Arlington, Va. (AFNS) —
The Department of the Air Force will soon launch the Maternity Uniform Pilot Program, or “Rent the Camo,” that will temporarily issue free maternity uniform items to pregnant Airmen and Guardians at 10 bases.
This program is a joint effort with the Army and details on how and where to apply are being finalized.
The Air Force installations participating in the pilot program are:
· Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
· Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia
· Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
· Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
· Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
· Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey
· Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina
· Shaw AFB, South Carolina
· Yokota Air Base, Japan
· Kadena AB, Japan
“The Department of the Air Force is focused on updating policies and instituting programs that remove potential barriers for all members to serve our nation,” said John Fedrigo, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. “By temporarily issuing free maternity uniforms, we can improve our Airmen and Guardians’ quality of life so they can focus on executing the mission.”
The U.S. Congress passed the “Rent the Camo: Access to Maternity Wear Act” Bill in 2020, creating this new program. Under this bill, the Defense Logistics Agency will establish pilot programs within each military branch to issue maternity uniform items to pregnant service members. The bill also directs maternity uniforms not be treated with Permethrin, a chemical that helps repel insects such as mosquitoes and ticks. While there are no known health risk associated with the Permethrin, pregnant service members preferred that maternity uniforms not be treated with it.
The Department of Defense designated the U.S. Army as the service to maintain a stock of operational camouflage pattern maternity uniforms for the program, as the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force and U.S. Army wear the same OCP uniform. The ten bases selected for the pilot program are near Army installations that have a Central Issue Facility and can capitalize on the Army’s Occupational Clothing and Individual Equipment Direct Ordering system.
To ensure Space Force members are included in the program, several bases where Guardians are assigned were included in the pilot.
Once Airmen or Guardians at participating locations receive confirmation of pregnancy from their local Medical Treatment Facility, they can work with their first sergeant to complete the necessary documentation to obtain their uniforms. Reservists on Title 10 orders are also eligible for the program.
Expectant active-duty service members will be temporarily issued three sets of maternity OCP tops and bottoms, which they can wear up to six months post-partum per Department of the Air Force Instructions 36-2903 “Dress and Personal Appearance of United States Air Force and United States Space Force Personnel.” Members will then return their uniforms to the CIF to process the returned uniforms and complete a questionnaire. The returned uniforms will be shipped to a central facility where they will be inspected, repaired, cleaned, and prepared for re-issue.
The DAF “Rent the Camo” pilot program is expected to end Sept. 30, 2026.
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs