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Airmen try uniform board on for size in person

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Julie Weckerlein
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON --  Letters to a newspaper's editor recently merited 10 Airmen personal invitations to the Pentagon to discuss uniform changes with the top Airman himself. 

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley saw the letters in the Air Force Times and decided to personally address the Airmen's concerns with a face-to-face meeting along with Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney McKinley. 

The Airmen's initial reaction to the invitation was of hesitation. The letters were critical of the recent uniform suggestions - in particular, the T-shirt - made by the Air Force. So, they were understandably apprehensive when they learned through their wing commanders they had been summoned to the nation's capitol. 

"I was really surprised and disappointed about the spin put on my letter," said Master Sgt. Lisa Hillman, a mobility equipment NCO with the Air National Guard in Springfield, Ill. She said she thought she was making suggestions to an official Air Force publication, and didn't realize that Air Force Times is a civilian newspaper, like the Washington Post. 

"So, of course the paper took the constructive criticism and turned it into just criticism. And I didn't know how the leaders here were going to react to that," she said.
As it turned out, though, she and the others had nothing to fear. General Moseley was, in fact, "pretty cool," said Staff Sgt. Daniel Ruiz-Rosario, a Defense Courier Service Airman from Ramstein Air Base, Germany. 

"He really came across as someone who cares about what Airmen think," he said of the 30-minute meeting with the general. "I got the impression that even the opinion of the lowest-ranking Airman out in the field is important to him. He's looking out for us." 

The biggest issue addressed was the T-shirt designated for the new Airman Battle Uniform. The Airmen spent the majority of their visit with the people who make up the Air Force Uniform Board to learn more about it. They touched and put on the various uniform prototypes, including the potential service dress uniform, and provided their opinions about  them - the good and the bad. The Airmen also brought with them the opinions of people from their bases. 

Some of the recommendations they gave included the making of an Air Force Web site where prototypes of uniforms being considered could be posted for feedback. 

"It would be a direct way Airmen could get updates about uniforms," said 2nd Lt. Todd Matheny, an operations officer from Maxwell AFB, Ala. "That way, bootleg copies of photos taken out of context wouldn't be making their rounds through e-mail with no information explaining anything, like what happened with the service dress." 

The Airmen said a lot of their misconceptions were addressed, such as the wash-and-wear concept of the new ABU. 

"The thing that surprised me the most was the crease," said Tech. Sgt. Tracy Pingleton, a geophysics research technician from Boulder, Wyo. "I think a lot of Airmen were misled by the (Air Force Times)'s headline 'creases are back.' Everyone who read that assumed it meant we'd have to iron in the creases every time. But that's not the case. The creases are permanent, no matter how many times you wash it." 

All the Airmen said they are leaving the Pentagon with a better understanding as to how the uniform board works, and how their opinion counts when used in the appropriate means, such as Air Force Web sites and surveys. 

"(The uniform board) has a difficult job here," Lieutenant Matheny said. "I have a family of five, and most times we can't agree on where to eat for dinner. The people here have to try and take the opinions from thousands of Airmen and try to make a product that appeases the majority. That's pretty hard to do, and I know I couldn't do it." 

Sergeant Hillman said she is now more critical of the sources from which she gains Air Force information. 

"This has been a big lesson in how things are perceived," said Sergeant Hillman.
"It's easy to see something that looks official and assume it's correct but that's not always the case." 

While such a meeting for Airmen is unlikely for the future, the Airmen said they have appreciated the opportunity. 

"I'm leaving here with a lot more information and a better understanding of how things are done within the Air Force than I had 36 hours ago," said Sergeant Ruiz-Rosario.