TYR Tactical

Archive for the ‘Air Force’ Category

USAF Security Forces Mandate New Black Gould & Goodrich Molded Nylon Duty Gear For Use With Blues

Saturday, March 15th, 2014

(click to view .pdf)
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The US Air Force Force Protection Commodity Council has awarded a new indefinite quantity – indefinite delivery contract for Law Enforcement Black Gould & Goodrich Molded Nylon Duty Gear to ADS, Inc. Black Gould & Goodrich Molded Nylon Duty Gear is intended for use by DAF Civilian Police/Guards and Security Forces military members in blues only. The contract specifies the following 10 Black nylon items:

– Utility Belt (S, M, L, XL)
– Belt keepers
– Handcuff case
– Radio Case
– Single magazine M9 ammo pouch
– Triple magazine M4 ammo pouch
– Chemical spray holder
– Baton Holder
– Silent key ring holder
– Glove pouch

The contract is effective through January 14, 2019. Items are currently available for order. Look for info from Security Forces Center soon.

RAAF Officially Launches GPU

Saturday, March 1st, 2014

Yesterday during the Centenary of Military Aviation Airshow at RAAF Williams at Point Cook, the Royal Australian Air Force officially unveiled the new General Purpose Uniform.

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We talked about the GPU awhile back which is a garrison uniform for non-wartime deployers like the USAF ABU. However, it will be worn for some deployment scenarios such as humanitarian assistance. According to the RAAF, the pattern is an Air Force specific version of the Australian MultiCam Pattern (AMP) already in-use in Afghanistan.

“The purpose of the GPU is to provide a unique and easily identifiable Air Force presence to the Australian Defence and civilian communities, consistent with the Air Force’s distinctive identity and still effective in meeting our service requirements,” AIRMSHL Brown said.

“The GPU will begin from today to replace the current camouflage uniform, also worn by Army, for general base duties and in non-warlike environments such as humanitarian tasks and Defence assistance to the civil community.”

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RAAF personnel should look for these by the end if 2015.

www.airforce.gov.au

Massif Fire & Ice Layering System Authorized Safe-to-Fly For The US Air Force

Thursday, February 27th, 2014

This news from Massif is huge for aircrews.

Innovative FR nylon-face fabric provides all the benefits of the best water-resistant outdoor fabrics while meeting stringent requirements for flame resistance.

ASHLAND, OR, FEBRUARY X, 2014 – Massif® Fire and Ice Layering System including Air Force Elements Jacket and Pant made with Battleshield X fabric has been authorized Safe-to-Fly.

Massif Battleshield X fabric is a flame-resistant, water-resistant laminate, and features GORE® FR stretch technology. It was developed specifically for the military and tactical markets, with a US patent-pending nylon face fabric. While nylon garments have a long history of performance in the outdoor market, it has never before provided adequate FR protection. Massif Battleshield X fabric offers a shift in flame resistance by combining filament nylon-faced laminates with exceptional FR protection. The result is an extremely durable, highly breathable fabric with a superior warmth-to-weight ratio that is highly water resistant and flame resistant.

“We’ve been working with the Air Force for a decade and are thrilled to have our FR Layering System approved as Safe-to-Fly. The new fabric used in the Elements line of softshell garments is a revolutionary innovation, with amazing breathability and durability, coupled with FR protection” said Dave Bywater, VP of Government Sales at Massif.

Massif Battleshield X has been rigorously field-tested in some of the world’s harshest conditions, and has proved itself over and over. In high-activity situations, Massif’s unique fabrics with Gore’s breathable stretch membrane reduce overheating and chilling from moisture retention and reduce user fatigue, keeping soldiers dryer, safer, and more effective in a wider range of situations and temperatures. What’s more, Massif Battleshield X fabric meets the stringent requirements of ASTM D6413/F2302 and shows extremely low Burn Injury Prediction when tested on a manikin per ASTM F1930.

The authorized Massif® Air Force Elements™ Jacket and Pant with Battleshield X™ fabric are available as commercial off-the-shelf products. The Air Force has rigorously tested and authorized all products in Massif’s Fire & Ice Layering system, ensuring that pilots and aircrew have access to the world’s most technologically advanced FR equipment. Fire & Ice includes Cool Knit, HotJohns, and Flamestretch base layers covering the silk weight, mid weight, and expedition weight needs of varying environments in the air and on the ground.

www.massif.com

USAF Updates Uniform Instruction AFI 36-2903

Tuesday, January 21st, 2014

afi36-2903

(Click to view .pdf)

Late last week, the US Air Force issued an update to AFI 36-2903, “Dress and Appearance of Air Force Personnel.” While there are numerous changes, I am happy to see a few. To be honest, most of these changes were happening anyway. It just made them OK.

