BDUs are in short supply, AAFES warns (Battle Dress Uniforms)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=20683

Military Clothing Sales customers looking for battle dress uniforms are noticing sparse pickings lately, and the shortages are going to last through the end of the summer, according to Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials.

Army and Air Force clothing stores worldwide are out of stock on various sizes of both the enhanced hot weather and temperate BDU coats and trousers, AAFES officials said.

The shortages are happening because in “order to support the tremendous increase in desert requirements as a result of the war in Iraq,” BDU makers have had to switch their production from sewing woodland gear to the tan-and-brown version, Maj. Rachel Danielson, AAFES’ Army program manager for military clothing sales, said in a Wednesday e-mail response to questions from Stripes.

The BDUs are on back order with the Pentagon’s Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia, AAFES spokesman Judd Anstey said in a Monday telephone interview.

But back orders are all AAFES can do to solve the problem, because DSCP is the Army and Air Force’s only authorized supplier, Anstey said. That means AAFES can’t just go out and find an alternate manufacturer to make up the shortfall, he said.

What else can these idiots run out of. Note that clothing plants are shut down all over this country, but military is limiting their orders to one manufacturer in the Phillipines! If we can send billions and billions to Halliburton and KB&R with no bid, why can't we low bid contracts to U.S. plants here for things like BDU's.

[alexwcovington]

1. You mean our uniforms aren't US made?

Well this is an outrage.

[I AM SPARTACUS]

2. the Philippines are officially a US colony...

...oh! damn! that's next year...sorry, pretend you didn't hear that until sometime next year...

[chasqui]

3. I would have to point something out.

The AAFES stores that sell these BDUs (Clothing Sales Shops), make their money off of the soldierly desire to look good in uniform. This means that the average military person will have 10-15 starched uniforms in hanging in the closet, ready to be worn - if you want to make money near an army base, own a line of dry cleaning shops!
Since the military is only required to issue you something like 4 uniforms at the outset of the Service, my guess would be to say that this 'shortage' has to do with people buying more than they really need, rather than a logistical chain of supply failure leading to warriors having to run around in tattered uniforms for lack of replacements.

[RamboLiberal]

5. I read a story a couple of months ago that troops in Iraq were

in tattered uniforms. Many were having a hard time getting resupplied. Parents and spouses were having to scour the military stores in the states to try to find uniforms to send to the troops. In fact some of the troops were being told when they were failing to pass inspection that their parents and spouses HAD to send them the necessary BDU's.

[trogdor]

17. Soldiers are also required to buy their own...

...replacement uniforms. They get an annual clothing allowance for this purpose. Thus the need for an AAFES retail outlet for military clothing. I never knew anybody with 10-15 sets of starched uniforms in his or her closet, but career folks usually had four to six "good" sets, plus a similar number of "field" uniforms that have already been through the wringer. Same goes for boots, only more so.

Sure, soldiers use dry cleaning shops, but only because they don't want to do this themselves. They're busy people. There is also big money to be made in tailoring, sewing on patches, and whatnot. Most AAFES tailor shops won't even sew on a nametag while you wait, but the off-post shops will.

[Superfly]

20. Ranger Joes and US Cavalry

have competitively priced BDUs...

[saigon68]

22. True very True

In the 8 1/2 Years I was IN I bought lots of uniforms. When overseas mostly from local tailors.

The uniforms they are referring to in the article are the "Issue" ones. They are usually shabby and not made well.

They used to be made by children in sweatshops in the P.I. or other similar places.

They were CHEAP, the companies who sold them on the contract made a fortune. I'm sure there were a lot of Kick backs !!!!!

[lcordero]

4. Yes that's right

I have to wait til August to get a pair of BDU(L/R) pants.

[burrowowl]

6. J F***king C****

They vote billions for the Iraq war, the Pentagon can't account for 3 trillion plus (half the national debt) and they can't get frigging uniforms!!!!
Down with the laissez-faire neo-liberal capitalist state!
The guillotine was a great invention and I'm against capital punishment. Go figure!?!
The corporatist-fascist can't even be bothered to buy, with our middle-class tax dollars, social security, medi-care dollars, UNIFORMS for Emperial Troops!
As I have said before: Why and the HELL! aren't Murikans in the street raising HELL and highwater!?!?!?!

[Florida_Geek]

7. That explains the signs outside MacDill AFB saying

We buy used BDUs....

Shittttttttttt.

[Voltaire99]

8. Dressed to kill

The shortage doesn't seem to have stopped the military from killing over 10,000 Iraqi citizens.

Talk about making do in a pinch.

