Wing phases out flight suits effective May 1

Published April 24, 2012
By Lea Johnson
21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff writer

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Some Airmen at Peterson who have been issued flight suits will need to hang them up for good May 1.

On April 10, a policy letter released from Gen. William L. Shelton, commander of Air Force Space Command, directed personnel assigned to AFSPC to stop wearing flight suits, the green flight jacket and the A-2 leather jackets, no later than the end of the fiscal year.

"We want to create synergy among all personnel across the command," Shelton said in the letter. "When personnel wear the same uniform it has a unifying effect toward mission accomplishment. Standardization among the entire command prevents the perception of a 'haves' and 'have nots' situation; the very meaning of the word 'uniform' should drive us toward standardization."

Not only will requiring all Airmen in AFSPC to wear the uniform of the day create standardization, it will also save an estimated $670,000 per year.

According to Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Trottier, 21st Space Wing command chief, most Airmen within the wing have already stopped wearing the flight suits and will not wear them past the end of the month under the direction of Col. Chris Crawford, 21st Space Wing commander.

Trottier encourages any Airmen needing more Airman Battle Uniforms to stop by any military clothing sales store sooner rather than later. "It should be an easy conversion, so personnel don't need to worry. If they don't have ABUs, they have the option to wear blues until they get their ABUs," he said.

Airmen in the wing have an additional month to replace the A-2 leather jackets, which will be phased out beginning June 1. "By then the weather's going to be nice, so they're going to have plenty of time to get their authorized jackets," Trottier said.

A few grumbles have been heard around base, but Trottier said the change is a positive one. "At the end of the day we are all Airmen, it doesn't matter what we're wearing. We're all the same," he said.