Air Force Clothing Office Oct 2006

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Air Force Clothing Office Oct 2006
Aeronautical Systems Center
Chief Libby Glade
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AFCO Responsibilities

• Research Development for Air Force Clothing
• Develop Patterns
• Research Textiles
• Garment Fit Wear Testing
• Develop Procurement Documentation
• Sustainment
• Configuration control (patterns, components,
  fabrics)
• Continuous improvements

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AFCO Responsibilities

• Primary Responsibility in Past was Dress Clothing
• Assist With Flight Clothing, Footwear, etc, (as
  needed)
• Current Responsibilities include
• Physical Fitness Clothing
• Utility Uniform and accessories

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AF Procurements

• AF only buys textiles garments for
• Sample Items
• Fit and Wear Test Garments
• LARGE QUANTITY BUYS ARE THROUGH
• Defense Supply Center, Philadelphia (DSCP)
• Issue Items in the Inventory
• Army Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES)
• Optional Items

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AFCO Projects
Challenges Keeping Up With High Performance /
Affordable Fabrics - Comfort - Safety -
Durability - New Technologies Finishes -
Wrinkle free - Stain resistant -
Anti-odor/anti-microbial - FR / safe
garments - Permethrin
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Airman Battle Uniform (ABU)

• AF All Purpose Environment Clothing System
  (Marine configuration) will replace current Army
  BDU ECWCS
• Textile Brushed Nylon with PTFE barrier in AF
  Digitized Tiger Stripe
• AF Improved Rain Suit (IRS) will replace current
  Army Field Coat
• IRS will still use Field Coat liner
• Textile Nylon with waterproof coating (sateen
  going away)
• ABU - Firefighter Uniform projected to be 100
  cotton (no details yet)

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Airman Battle Uniform

• AF Digitized Tiger Strip (AFDTS)
• 50 Nylon/50 Carded Cotton Twill
• Garment dipped permanent press finish
• Hat is Quarpel treated
• ABU shares 3 colors with ACU
• Air Force will use Army solid colored item
• Sand T-shirt, Green socks, tan belt, etc
• ABU colorway is similar to ACU
• AF will use Army Universal Print field gear
• Protective vests, field packs, etc

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ABU T-Shirt

• ABU T-shirt -
• Sharing Army sand polyester T-shirt
• AF will use a 100 cotton sand T-shirt
• Other T-shirts TBD
• Printed T-shirt
• Design TBD

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Physical Training Gear

• Physical Training Gear
• Improved PT Suit fabrics on hold.
• Shorts lining, moisture wicking, length
• Sweatshirt - weight, quality, reflexivity
• T-shirt - weight, quality, reflexivity

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Flight Suit

• Flight Suits
• Currently looking at low-pill technology for
  NomexTM fabrics
• Potential for testing alternate flightsuit/FR
  fabrics in the future
• Also testing t-shirts
• 100 Wool
• Two different NomexTM knits.

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Service Dress Jacket

• Two Prototypes made last January
• Billy Mitchell (WWI style) similar to Marine
  chocker collar
• Hap Arnold (WWII style) similar to Army Service
  Coat

• The appearance of the service dress uniform needs
  to communicate the Air Forces rich military
  heritage as well as foster the feelings of pride,
  dignity, and honor associated with that heritage
  in the individual wearing the uniform
• Currently refining design concepts

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AFCO Contact Information
AAFES Certification
Gina Rice, AAFES POC [phone] Gina.rice_at_wpafb
.af.mil Yvonne Wilson, Clothing
Design [phone] Yvonne.wilson_at_wpafb.af.mil
Carol Neri, Battelle Contractor [phone] neri
c_at_battelle.org
New technologies
PDs for new buys