Air Force replacing ABU with Army’s cammies - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Air Force replacing ABU with Army’s cammies

If you’re heading to Afghanistan, don’t bother packing your ABUs. You’re going to be wearing the Army combat uniform. The Air Force is replacing the airman battle uniform and its combat version with the MultiCam uniform already worn by soldiers, as well as airmen embedded with Army units in Afghanistan.

The tan, brown and green patterned camouflage will become standard issue for those of you inside and outside the wire there, Lt. Col. Shawna McGowan, the Air Force future programs branch chief, said in a statement.

The first to get the MultiCam, officially called the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern, or OCP, will be those of you now wearing the combat ABU.

Once you get your deployment orders, you’ll submit your size and the OCP will be shipped directly to your predeployment training location at no cost, regardless of rank. The uniforms will be purchased and distributed by Air Forces Central Command to make sure they get to the right people; units that want to buy the uniforms for training or future deployments will have to wait, McGowan said.

The Army tested 57 patterns before concluding last year that MultiCam blended best with the Afghan terrain. In August, the Army began issuing the pants, blouse and “breathable” wicking knit shirt designed to be worn under body armor.

“The OCP uniform is scientifically developed to blend in with Afghanistan’s terrain, which will make our airmen safer and more effective on the battlefield,” she said. “The new material is also flame resistant and lighter weight” than the Air Force’s cammies.

The material also contains a bug repellant, McGowan said.

Don’t bother trying to buy your own MultiCams, McGowan said, because they probably haven’t been tested to make sure they meet Air Force standards.

“Essentially, any unauthorized purchase of the OCP uniforms could result in putting airmen at risk either on the front lines or at home,” she said.