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USAF Women's uniform


ctbergy
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Does anyone have pictures or know of resources for womens air force uniforms, specifically from the 60's or 70's. I would like to add one to my collection but all I can find is individual parts. Any help would be awesome.

 

Chris

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Good luck!

 

While there are a few resources on US Army uniforms from that time period, there are even fewer that document USAF uniforms. Worse still, the last time I looked, there was very little on USAF women's uniforms.

 

I was collecting field and flight uniforms in the early 1990's. I made a point of looking for badged examples of women's uniforms, but they were far and few in between. Most of them were stripped.

 

What would help you would be to find a copy of a uniform regulation from that period. Sometimes you find something like this buried in those inevitable piles of military publications you find in the far corner of a surplus store.

 

The current regulation for wear of USAF uniforms is

 

DRESS AND PERSONAL APPEARANCE OF AIR FORCE PERSONNEL

 

Air Force Instruction 36-2903 2 AUGUST 2006

 

You can view this on-line at

 

http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/shared/medi.../afi36-2903.pdf

 

The Air Force, being high tech, has done away with drawings of the uniforms and substituted color photographs. While looking very nice, this actually gives you a less technical image of the uniforms. As good as the photos are, it is hard to make out details such as pockets, seams, buttons, etc.

 

Another one you might find interesting is

 

AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 36-3014

 

CLOTHING ALLOWANCES FOR AIR FORCE PERSONNEL

 

http://afmentor.com/docs/pubs/AFI36-3014.pdf

 

Even though this is for the current era, it will give you an idea of what the typical uniform compliment would be for an individual airman or officer.

 

I could not find the regulation for flight clothing.

 

As for photos of USAF women in uniform, there are a few on the following website in their 1960's and 1970's but you have to dig for them.

 

http://www.afforums.com/ppost/index.php/cat/1

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Another thing you might look at... I am not sure, but I believe the Air Officer's Guide may have had drawings and descriptions of duty uniforms. I know the Army Officer's Guide always did. (Later editions might be titled the Air Force Officer's Guide)

 

There is a 1960's version on eBay right now, but it is a bit pricey. And again I cannot guarantee what it information it would have. You might want to shop around for a cheaper copy. There are also two listed on Amazon.com as well.

 

eBay Item number: 310049505108

 

Another suggestion is to scan period magazines for both news stories as well as recruiting ads. Aviation Week and Space Technology, if you can find old issues, might be a good start.

 

And don't forget semi-official publications like The Airman, if you can find a library that has maintained back issues.

 

I looked at the photos from my collection but they are mostly late 1970s through the 1980's. I am not sure if this is what you are looking for.

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I did a little more digging on the web...

 

The following site shows photos of women in Vietnam in both field and Class B uniforms.

 

http://www.spencergroup.net/vwv/airforce(1).htm

 

Some of these are surprising... note that the woman wearing US Army style female fatigues has an ARVN QC (Military Police) patch on her left shoulder.

USAF_Women_5_small.JPG

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And a few more for you from a couple of books on the shelf....

 

From the USAF publication The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia, 1961-1973, US Government Printing Office, 1977:

 

A USAF Nurse and a Red Cross Nurse tend wounded servicemen enroute to the United States. Notice her blouse is tucked into her trousers, which was typical for flight personnel.

 

The second one is a USAF medical specialist treating a former POW after his release at the end of the war. This is the standard white nurses uniform, with the enlisted rank on the sleeve.

USAF_Women_1_small.JPG

USAF_Women_2_small.JPG

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From the classic "One Day In a Long War: May 10, 1972, Air War, North Vietnam", a photo of Captain Patty Schneider, intelligence officer at Udorn RTAFB. This looks like an identification photo and shows the placement of insignia on the Class A blouse, as well as the "tie tab" that snapped into place under the collar of the shirt.

 

Book by Jeffrey Ethell and Alfred Price, Random House, 1989. If you have not read it, you have missed a good one.

 

From "Flying Dragons: The South Vietnamese Air Force" by Robert C. Mikesh, Schiffer Publications, 2005, a rare photo of a USAF female advisor working with a VNAF Lieutenant and enlisted women.

