History

• While the US Army adopted the BDU in 1981, the Air Force remained in olive drab fatigues except for ground combat related career fields such as Para Rescue, Combat Control Teams, and Tactical Air Control Party members who were issued BDUs for field use. In the mid-80s, the Air Force authorized purchase and wear of BDUs for the entire Air Force, with the first issue to basic trainees in the summer of 1988. While both uniforms, fatigues and BDUs, were authorized for wear initially, the fatigue uniform was phased out by the early 1990s.
  
  

Types

• The BDU was initially available in two types, a Hot Weather 100% cotton (HWBDU) and a Temperate Weather 50% cotton and 50% nylon twill blend (TWBDU). The light material of the HWBDU did not hold up very long, and the heavy material of the TWBDU faded quickly with washing. In 1991, an Enhanced Hot Weather BDU replaced both types, a 50% cotton and 50% nylon poplin blend.
  
  

Features

• The BDU camouflage pattern, Woodland, is a four-color pattern, two shades of green, tan and black. The uniform contains an infrared protective coating that reduces detection by night vision devices. The jacket has four pockets on the front with slight expansion folds to hold items but is not very practical in the field, as access is usually blocked by body armor. The trousers have two large expanding cargo pockets on the legs in addition to typical front and back trouser pockets.
  
  

Considerations

• The BDU has many shortcomings as a battlefield uniform; the thin light weight material wears out quickly, thus requiring double or triple layer reinforcing in key areas, negating the benefits of the light weight cloth. Field modifications were often made to improve the uniforms versatility, such as relocating pockets to more usable positions. Conversely, as most Air Force personnel were not in combat positions, the BDU---though initially designed as a battlefield uniform---was relegated to a role as a utility uniform in the Air Force. Pockets were sewn down, buttons removed and uniforms heavily starched to look sharper. However, even a single starching would destroy the protective infrared resistant coating, making it unsuitable for combat use.
  
  

Potential

• The BDU is being relegated to its place in US military history and replaced in all the services by more modern digital pixilated designs. The new Airman Battlefield Uniform (ABU) is now issued service wide and is required for wear in some combat locations, but the BDU is still authorized for wear Air Force wide until 2011.