ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

The Air Force recently published a memorandum outlining updates to the Department of the Air Force Instruction 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of United States Air Force and United States Space Force Personnel, which include mustache, sister service and joint unit patch wear guidance. The updates are effective immediately for Airmen.

“These changes will allow Airmen additional flexibilities as to how to wear mustaches” said Gwendolyn DeFilippi, acting Deputy Chief of Staff for manpower, personnel and services. “Additionally, allowing Airmen to wear sister-service patches in their current color configuration influences cohesiveness and pride while assigned to joint organizations.”

Mustaches: No portion of the mustache will extend below the lip line of the upper lip. Additionally, the mustache will not go beyond a horizontal line extending across the corners of the mouth and no more than 1/4 inch beyond a vertical line drawn from the corner of the mouth.

Patches: Airmen assigned, attached, detailed, or activated in support of sister-service units or joint organizations can now wear the unit’s patches in accordance with the sister service or joint organizations wear instructions.

The badges or patches can be worn in the sister service or joint organization’s color configuration and will not be converted to the spice brown color.

DAFI 36-2903 takes precedence if a sister service or joint organization wear instructions cause a conflict in Air Force patch configuration guidance, i.e. the wear instruction might switch a patch designated as a “left sleeve” patch to the right sleeve.

These updates were based off feedback provided to senior leaders and the updated DAFI will be published at a later date.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

The Air Force recently updated the contents of The Enlisted Force Structure and The Profession of Arms: Our Core Values, more commonly known among Airmen as the “Brown” and “Blue” books.

Tradition and heritage are themes found within the revamped foundational guides for Airmen to emulate throughout their career.

“Our Airmen are the greatest competitive advantage we have to deter and defeat the fast-paced, complex threats we face around the globe,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass. “Airmen should approach our mission with the mindset of respect, pride, innovation, and a continued commitment to anticipate and embrace change to achieve excellence.”

The Enlisted Force Structure, or “Brown Book,” provides a standard baseline to best meet mission requirements, while outlining foundational and occupational competencies Airmen should develop as they progress in rank and responsibility. It underscores the importance of character in each tier of the enlisted structure, and clearly outlines standards Airmen must meet and enforce to advance a culture of trust, respect and inclusion.

Although the core of the enlisted force structure remains the same, the updated “Brown Book” supports developing current and future Airmen by adding topics such as: Airman Leadership Qualities, teaming, force development and multi-capable Airmen. The updates outline modernized development changes within the Air Force, in line with the vision to accelerate change across the enterprise.

The Profession of Arms: Our Core Values, known as the “Blue Book,” was originally published in 1996 and provides guidance to Airmen at all levels on the service’s institutional values and guiding principles. This revision extensively explains the Profession of Arms; Service Oaths for Enlisted, Officers and Civil Servants; Air Force Core Values and the Code of Conduct.

“We must periodically review and refresh our foundational guides to ensure we’re giving Airmen the tools they need to succeed in the future force,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. “What hasn’t changed, is every Airman’s responsibility to inspire others, set an example through personal conduct, and promote leadership and accountability across our force.”

The Blue Book calls on Airmen to be dedicated to continuous individual and institutional improvements. It emphasizes the importance of showing respect for others and implements a recommendation of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military by clarifying that engaging in and tolerating sexual assault and sexual harassment are violations of the Air Force Core Values. Stalking, bullying, extremism and discrimination are additional behaviors cited as eroding the foundation upon which the Air Force was built.

In addition to the “Brown” and “Blue” books, Airmen can expect a new “Purple Book” to be released in the summer. The “Purple Book” will aim to educate Airmen about how Airpower fits into the joint-force environment, and connects joint doctrine, values, capabilities and warfighting concepts that capture how the Air Force effectively partners with other services to protect America’s interests across the globe.

“Updating these foundational guides equips Airmen with the resources needed to become highly trained, educated, and adaptable to the threats our competitors present, and the significant role every Airman plays for the mission to be successful,” Bass said.

Developing and updating these guides was part of the 28 Enlisted Force Development Action Plan objectives focused on developing the future enlisted force. The revised “Brown Book” can be found here and the revised “Blue Book” can be found here.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

“It’s hard to understand inclusion until you have been excluded.” – Billie Jean King

Airmen,

One year ago, I launched the CSAF Leadership Library to encourage us to think critically about leadership and world events. I hope you have found these thought-provoking titles relevant to your professional and personal development and have engaged your fellow Airmen with your views and ideas.

This March, we celebrate Women’s History Month to recognize the significant impacts women have on Air Force history as airpower leaders and innovators. Decades before the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act was signed in 1948, American women were already making significant impacts in aviation. The Legend: The Bessie Coleman Story features Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman, the first African-American woman and woman of Native-American descent to earn her pilot’s license. “Queen Bess” refused to take “no” for an answer. Excluded from American flying schools because of her gender and race, she became nationally recognized for her daredevil flying stunts. Her achievements and contributions remain an inspiration and a symbol for our generation.

If you tuned in early to the Super Bowl for the flawless flyover to commemorate our Air Force’s 75th anniversary, you might have also caught the pregame montage featuring tennis great Billie Jean King. Her message was simple yet powerful: “It’s hard to understand inclusion until you have been excluded. Inclusify: The Power of Uniqueness and Belonging challenges us to think uncomfortably and with curiosity about the intersection of leadership, diversity, and inclusion in our Air Force. Simply being a diverse organization is not enough. We need inclusive leaders to foster a culture where all our Airmen feel welcome, heard, and understood

Diversity and inclusion are competitive advantages for our Air Force. An inclusive, competitive mindset enables us to better understand our investments, solve our problems, impose dilemmas on potential adversaries, and manage risk. Consider this mindset as you listen to Michael Morell’s Intelligence Matters podcast: China’s Ambitions in the World and What They Mean to U.S. as an expert panel dissects China’s ambitions and strategy.

Providing feedback and receiving feedback by shifting the way we measure, incentivize, and reward the Airmen for the future will be important. Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well deep-dives into the phenomenon of feedback from the point of the view of the recipient and offers practical steps to ask for the right kind of feedback, identify triggers that prevent absorbing feedback, and even suggests ways to reject feedback.

I encourage you to use this month’s additions to the Leadership Library to sharpen your leadership skills and those of your fellow Airmen.

Sincerely,
CHARLES Q. BROWN, JR.
General, U.S. Air Force
Chief of Staff

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs note: The CSAF Leadership Library is a fluid set of media selected by Gen. Brown that evolves as novel ideas are published, recorded and debated. New entries will be added periodically throughout the year.

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