United States Army Air Forces: Difference between revisions

Arnold left the AAF with two important legacies, based on his experiences in World War II, which shaped the post-war USAAF and their independent successor. The first was a requirement that the command staff of the service must include [[Staff (military)|staff officers]] of varying expertise besides pilots. The second was the belief that despite the unqualified success of training methods that had expanded the Air Forces, the United States would never again have the time to mobilize and train the [[Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces|reserve components]] as they had in 1940, necessitating that reservists and National Guardsmen be immediately ready for service in case of national emergency.<ref>Nalty (1997), p. 374.</ref>

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The issue enlisted men's winter service uniform consisted of a four pocket coat and trousers in olive drab shade 33 (light shade) 16&nbsp;oz wool [[Serge (fabric)|serge]]. Shirts with two patch pockets and without shoulder straps were either 8.2&nbsp;oz [[Chino cloth|chino cotton]] khaki, a light tan, shade No. 1, or 10.5&nbsp;oz olive drab wool light shade No. 33. Either shirt could be worn under the coat; however, the cotton shirt could not be worn as an outer garment with the wool trousers.<ref name="ReferenceA">AR 600-35 31 March 1944 (Section I, para. 2; Section II, para. 18).</ref> The wool necktie for the winter uniform was black and the summer necktie was khaki cotton, originally.<ref>AR 600-35 10 November 1941</ref> In February 1942 a universal mohair wool necktie in olive drab shade 3 and cotton blend khaki shade 5 were authorized for both uniforms.<ref>Risch and Pitkin, p. 47.</ref><ref name="AR 600-35 Section I, para. 2a3">AR 600-35 (Section I, para. 2a3).</ref> An overcoat of OD shade 33 [[Melton Mowbray#Melton cloth|Melton wool]] was worn in cold weather. The enlisted man's summer service uniform consisted of the same cotton khaki shade No. 1 uniform shirt with matching trousers; the coat for this uniform stopped being issued in the 1930s. Whenever the shirt was worn as an outer garment the necktie was tucked between the second and third button of the shirt.<ref>AR 600-40 (Section 3, para. 39).</ref>

The male officer's winter service uniform consisted of a coat of finer wool fabric in olive drab shade No. 51 (dark-shade) with a fabric belt matching the coat, nicknamed "greens". Officers could wear trousers matching the color and fabric of the coat, or optionally they were allowed taupe colored, officially called "drab shade 54", trousers of the same material as the coat, nicknamed "pinks", leading to the nickname "pinks and greens" for the iconic combination.<ref>AR 600-35 31 March 1944 (Section I, para. 2; Section II, para. 9, 19).</ref> Officers were also authorized to use the more durable olive drab shade 33 serge uniforms, except for the enlisted men's four pocket service coat, as long as they were not mixed with OD Shade 51 or Drab Shade 54 clothing.<ref>Army Officers Guide 1942, p. 132.</ref> An officer's OD overcoat and taupe rain coat were also authorized. Officers wore same cotton khaki shade No. 1 or olive drab wool light shade No. 33 shirts as enlisted men except with the addition of shoulder straps. Officers also had additional shirt color and fabric options, OD dark shade No. 50 or No. 51 and in 1944 drab shade No. 54.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>