Summer uniform shortages for AF, Army
The Army and Air Force are running out of summer uniform pants due to a contract issue with Golden Manufacturing, the vendor. While other manufacturers make other uniform bits on dual source contracts, Golden is the sole source for the pants and it seems someone has filed a challenge to its award. One gathers Golden is concerned that they will not be paid for what they are delivering and so have shut production down. Other contracts with Golden are not affected.
Some female service members have resorted to purchasing male editions of the hot weather uniform and then paying to have them tailored to meet the professional presentation standards required for all soldiers.
Women in the military have long struggled with ill-fitting equipment and the shortage of hot-weather gear — and forced reliance on male clothes — is creating another burden.
“It’s not only a safety issue,” the soldier said. “It’s unprofessional, and it doesn’t allow them to do their jobs.”
A spokesperson with the Army and Air Force Exchange Service said it was unclear when the stores would be able to restock shelves for women.
Several companies make uniforms for the Army and Air Force, but Golden Manufacturing is the only one that makes trousers for women. Other companies also make male uniforms, so there is no widespread shortage for men.
The hot weather uniform was introduced in 2019 and is a much lighter version of the standard-issue camouflage uniform. It is largely seen by the rank and file as a much-needed quality-of-life improvement. The new uniform dries more quickly, and its thinner design keeps soldiers cooler. Being thinner, it’s also more compact and packs easier in a rucksack.
Reminds me of the time long ago when BDUs were the uniform of the day – they had double layers at elbows and knees which, combined with all the pockets (most of which you couldn’t use!) made for an extremely hot uniform. At some posts the old Vietnam lightweight fatigues were still able to be worn, but of course sergeants’-major concens with “uniformity” mandated that the jungle fatigues could only be worn on certain days. Said sergeants-major apparently thought hot days only occurred on certain days of the week. Good times…. In any case we can only hope the contract appeal is sorted out quickly so our (how is it safe to describe them nowadays? Masculinity challenged?) female troops can swelter a bit less. Perhaps contract talks can be held outdoors at 3PM on Ft. Bliss with all concerned dressed in BDUs to help the negotiations along.
Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Air Force, Army
I spent just over 3 years at Ft Stewart. When I PCSed to Germany in the fall/winter, I suddenly realized I owned 6 sets of summer BDUs and two very pristine sets of winter weights.
Korea-Germany-Korea tours… had six+ sets of NYCO material BDUs and only one of ripstop lightweight stuff (not as durable) because a commander insisted everyone be in “summers” for a formation.
From the article:
“Golden Manufacturing is the only one that makes trousers for women.”
Trousers?
😉😎
Please disregard our question.
AR 670-1 uses the term “Trousers”.
We wore Jungle Fatigues in the 80s along with the BDUs and with the Army Green Fatugues (Olive Green Utility Uniform).
https://standardandstrange.com/blogs/standard-strange-stories/a-true-og-the-us-army-s-olive-green-utility-uniform
We preferred wearing the Jungle Fatigues over the BDUs and the Green Fatigues in the Summer months.
We still have those fatigues as a memory of all the uniform changes within the US Army.
We also remember our Dads (US Army) wearing Short Sleeve Khakis with Khaki Shorts in the early 1960s during the summer months.
I remember the short sleeve Khakis but not the shorts.
They were not that light either. Kept wearing the slant
pockets and rip stop trousers when I got out.
I would still wear them today if I had any left.
Fashionable up heah in the woods….
Jungle fatigues were the best utility uniform ever adopted. I could be soaking wet in them, wrap up in a poncho liner in my hammock under a poncho shelter, and two hours later my fatigues would be dry. Then in the rear, you could have them ironed and starched and they looked totally REMFy and “strac.” Wish you could have seen our division commander, MG Baldwin, in his starched jungle fatigues with all his insignia custom embroidered on his jacket. What a perfumed prince, but he had a hell of a record of wars (WWII, Korea, and Vietnam).
As a side note, Baldwin and my 196th Brigade commander were relieved of command and disciplined over Firebase Mary Ann being overrun by the NVA. I was on that firebase a few weeks before the debacle. At the time, I thought what a terrible location for a firebase. It was surrounded by higher ground.
Hmmm, interesting. That’s the first “official” picture I’ve ever seen of a short sleeved khaki shirt with a parent unit patch attached. I knew the patches could go on the long sleeved khaki shirts, but I would have to defer to a real old-timer (like Ole Poe) to say whether it was authorized for the short sleeved version.
It may just be me, but by looking at the picture, I think that having to wear knee length wool socks sorta defeats the whole purpose of wearing the uniform with shorts.
Wore the short sleeve khaki shirts from 1966 to 1974. No sleeve patches on any of them. But I can imagine some unit directing otherwise. I recall the Baumholder jackets we had made out of ponchos and OD blankets we wore in the 509th. They certainly weren’t regulation.
Yes, that’s what I’m talking about, of having someone talk about it’s possible wear in the early, early 1960’s. I can’t comment about it as my Army service didn’t start until 1971.
However, I can visualize what a Charlie-Foxtrot it would be if trying to cram a 1st Cavalry Division “Horse Blanket” or a 2nd Infantry Division “Indian Head” unit patch plus the chevrons for a Master or First Sergeant onto a one-quarter length sleeve./s
When the BDU’s came out all there was were the winter version for purchase. I had quite a few sets of summer fatigues. I vowed to wear them until the wear out date. The Bn CO had other ideas.
Could part of the reason for the shortage of female britches also be attributed to the influx of the multiple genders? Back in my day, a number of the female soldiers were doing their best to get into the male soldier’s britches…or to get the male soldiers out of their britches. I’ll see myself out.
I only wore summer weight BDUs.
Cannot think of a time I ever wore the “winters”.
Same. And I live/served in the frozen north.
Same. And that’s from the frozen north.
Issued winter weight BDUs with Elvis collar (summer weight wasn’t invented) at AIT Ft. Sill July. Played the roll up the sleeves or fold up the sleeves game for a while too. Fun times.
Maybe they could borrow some of Milley’s tutus:
I wonder which politician Golden Manufacturing got their sole contract from…
I can understand certain dress uniforms being different for M/F, but not working unis.
Now that females wear Navy crackerjacks, are they different? They don’t wear the bucket hat anymore, so I figured they were unisex with those damn buttons.
The problems of the modern military apparel. Would love to exchange those with breaking starch every day.
WTF??
“Women in the military have long struggled with ill-fitting equipment”
“The hot weather uniform was introduced in 2019 and is a much lighter version of the standard-issue camouflage uniform”
1) EVERYONE used to struggle with ill-fitting uniforms.
2) When did the Army become a frigging fashion show?
Does the basic uniform issue still fit in one duffel bag?