From Military.com:
“Space Force Now Has an
Official Uniform”
Like Army and Air Force
counterparts, the U.S. Space Force members will wear the Operational Camouflage
Pattern as the official service duty uniform, officials announced Thursday. According
to a Space Force memo, space operators will have a mandatory OCP wear timeline
similar to the Air Force, which is requiring all airmen to make the changeover
from the Airman Battle Uniform, known as the ABU, by April 1, 2021. "Our
uniforms are the first visual cue of our identity as a service," Chief
Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, U.S Space Force senior enlisted advisor, said in a
statement. "Adopting the OCP worn in the joint environment reflects our
role in the joint warfighting effort, and we incorporated space Force-specific
colors and configuration to establish our own independent identity," he
said. According to the guidance, Space Force members need to wear "a
minimum configuration consisting of a full-color U.S. flag patch, grade
insignia, occupational badge, and name and service tapes with space blue
embroidery on three-color OCP background." Unlike the other services,
Space Force personnel use a shade of dark navy blue known as 'space blue' for
stitching on their name and service tape. Officials said that tapes and
insignia may be sewn on or velcroed on, but must be consistent in their
attachment as to avoid mixing sewn and velcroed elements. That guidance also
pertains to name tapes for the back of the patrol caps. Officers will also wear
their rank insignia on the front and follow the same thread configuration as
the rest of the uniform; per the memo, the only exception will be for second
lieutenants and majors who can wear the Air Force's spice brown color (In the
Air Force, the only deviation from an all-spice brown grade patches are for
first lieutenant and lieutenant colonel, which are black). While the Air Force
uniforms feature a spice brown flag, the Space Force has a full-color flag
patch to be worn on the left sleeve, and "centered at the top of the
velcro, and worn unless deployed to a contingency operation that aligns under
separate or independent OCP wear guidance," the memo states. A higher
headquarters patch is required to be worn centered below the flag patch on the
left. An exception to this patch is one symbolizing a "Space Mission Force
combat rotation, operational crew duty in support of United States Space Command
(USSPACECOM), or an operational USSPACECOM exercise or wargame/event." Officials
said that spice brown patches will be authorized until space blue patches are
available. Assigned unit patches are required "to be worn centered on the
velcro patch of the right sleeve," the release said. Space Force members
will not be authorized to wear the Two-Piece Flight Duty Uniform (2PFDU), nor
do they need to purchase a fire retardant OCP set, per the memo. However,
should Space Force members find themselves in jobs -- such as operating outside
the wire, or assignment that "have occupational safety and health
administration (OSHA) requirements" -- they will be authorized to wear
"the 100% cotton Fire-Retardant OCP" or a variation of the flight
duty uniform in the future as needed. Over the last year, the newest military
branch has debuted its official logo, seal, flag and organization's structure.
Pending Space Force decisions include dress uniform updates, Space
Force-specific insignia and a rank structure. Officials are still also deciding
what to call its members.
^ It is interesting to see a new
Military Branch created from scratch. The last time that happened was in the
1940s with the Air Force. ^
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/08/27/space-force-now-has-official-uniform.html
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