ranks, Airman (E-2) through General (O-10) at the ASMIC Show last weekend. Then two days later finally obtained two uniform sets (jacket and pants) plus one cap. After getting home and sorting through the enlisted ranks, I noticed they come in two varieties, with dark blue border and gray borders. In all the photos I have seen the stripes always have a dark blue border. Can any body shed any light on the color difference? Were these also proposed but dropped for the blue border one? The attached picture illustrates the two experimental strips compared to a current issue ABU type

[Ozarkian]

Never understood the point of blue camouflage. Who are you going to hide from in that. Thanks, Eric

[Bobby]

The USAF and all there wisdom...Not to long ago the United States Armed Forces had about 10 different Camo Uniforms.

 

 

http://www.armytimes.com/article/20130605/NEWS07/306050033/House-panel-votes-favor-common-combat-uniform-across-services

 

[B229]

Not too long ago the United States Armed Forces had about 10 different Camo Uniforms.

 

I think you mean currently the Armed Forces have about 10 patterns. Although this is a bit deceptive since there is always overlap when something new is introduced.

 

But blue tigerstripe??? Clearly the idea is to look cool rather than to actually provide some concealment.