Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jackets

[269sqnhudson]

Interesting link I found. A PDF document explaining that the USAF no longer procures tan coloured CWU series jackets as of 2008. They have now reverted solely to Sage green...again. Not something I knew before so may be of interest.

Click the PDF doc link about half way down the page.

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity ... e&_cview=0
T

 

[Rutger]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Wow, that's a cool find. Amazing that Du Pont is so easy on ceasing production and apparently on pretty short notice at that; not profitable enough I guess.

Wonder if ebay prices will start to increase for the tan jackets. Maybe the USAF should buy them back on ebay.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Tan jackets on ebay have been above "normal" for some time now, past six months, maybe more, this is when I first started noticing the price diiference in green vs tan jackets...

So Dupont says they are swithcing materials, the USAF rejects the material/shade, thus no more desert tan jackets...Knowing the way the Government purchases items, I would think there are enough tans left for a few years issue,,,just a guess/hunch,,,or you will see them (tans) start showing up brand new in DRMO's, just to get rid of them...

Sounds to me like the AF wanted to discontinue the item, and this was/is a convenient way...
Good find and interesting at that

 

[Atticus]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Somewhere deep in a mountain hideaway, a team of government minions has analyzed the latest runs of their Future Action Requirements by Terrain (FART) model and determined that the next large US military action will be in east Antarctica. Within months, snow white and crystal silver CWU-45P and CWU-36P jackets will begin appearing on eBay with astronomically high BIN prices.

AF

 

[Phantomfixer]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Finally a flight jacket I can give to my snow bunny!

 

[FlyingYankee]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

This will kill you but We burned a large amount of tan desert flightsuits and jackets with kerosene during my spec ops stint in Iraq so they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands.

 

[FtrPlt]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Bee Gee's have purchased all remaining stocks of Desert Shade 380 nomex jackets for their upcoming reunion tour.

ABBA has filed cease-and-desist order blocking development of shiny white and crystal silver nomex jackets, following theft of several of their proposed reunion tour jackets.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Awe come on guys...the tans werent that bad...once they got some synthetic oil and hydraulic fluid on em....

LOL on ABBA and the bee gee's....glad Neil Diamond wasnt on the list

 

[Phantomfixer]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

This will kill you but We burned a large amount of tan desert flightsuits and jackets with kerosene during my spec ops stint in Iraq so they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands.

That would be the BG's and ABBA? bummer though still a flight jacket...museums all over the world are crying....

 

[FtrPlt]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Wonder if Dupont winding down tan nomex production is somehow related to the introduction of the USAF version of the Army's two-piece flightsuits? While ejection-seat aircrew wouldn't use them, the numbers of non-ejection seat aircrew is pretty large. The two versions I've seen are the A2CU in USAF tiger stripe and the more recent version in multicam (which is probably an Army A2CU with AF badging). I have no idea what the accompanying jacket is for this uniform. I would expect to see a digi-tiger or OCP similar to what Army aircrew currently use.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Good point...why buy two seperate pieces of flight gear...
but why the two piece? wouldn't fire be able to penetrate such a system? Army folks generally can't walk around inside their aircraft..excluding their fixed wing fleet. However The USAF folks, excluding the fighter folks, can walk around, thus not being secured in a seat with lap belts, helping to prevent fire creep between the two pieces of uniform...

IF there is a fire in the cargo compartment and you are fighting the fire...I see the shirt flapping around exposing the body to flame...

I have not seen, up close, the two piece system, maybe they are velcroed together?. Dunno, or maybe they overlap enough to provide adequate protection...

 

[oose]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Hi all,
Thanks for the pdf, Here is Kevin Petersen (left), NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director in 2009 with one at Edwards.

All the best
Stu

 

[Peter Graham]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

This will kill you but We burned a large amount of tan desert flightsuits and jackets with kerosene during my spec ops stint in Iraq so they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands.

I read somewhere that the AAF burned large amounts of B-3's at the end of WW2. Horrible thought.

 

[FtrPlt]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Good point...why buy two seperate pieces of flight gear...
but why the two piece? wouldn't fire be able to penetrate such a system? Army folks generally can't walk around inside their aircraft..excluding their fixed wing fleet. However The USAF folks, excluding the fighter folks, can walk around, thus not being secured in a seat with lap belts, helping to prevent fire creep between the two pieces of uniform...

IF there is a fire in the cargo compartment and you are fighting the fire...I see the shirt flapping around exposing the body to flame...