Morale T-shirts are back! Like they ever went away. Squadron color T-shirts may once again be worn with the ABU or flight suit when in-garrison or on-station during unit temporary duty assignments and contingency deployments. Shirts must be one color throughout the squadron, and may have only a small squadron patch up to 5″ in diameter over the left chest. But, only on Fridays.

Morale Patches are back! if you’re wearing a bag anyway. And, only on Fridays. Remember those pithy little tabs everyone had made that went on the pen pocket Velcro when you cut off the flap? Those are back too. But only on, you guessed it, Fridays.

Sister Service Qualification Badges are back! Looking at the AFI, it appears that it’s now game on. Not only are sister service aeronautical badges authorized but also the Army badges previously authorized with the BDU such as Air Assault and Pathfinder. Based on what I saw in the AFI it also looks like badges such as USN warfare pins are now also authorized for wear on the ABU and service dress a similar fashion to a Group 4 badge in the US Army. Additionally, tabs like ‘Ranger’ and ‘Special Forces’ are also once again authorized for wear. However, for some odd reason, the US Army ‘Airborne’ tab is in the AFI and it has never been an individual award but rather a part of a unit’s Shoulder Sleeve Insignia. Although, admittedly, back in the day I saw Airmen assigned to joint units like JCSE wear it stand alone on their sleeve.

Unmanned Aerial System / Sensor Operator Badges? Yep, they join Cyber Operations and have their own badges now so they can be held in contempt by the other ‘Operators.’

No More Color Restrictions for Running Shoes! Pretty self explanatory.

No More Reflective Belts! That is unless your CC is a spineless, risk averse toad. Then, you’re screwed. It’s up to the local commander now.

No More Wire Hangers! I just threw that one in for fun. It’s only a rule if you’re named Christina Crawford.

You Can Wear Black Socks for PT Not sure why you’d want to, but you can.

Maintainers Must Wear Green Boots Black boots are out, sorry guys.

Cell Phones No Longer Have to be Black This is the one change to AFI 36-2903 that will have the biggest impact. Everybody is carrying a cell phone and most everyone has been out of regs for the past few years because somebody wanted everyone to have the same color of phone. The only guys with Black phones were the ones with taps on their low quarters. So, now that’s fixed and no more Letters of Counseling for that hot pink phone. Just don’t attach it to your uniform or purse and you’ll be ok.

Now, if the Army could just itself together and release the update to AR 670-1.

Forces Focus – Have Ace

Saturday, December 14th, 2013

Have Ace is a 2-week long training program at Eglin AFB, FL for Army, Navy and Marine SOF to provide live fire ranges and to familiarize them with AFSOC aircraft.

Forces Focus – Take A Look At The 1st Special Operations Wing

Tuesday, November 5th, 2013

If The Army Adopts OCP Will The Air Force Follow Suit?

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013

At this point it has become glaringly obvious that the US Army is adopting the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern developed by Crye Presicion and known commercially as MultiCam. The question now is whether the other services follow their lead? Elements of USSOCOM were already wearing MultiCam when the Army adopted it for use in Afghanistan in 2009. The Air Force also jumped on the OCP bandwagon, issuing it to all OEF bound Airman. Additionally, ahead of their Army counterparts, USAF Battlefield Airman are wearing MultiCam during stateside training and in some cases as a garrison uniform. Already in DoD, MultiCam abounds.

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From the very beginning of the Camouflage Improvement Effort the Air Force has monitored the Army’s progress and unofficially signed on as a stake holder. While there has been no announcement from the Air Force (or the Army for that matter) on the future of their camoflauge program, we believe that they will adopt OCP shortly after the Army (and hopefully get rid of that abomination of a uniform in the process, the so-called Airman Battle Uniform). The government source who informed soft goods manufacturers that the Army would slowly transition to OCP earlier this week at AUSA said as much. So that puts the Army, the Air Force, and the majority of USSOCOM in MultiCam, leaving our maritime forces as the odd man out. But will pending legislation for a common camouflage uniform be enough to persuade the Navy and Marine Corps to go along with the crowd?

Forces Focus – Special Tactics Officer

Wednesday, October 16th, 2013

Do you have what it takes to become a US Air Force Special Tactics Officer?