Fashion might not seem like a big deal of the United States Air Force since all of its members are required to wear the same uniform every day, but that’s not exactly true.
“The Air Force is continually striving to improve the maternity uniforms through design and functionality advances to better serve its members,” said Cpt. Cammy Alberts, a public affairs officer at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township and member of the military for more than 18 years; serving active duty since 2001 and as a member of the National Guard since 2008.
Cammy, a mother of two and also one of the female airmen who have had the opportunity to wear the Air Force Uniform Officer’s new signed for expectant mothers, was allowed the opportunity to take part in a survey being conducted for feedback on the new uniform.
Uniforms worn by more than 300,000 service members around the world all come from the Air Force Uniform Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
The AFUO has an established team of designers and engineers all within the Human Services Division whose sole mission is to design, develop and sustain Air Force uniform items and gear for mission. So, as you can see, fashion in the military is more important than some might think.
“The Air Force Uniform Office or AFUO – work together to develop patterns, create prototypes and manage fit and wear tests for more than 520 individual items,” said Col. William McGuffey, the chief of the human services division in a story by Stars and Stripes.com.
Those patterns, prototypes and manage fit and wear tests also include uniforms designed for expectant mothers like Alberts, who found out she was expecting her second child last January.
AFUO has just finished rolling out a brand new line of maternity ABU’s that featured several upgrades including a roomier coat with more pockets and a grow-with-me elastic tummy panel in the pants. The new maternity uniforms were also equipped with adjustments tabs on the side in case more room in the front was needed, and a pencil pocket.
Despite the new design, the design will eventually return to the old design since the Air Force is transitioning to the typical dark brown and tan OCP (Operational Camouflage Pattern), and there is no maternity uniform in this pattern.
