In an effort to reduce unnecessary stress on Airmen and Space professionals during COVID-19 restrictions, several uniform changes scheduled to become mandatory for the Operational Camouflage Pattern and Two-Piece Flight Duty Uniform on June 1, have been delayed to Sept. 1, 2020.
The changes for each uniform are detailed in Air Force Instruction 36-2903, “Dress and Appearance of Air Force Personnel.” Mandatory wear of the Operational Camouflage Pattern Uniform remains April 2021.
The changes that become mandatory on Sept. 1 for the OCP include:
* Officer rank insignia will be spice brown (exception: first lieutenant and lieutenant colonel rank insignia will be black).
* The U.S. flag patch will be mandatory and the only authorized color is spice brown (cloth). Airmen will wear the flag while in garrison and deployed. Infrared U.S. flags are not authorized.
* The authorized T-shirt color will be coyote brown (listed as Tan 499 per AAFES nomenclature) only. If purchasing coyote brown shirts from outside retailers, uniformed members should ensure the color matches the authorized coyote brown color (Tan 499).
* The authorized socks will be DLA-issued green socks or coyote brown only.
* The authorized boot color will be coyote brown only. The two exceptions are for Airmen with a medical condition as determined by medical authorities at a civilian or military treatment facility and approved by the commander, and those who must wear black combat boots in industrial areas.
The changes that become mandatory on Sept. 1 for the 2PFDU include:
* All mandatory wear badges must be in place.
* The cloth U.S. flag will be the spice brown color only.
* The authorized socks will be DLA-issued green socks or coyote brown only.
* The authorized boot color will be coyote brown only.
* The only authorized color for thermal undergarments will be coyote brown.
For more information, review Air Force Instruction 36-2903, “Dress and Appearance of Air Force Personnel,” or visit https://www.afpc.af.mil/Career-Management/Dress-and-Appearance/.