Basic trainee Kendell Pollock tries on a set of the Airman battle uniform while Brig. Gen. Darrell D. Jones watches to ensure the uniform is a good fit at the basic trainee equipment issue building Oct. 3 at Lackland Air Force Base,Texas. The new crop of recruits was the first wave of trainees to be issued ABUs. General Jones is the 37th Training Wing commander. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee)
Basic trainees wait in line for uniform items at the basic trainee equipment issue building Oct. 3 at Lackland Air Force Base,Texas. The new crop of recruits was the first wave of trainees to be issued Airman battle uniforms.(U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee)
10/5/2007 - LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- A huge step in the Air Force's transformation to the Airman battle uniform occurred Oct. 3 at the basic training equipment issue at Lackland Air Force Base.
The trainees who entered the door at the uniform facility this week got a little something different in their duffel bags than the previous week's recruits -- four sets of ABUs instead of four sets of battle dress uniforms.
Brig. Gen. Darrell D. Jones, the commander of the 37th Training Wing, was on hand to take part in the event. After learning some pointers from Airmen at the facility, he stepped in to help some recruits get the proper sized uniforms.
The general, who was wearing a set of ABUs himself, said he is very happy with the new uniform. He said it is important the newest members of the Air Force be issued it.
"This is a milestone for our wing," General Jones said. "It is extremely important to start this process here because we are the gateway to the Air Force."
One of the first recruits who received assistance from the general was Kendell Pollock. The trainee, who grew up in Woodstock, Ga., said he was just happy to receive his uniform so that he wouldn't stand out in his civilian clothes.
"These first few days have been a challenge," he said. "I really like this uniform. It is really comfortable."
A lot of work behind the scenes contributed to the successful issue of the uniforms to more than 800 recruits in the first week.
The process of swapping out the uniforms was not an easy one, said Maj. Wes Wenzel, the acting commander of the 37th Logistics Readiness Squadron. It involved the processing of more than 300 pallets of items and most of facility staff worked more than 80 hours last week to make it all happen.
"It was definitely a full-team effort," he said. "One of our major challenges was ensuring that we had enough stock to issue out so many uniforms."
It was a good sight seeing all of the trainees in their new uniforms, General Jones said.
"It's a distinctive uniform," he said. "We now stand out as Airmen like we should."