 

She is identified as Captain (later General) Mary A Marsh. Note several aspects of her uniform modified for her assignment. She wears the VNAF equivilant rank in the center of her blouse, as well as a VNAF pocket hanger suspended from her name plate. She is also wearing her US ribbons as well as collar brass and rank on her epaulettes.

 

The Vietnamese uniforms are also interesting as well. Note the VNAF patch being worn on the Lieutenant's sleeve in the foreground, and the difference between her blouse and the two NCO's in the background, one in long sleeves, the other in fatigues.

USAF_Women_3_small.JPG

USAF_Women_4_small.JPG

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thank you for your input. I am amazed at how little there is about the womens services. I found an Air Force female service hat from the 70's at a local antique store which is what sparked my intrest. Thank you for the pictures, they are fantastic.

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Steindaddie

The attached photo was taken in the simmer of 1960. These WAFs were all nurses and in an aeromedical evacuation squadron. Check out the white gloves !

 

Will

post-1949-1212819196.jpg

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Steindaddie

Oops - these were taken in July 1961 not 1960. Again, these are all nurses and the uniform with the dark blue slacks is a working outfit and used on the aeromedical flights. Notice that most of the gals are wearing wings.

 

These are from original slides and some were very dark so I had to do some enhancements.

post-1949-1212828181.jpg

post-1949-1212828261.jpg

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Thanks for the great pics. I have a lead on a uniform from the 70's. I will post some pics if it pans out.

 

chris thumbsup.gif

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  • 5 months later...

Reviving this thread.... as noted on another thread, LIFE magazine has just posted thousands of photos on-line from their archives.

 

I found these by using the keyword "WAAF"... make sure to include in the search box "source:Life".

 

The photo on line was a bit dark, so I had to play with it a bit.

 

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?img...l%3Den%26sa%3DN

WAAF_1950_adjusted.JPG

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Found a couple more from about 1951...from the training base at Lackland AFB. Note the cuffs...

 

These are currently on sale on eBay... type in the keyword "WAF"

USAF_Female__sALUTING_lACKLAND.jpg

usaf_fEMALE_BUGLER.jpg

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I wish men's and women's Air Force uniforms still looked as good today.

 

Great photos!

 

Depending on if the USAF decides to adapt a "heritage" uniform (discussed elsewhere on this forum), they could end up looking worse!

 

The one with the high collar I believe is referred to as the "Mitchell", which has to be totally lacking in comfort. Then again, you will be standing straight up when you step in front of the plane to turn the prop!

 

The other one I believe is referred to as the "Doolittle", recalling those nostalgic days when our country's security was barely holding on by a thread....

 

Actually, at second glance, the female NCO in the photo makes it look a lot better than her male counterpart!

 

(Some of us believe that the cut and color are actually more a throwback to the RAF than the USAAF!)

USAF_Heritage_Mitchell.jpg

USAF_Heritage_Doolittle.jpg

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Some of the first women enlisted in the USAF in 1948, taking basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas. Their unit was 3741st WAF Training Squadron. The squadron cadre were the officers and NCOs standing in the 5th row (the first five women standing at each end of the row). All are still wearing Army WAC pattern uniforms.

 

post-1963-1228011971.jpg

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  • 4 years later...

FYI, Air Force nurses were not part of the Women in the Air Force (WAF.) They were part of the Air Force Nurses Corps and were entirely separate.

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  • 2 months later...

You can try here

 

http://library.uncg.edu/dp/wv/itemList.aspx?b=3&i=8&ti=Air+Force+(incl+WAF%2c+WASP%2c+Nurse+Corps)+Uniforms

 

They are the most compehensive website on 60s-70s USAF i can find.

 

Alternatively you can wait for me to put my entire USAF Vietnam Collection up, my aunt served in the USAF during 1965-1977 and i have a great deal of her uniform. I just currently do not have time to put them up....

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have been going through my items to determine what I need to get rid of in the future. I knew I had this outfit somewhere. It came from a local who was active in the Nebraska CAP. Originally the cap had a female small CAP emblem on the front. Unfortunitely there is not purse, shoes, or gloves. I have taken pictures of the labels also for future use.

post-736-0-35988900-1393680789.jpg

post-736-0-27621200-1393680860.jpg

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