CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
The 437th Airlift Wing commander stated what cold-weather gear is authorized in a memorandum for all base Airmen dated July 8, 2008.
Due to the delay and shortage of cold-weather gear, The Air Force has extended the use of the woodland Gore-Tex or field jacket until May 1, 2009, under certain guidelines also authorized by Air Mobility Command.
The only Airmen allowed to mix and match the woodland jackets with the Airman Battle Uniform are Airmen who have only been issued ABUs. If Airmen own or were issued a Battle Dress Uniform and want to wear the woodland jacket, they must wear it with the BDUs instead of mixing and matching it with ABUs.
"The Gore-Tex woodland parka and pants are only authorized to be worn with green or desert flight suits while performing ground duties during inclement weather on the flightline," according to the policy letter signed by Col. John "Red" Millander, 437 AW commander. "Ground duties are defined as duties performed on the flightline. The black fleece liner is not authorized as an outer garment."
Authorized ABU outer garments include the improved rain suit, cold-weather parka, all purpose environmental clothing systems and the blue all-weather coat. Authorized under garments for the ABU include turtlenecks, sleep shirts and thermal underwear. The black or green fleece liner is authorized under the APECS and the IRS liner is allowed to be worn under the IRS.
Since the end of October, Air Force officials said almost 60,000 APECS have been delivered, which is short of supplying the total force.
According to the Air Force policy letter, "... while ABUs are not mandatory until Nov. 1, 2011, ABUs have been well received by our Airmen and the rate the force has transitioned from BDUs to ABUs has outpaced original projections. As a result, APECS demand continues to outpace production."
Air Force officials estimate that the earliest the supply of APECS will be sufficient to meet the needs of the Air Force is fall 2009.
The Charleston AFB Military Clothing Sales Store has improved rain suit gear available for Airmen wishing to purchase them and APECS are currently unavailable. The IRS gear at the store is government regulated so it could take anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks to receive an item that is not in stock.
Any questions about the policy can be directed to the 437th Force Support Squadron at 963-4515 and MCSS can be contacted at 963-4257.