Air Force civilian PT testers are on the way out. Not because the Air Force has restored faith in Blue Suiters. No, it’s because they can’t afford them. As you may recall, the Air Force instituted civilian PT testers in the Summer of 2010 amid low test scores. A new emphasis on “physical fitness” came as PT testing criteria were tightened. Unfortunately, evidence suggested that some testers were less than stringent in their duties and allowed some substandard performers a pass. Naturally, rather than dealing with the problem in a case-by-case basis, the Air Force decided to slap everyone in the face and hire civilian test proctors. Initially, they tested every Airmen but after time wore on, they monitored testing of Airmen counting others repetitions on some installations.

Why civilians? Who knows. It seems that it would have made more sense to have Stan Eval peek their heads in every once in awhile to ensure that the test was being properly administered but a wholesale solution was over the top. If there’s truly an integrity problem in the Air Force, this solution won’t make it go away. What will truly be telling is if standards once again slip now that Airmen will be back in charge.

While the Air Force is being forced to once again rely on NCOs to do what NCOs are paid to do; train and assess their subordinates, the service has yet to get a grip on reality and adapt the PT test itself to reward performance over looks. The waist measurement remains a part of the test and with looming personnel cutbacks, I doubt they will do away with it. It’s too easy to let the old, chubby guys go. Perhaps at some point they’ll get a Chief of Staff who values execution and doesn’t want a service that sports that heroin chic look.

The Air Force is currently looking at making two moves that will affect their Security Forces in an initiative entitled, “SECURITY FORCES TRAINING FACILITY RE-ALIGNMENT AND MOBILITY LOGDET EQUIPMENT CONSOLIDATION.” Launched before the plan had even been briefed to the entire force, it makes some pretty serious changes.

(Photo USAF, Staff Sgt. Nathan G. Bevier)

The first is that they want to go from 8 Regional Training Centers that provide “pre-deployment training to meet expeditionary combat readiness skills training” to 4. According to Air Force documents these, “Combat skills include non-standard expeditionary ground combat roles.”

The current RTCs:
Air Combat Command – Silver Flag Alpha, Creech AFB, NV
Air Force Materiel Command – Brave Defender, Eglin AFB, FL
Air Mobility Command – Phoenix Warrior, Ft Dix
Air Force Global Strike Command – Camp Guernsey, WY
ANG – 204th SFS Ft Bliss, TX
PACAF – Commando Warrior, Anderson AFB, Guam
USAFE – Creek Defender, Sembach AB, Germany

Generally, troops attend the RTC aligned with their command.

Realigning pre-deployment training is the good part of the plan. Closing some of these facilities makes sense, particularly considering that between the 8 centers, only around 8,700 Airmen are trained annually. Fewer RTCs will save money and help further standardize pre-deployment training for SF. Go for it Air Force!

(Photo USAF, 180th FW PAO)

Unfortunately, the second part of the proposal gives us pause. There is a plan afoot to consolidate all SF LOGDETs at a single facility. You see the Air Force deploys in UTCs which are Unit Type Codes consisting of personnel to accomplish a certain function. Think of them as capabilities sets. The LOGDET is the material half of this equation and is a laundry list of the gear needed to provide that capability.

There are reasons each unit responsible to provide UTCs maintained their own LOGDETs.

1. No single point of failure. If the balloon goes up, some forces may survive initial strikes and still be able to operate with their equipment.
2. It is THEIR equipment. They maintain and can train with the gear to ensure that it is complete and works properly.
3. The commander has responsibility to ensure that his UTCs and LOGDETs are complete and ready. If it’s incomplete or sub-par the commander has to answer for it.

Separating the personnel from their equipment makes no sense. Commanders would no longer be responsible to provide combat ready forces. Furthermore, the LOGDETs would be at the mercy of transportation. TRANSCOM makes miracles happen everyday but ensuring that troops from one base mate up with the right shipping container from another base, at the right place and the right time, especially in the middle of a war zone, is a bit too much to ask.

Furthermore, if LOGDETs are consolidated the next logical step for the shoe clerks is numbers. Imagine this argument, “Well, we don’t need ALL of this gear sitting here at once, after all, we’ve never ever used it all at the same time so we can cut back on how much gear we stockpile” Then, war comes and gear does not work, is incomplete, or entire sets are missing due to funds being diverted to purchase new furniture at HQ. Don’t believe that last one? Just visit an Air Force base.

This is a bad idea and we hope it crawls back under the rock it came from.

It’s taken them five years, but Air Force officials finally unveiled a new version of AFI 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance yesterday. Last updated in 2006, the Air Force introduced the Airman Battle Uniform during the interim which will completely replace the Battle Dress Uniform and Desert Camouflage Uniform with their mandatory wearout date on 1 November of this year. While the Air Force has introduced modest changes to the actual uniforms it wears, this latest version of the instruction is about being more user friendly. You will also notice some definitive guidance on flying uniforms (ch 8 ) although these are invariably also covered by MAJCOM and Wing supplements.

In an Air Force press release, Ruth Ewalt, Air Force Uniform Programs and Policies chief at the Air Staff commented, “The changes are a result of Airmen in the field requesting clarification, leadership approving more specific policy, and the need to integrate information from the 98th virtual uniform board and other wear policy approved since 2006.” She went on, “We added the ABU, green fleece, and physical fitness uniform information not in the previous AFI and corrected instances of conflicting information.”

Additionally, the Air Force added more photos, “Individuals learn and retain information differently,” Ewalt said. “For some, a photo is a better tool than volumes of text or audio. We wanted to make this AFI as ‘user-friendly’ as possible. It covers every Airman — from the first-day recruit in Basic Military Training to the 30-plus-year career Airman.”

Those familiar with previous versions of the AFI will notice some other changes.

The first three chapters cover the basic philosophy, appropriate circumstances to wear uniform items, how and where to purchase them, roles and responsibilities, and grooming and appearance standards.

Chapters four through seven cover uniforms worn and maintained by all Air Force members: dress, utility, and physical training uniforms. Chapters four and five include the dress and utility uniforms. Chapter six explains outer garments, headgear, rank insignia and accessories, and chapter seven covers the physical training uniform.

The remaining chapters “customize” the uniforms of unique populations and discuss badges, awards and decorations unique to individual Airmen.

The final chapter contains instructions for recommending changes to dress and personal appearance policy or uniform designs.

Tattooed Airmen should make special note. They’ve added a tattoo measurement tool to standardize the process for Airmen and commanders to determine if a tattoo meets standards.

“There is also a form to document tattoos that are borderline excessive or require a commander-approved waiver,” Ewalt said. “The policy regarding what constitutes an excessive tattoo has not changed. The standard is still not more than 25 percent of the exposed body part.”

Be sure to give it a read. Enjoy!

AFI 36-2903, 18 JULY 2011