The USAF released this statement late yesterday:
"We are committed to equipping Airmen with the most advanced capabilities available at the earliest time possible," Air Force officials said Aug. 24. "Based on feedback from Airmen, we believe the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern (OCP) provides advanced protection to servicemembers while operating outside the wire in Afghanistan. Army (officials), while beginning an aggressive fielding schedule, (are) working with Air Force (officials) to support developing a long-term joint fielding strategy later this year."
OCP is better known to Kit Up! readers as "Mulitcam," and as Christian flagged a number of weeks ago, the fielding strategy has created concerns on both sides of the fence. Unit commanders are concerned about uniformity across their charges, while their charges are usually willing to do whatever it takes to wear the stuff that'll protect them the best once the bullets start flying -- including paying for it themselves, if need be.
Not sure why the Air Force is saying this right now. And this statement -- like all good official statements -- really doesn't say much beyond the happy talk of promising the gear at the "earliest time possible." We'll also add that the only Air Force guy we saw in the field during our time in Afghanistan -- a TAC-P -- wore Tiger Stripe cammies, not ACUs like the Joes that surrounded him.
