The Air Forc
e is conducting a wear test of the new prototype of its physical training uniform with 185 airmen volunteers assigned to the Pentagon, MacDill AFB, Fla., and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The Air Force introduced the uniform last month at the test locations, and the wear test will continue through the end of this month. Thereafter, service officials will evaluate the uniform’s performance based on feedback from the wearers and brief the results at the Chief of Staff level, where the decision will be made whether to adopt the new uniform service-wide. The new design consists of a jacket and slacks, T-shirt, and tapered shorts with pockets and liner. The clothing is 100-percent polyester with a moisture management system and an anti-odor lining, according to Capt. Nick Ferry, PTU program manager. Unlike the current 2004-vintage PT uniform, it has no hood or vents and features better reflectivity, decreased noise, and lighter weight. Ferry said initial feedback has been positive. “I think it will be adopted, but we’ll support any changes that are needed,” he said. Improving the PTU has been one of the priorities of the current Air Force leadership. (Wright-Patterson report by Mike Wallace)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.