I have not seen, up close, the two piece system, maybe they are velcroed together?. Dunno, or maybe they overlap enough to provide adequate protection...

I would offer that Army aircrew in the UH-60 and CH-47 are able to move around within the aircraft. Maybe not the pilots but certainly the crewchief/engineer/gunner can. I would like to believe that if the two-piece design contributed to burns due to shirt/trouser separation, the Army would have put its crews back into the one-piece bag.

I have an A2CU two-piece flightsuit (AF tiger stripe). The overlap between blouse and trousers is good and the jacket really doesn't flap around. I don't think fire getting inside the blouse is a major issue.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Good point...why buy two seperate pieces of flight gear...
but why the two piece? wouldn't fire be able to penetrate such a system? Army folks generally can't walk around inside their aircraft..excluding their fixed wing fleet. However The USAF folks, excluding the fighter folks, can walk around, thus not being secured in a seat with lap belts, helping to prevent fire creep between the two pieces of uniform...

IF there is a fire in the cargo compartment and you are fighting the fire...I see the shirt flapping around exposing the body to flame...

I have not seen, up close, the two piece system, maybe they are velcroed together?. Dunno, or maybe they overlap enough to provide adequate protection...

I would offer that Army aircrew in the UH-60 and CH-47 are able to move around within the aircraft. Maybe not the pilots but certainly the crewchief/engineer/gunner can. I would like to believe that if the two-piece design contributed to burns due to shirt/trouser separation, the Army would have put its crews back into the one-piece bag.

I have an A2CU two-piece flightsuit (AF tiger stripe). The overlap between blouse and trousers is good and the jacket really doesn't flap around. I don't think fire getting inside the blouse is a major issue.

yeah it was just a thought...still the AF are tradionalists, maybe not so much anymore..good point on the larger Helos

 

[Otter]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Somewhere deep in a mountain hideaway, a team of government minions has analyzed the latest runs of their Future Action Requirements by Terrain (FART) model and determined that the next large US military action will be in east Antarctica. Within months, snow white and crystal silver CWU-45P and CWU-36P jackets will begin appearing on eBay with astronomically high BIN prices.

AF

Aaargh, that has got inside my head! Now all I can see are teams of little yellow minions from Despicable Me running around in tan nomex jackets!

 

[Monsoon]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

I think AF helicopter crews were the first to get a two piece flight suit. I know that we were told to give our sizes for them several times over the years but never received them. A friend that flies 53's as an engineer said that they sucked. They were always tearing out the seat of the trousers. But then again, a lot of guys in my squadron did that with one piece suits, too.

AF being traditionalists? Nah. Not really. We're always looking for that next "tradition" to promote.

 

[FlyingYankee]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

Here's mine when i just got back from Balad Iraq, the tan is just cooler for some reason and my wife likes it too.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

AF being traditionalists? Nah. Not really. We're always looking for that next "tradition" to promote.[/quote]


Dude too funny...like modernizing the Hap Arnold star and the A-2....could you see the new star on the shoulder of the A-2...yuck

Great pic Yankee..nothing like a homecoming...very nice

 

[FtrPlt]

Re: Document explaining why USAF now only uses Sage CWU jack

AF being traditionalists? Nah. Not really. We're always looking for that next "tradition" to promote.

Dude too funny...like modernizing the Hap Arnold star and the A-2....could you see the new star on the shoulder of the A-2...yuck

Great pic Yankee..nothing like a homecoming...very nice[/quote]

+1 Yankee. Welcome home!

The new "tradition" seems to involve general officers playing at being fashion designers (all branches). Somehow we've gone from everyone in one-piece bags and BDU's to the current mess.

Each service carries the shame of their would-be, fashion-designer generals.

US Army: two-piece woodland ABU and nomex M-65 field jacket; berets for all (for the inner Rambo in all soldiers), and the universal camo pattern -- universally despised by those that wear it.

USAF: McPeak-era butchering of the service dress uniform, skinny-jean version of the flightsuit, and tiger stripe ABU, stillborn ABS-G, and the A2CU clone known as the Tactical Flight Duty Uniform (A2CU in tiger stripe).

USN: lame hijack of the USMC service uniform (substituting black trousers) and utility uniforms (NWU Berry-flage)

USMC: can't complain too much as they haven't messed with their uniforms too much. However, their impatience with the development of the then-service-wide camo studies (giving us UCP) and led them to develop their own version of CADPAT and make it proprietary. This started the ball rolling which gave us the mess we have today.