AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy –
The Aviano AAFES Military Clothing Sales staff was ready Monday morning Oct. 1 to start selling the new Operational Camouflage Pattern uniform.
“We knew we were going to be busy, so that’s why we planned it the way we did. We have had steady business. After a few hours, when it was very busy, things stabilized,” said Susana Sobrino, General Manager of AAFES Italy.
For this initial run, AAFES received roughly 21,000 uniform items from the Defense Logistics Agency. All told, it’s enough to outfit one third of the base’s Airmen with OCPs.
“At the current pace, in another week or so we will have exhausted our current inventory,” Sobrino said.
AAFES plans to order more uniform items once their current stock is depleted.
Airmen are authorized to continue wearing the Airman Battle Uniform until April 1, 2021.
During the three year transition period from ABUs to OCPs, Airmen must conform to certain time-based updates to uniform regulations.
Beginning June 1, 2020, the wear of Coyote brown boots with OCPs is mandatory, along with DLA green or Coyote brown socks. Undershirts may be Coyote brown or Tan 499.
Full uniform requirements are outlined in AFI 36-2903, and the Air Force Personnel Center also recently published AFGM 2018-03 as a supplement to the changes.
Editor's note: The original story can be viewed on the Aviano Air Base website.