ABU in BDU out (Nov. 1)

A men's Airman Battle Dress Uniform shirt lays above a Battle Dress Uniform shirt Sept. 14, 2011, at Lackland Air Force Base. The BDU is scheduled to be phased out Nov. 1, 2011. The ABU will replace the BDU as the primary utility uniform in the U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Luis Loza Gutierrez)

Uniform updates: BDUs out, ABUs in

Published Oct. 14, 2011

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Nov. 1 is on the horizon, do you know what that means? It is the latest changes to the Air Force's uniform policy. For those of you who are the holdouts of BDUs, I'm sorry to say but you need to now tuck them away in the back of your closet. ABUs are now the mandatory utility uniform. As for those of us that have a closet full of tan boots, unless the Theater commander says they are good at a deployed location downrange, sage boots are now all the rage. So, unless you want to get briefed by that SNCO or first sergeant, it is time to get these uniform items in place.

While we are on the topic of uniform standards, here are a couple friendly reminders. When you are in your PTU or IPTU, your t-shirt must be tucked in at all times. Throughout the base, there still seems to be a trend of people who don't tuck in their shirt. And for those of you that love the five finger shoes, if you wear them with your PTU or IPTU, you must wear socks with them. Socks are a mandatory item; That is why five fingers make the socks to wear with those special shoes, so buy a few pairs.