The Air Force pushed back the date some Operational Camouflage Pattern and Two-Piece Flight Duty Uniform changes will become mandatory, to make life easier for USAF and Space Force troops dealing with pandemic-related restrictions, the Air Force Personnel Center announced May 27.
Although the OCP uniform will still become mandatory next April, the following OCP uniform changes now will take effect Sept. 1, instead of June 1:
- Officer rank insignia: While first lieutenants’ and lieutenant colonels’ will be black, insignia worn by all other ranks must be Spice Brown.
- U.S. flag patch: This must be Spice Brown and worn both in garrison and on deployments. Infrared flag patches are prohibited, AFPC added.
- T-shirt color: Shirts must be Coyote Brown. The Army and Air Force Exchange Service designates the color as Tan 499, AFPC noted, and any shirts purchased from alternative sellers must match this color.
- Socks: These must either be the green socks issued by the Defense Logistics Agency or Coyote Brown.
- Boot Color: Boots must be Coyote Brown unless a service member is required to don “black combat boots in industrial areas” or has a medically determined and commander-approved medical condition.
For the Two-Piece Flight Duty Uniform, starting Sept. 1, “all mandatory wear badges must be in place,” the U.S. cloth flag must be Spice Brown, both boots and thermal undergarments must be Coyote Brown, and socks either need to be the green ones issued by DLA or Coyote Brown, AFPC said.
Air Force Instruction 36-2903, Dress and Appearance of Air Force Personnel, outlines the changes, the center noted, advising service members to review the instruction or visit an AFPC webpage for additional information.