The top Air Force general is enthusiastic about the upcoming utility uniform and its head-to-toe changes, he said at the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium here Feb. 2. 

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley said during a discussion at the symposium that officials have finalized the new uniform, and one of the major topics of discussion was the women's boot. 

For years, women have had to do with a smaller version of a men's boot, but "that's not right, and that's not the way I want to do business," he said. 

"When you have a female Airman pulling security duty at Balad [Air Base in Iraq] or on the rugged terrain at Bagram [AB, Afghanistan], and she's standing on her feet all day, doing business to serve this country, she deserves better than a small men's boot," he said. "There are physical differences between men's feet and women's, and these new boots are going to accommodate that." 

General Moseley said he's garnered insight about the uniform by actually going out into the field and speaking with Airmen. 

"I told them, 'Tell me what you want to change'," he said, "and they pointed out they wanted a pocket on the arm, pocket on the legs, more pockets on the blouse, because when you're over there, wearing the body armor, you have to have those things in places you can reach." 

General Moseley said a women's version of the utility uniform will also be available, "because for a long time, women have had to pick sizes that were based on the men's uniform, that were kind of close to her size, so they had to get them altered or modified or just do with what they've got. That's not going to be an issue anymore." 

He said two uniform issues are still being worked -- the final configuration of the regular duty hat and the design of the T-shirt. 

"We are also looking at how to put U.S. AIR FORCE on the shirt," he said. "We want something on the shirt so that when a young Airman at Keesler who is responding to the hurricane takes off his blouse, people know that is an Air Force member conducting that operation and getting the work done." 

General Moseley said he has enjoyed talking with Airmen about the uniform. 

"There are a thousand good ideas about the uniforms put out there every day," he said. "Our goal is to get it done, get it out there and get it right."