[DemBones DemBones]

12. Hate the warmongers, not those who serve, please.

Few, if any, men or women go into the military hoping to be able to kill people. Most enlist because they need work, want job training/educational benefits, hope to travel to new places, especially overseas. Usually, they're proud of serving their country and trying to do a good job.

Remember that they are all in a rather low-paying job that can require them to put their lives on the line at any time.

Remember, too, that it's a job few people choose today but will soon be forced into by the economy, if not by a draft.

[Columbia]

9. I just checked my set of desert tri-colors

And they were made in Greenville, IL.

Not sure where you are getting your Phillipines info from...

[RamboLiberal]

19. Got Phillipines info right from Stars N' Stripes article

The BDUs are on back order with the Pentagon’s Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia, AAFES spokesman Judd Anstey said in a Monday telephone interview.

I assume Stars N' Stripes since they serve as a newspaper to military community would know what the heck they're talking about. Don't know how long Pentagon has been using this source.

[Columbia]

23. Umm...

You mean, PHILADELPHIA, PENNYSLYVANIA, USA?

[DemBones DemBones]

10. Now hear this. . .

What the heck are BDU's -- are they different from dress uniforms?

I served almost 20 years as a Navy brat, my older brother was a Marine, and I never heard of battlefield dress uniforms, only dress uniforms. My dad had dress blues for winter and dress whites for summer, neither of which would ever be worn on a ship engaged in combat, except possibly for inspections during a lull in combat. (What am I saying? "Possibly," my hind leg, they would FIND lulls to have inspections! )

Unless Army and Marine dress uniforms have changed radically, I'd think this would still be true of their winter and summer dress uniforms, also -- way too fancy for combat wear. Are BDU's some kind of hybrid? Dressed up fatigues, essentially? The guy in the photo is wearing camos but looking at what looks like it may be solid Army green item (under plastic wrap.)

Are khakis battlefield dress in the Navy? and if so what do the enlisted men wear for battlefield dress?

I know the CPO's and above wear khakis at sea and the enlisted wear blue shirts and dungarees but it's hard to think of those being called "dress," even "battlefield dress." That is what they're shown wearing in the old war movies, but my dad would never talk about WW II, much less about what he wore as an enlisted man serving in the Pacific. :7

Thanks, men! :hi:

[Columbia]

11. Just semantics

BDUs = utilities = cammies = fatigues

All one and the same.

[DemBones DemBones]

13. So the Navy equivalent would be

the light blue shirts (used to be cotton chambray) and navy denim pants for enlisted personnel, khakis for CPO's and above?

And Army and Marines would actually work in these clothes -- it's their (your) everyday work clothes? Worn in actual combat?

[Columbia]

24. I think the Navy call em Dungarees

Or something like that.

Yeah, we work and go to combat in the same uniform.

[militarymanusaf]

14. The only Navy personnel that use BDU's are

Seabees. Most military members have 2-4 pairs of these uniforms and no more...because they are too expensive.

The basic shirt and pants cost about $90. Enlisted members get an annual clothing allowance of about $300. That $300 is supposed to pay for all the uniform items a person needs for 1 year. That means all the different types of uniforms...t-shirts that underneath the outer shirt...boots...polished shoes for the fancy uniform...hats(sometimes called a cover)...getting your rank sewed on...medals/decorations you've received...all on $300 a year!

Officers (Air Force Officers I know for sure) get a 1-time clothing allowance after getting Commissioned, then that's it for the rest of his/her career.

Another thing is the military leaders just LOVE to see a sharp crease in the uniform. Well, the only way to do that is with a lot of starch. Surprise surprise...starch destroys the fabric!!!!!!!!!

[Florida_Geek]

15. Back in the Old Days -- Cough cough cough

Before going to Viet Nam, they outfitted you with all the clothes and shoes you needed for that country....

Ah, the good old days.

[saigon68]

25. Not this time

You are on your own.

[Mari333]

16. My oldest son is scouring the army navy surplus stores in Seattle

to send his stepbrother "things he might need in sandstorms that the goddamn military wont issue him".
He is worried about his stepbrother, and wants to make sure he has what he needs, as Michael has told us all that the sandstorms are murderous and summer is coming there, which will be even worse.
I think we will send him Gold Bond powder top, for the heat that reaches 120 degrees there. God only knows if they will get enough water.
I wish this year were over.

[trogdor]

18. Phillipines <> Philadelphia

Last I checked, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (CORCRAFT) did most of this kind of work.

[havocmom]

21. If we see Congress push to budget for emergency uniform purchase

we can get a clue that a major manufacturer of uniforms has just made large donations (and will likely be outsourcing the work)