Crew Uniforms and Side Arms Questions

[MOD]

After the weapons were removed from the capsules, did you still have to pack when couriering tickets or panels? Because the principal cost of those ancient beat up revolvers was in the annual qualification. Unless they didn't want to replace them with the 9mm.

By the time I was on crew (1988), I believe the practice of carrying sidearms when couriering special items had ended. I only recall wearing a pistol back to base once...when the pistol was due for its six month inspection by the armory.

[MV400]

My recollection of the demise of the .38's was both financial and operational as posted previously. The AF canned the .38's and when SAC saw the price tag for 9mm's they had to ask what do we really need them for. I believe GF was the first to turn them in. Within the first month I was on alert at I-0 for a SAC IG field inspection visit. The inspector entered the capsule, took his safety brief quietly, and spent the next 30 minutes (minimum) searching the entire capsule. He finally grew tired pulled up a folding chair we had waiting for him and asked "OK, where did you hide them?"

Who ever said SAC had a clue?

[hockey85]

when exactly did crews switch from the white coveralls to the crew blues? I know its sometime around the late 60's/ early 70's time frame.

-Cory

[Major T]

I arrived at Whiteman AFB in June 1968 and was issued crew blues. A few of the crew members that had been there a couple years were still sporting whites. They looked uncomfortable, starched and rather heavy. For the first few years our crew uniforms were cleaned at AF expense but by 1970 or so we washed and ironed them ourselves.

[SAC Killer]

For the first few years our crew uniforms were cleaned at AF expense but by 1970 or so we washed and ironed them ourselves.

Hmm, at Malmstrom the wing was still cleaning crew blues into the late 70s at least. They got pretty faded and threadbare by year 4.

[njh621]

I'm surprised how hard it is to find a set of crew blues, I've checked ebay, google, and even had my uncle at Kirkland AFB check with a historian he works with, but he couldn't find anything. Kinda odd considering that there were hundreds of missileers, and probably thousands of uniforms.


As far as the layout of the top jacket, I know that the missileer badge went on the upper right pocket, the SAC patch on the upper left pocket, a wing patch on one shoulder, and a squad patch on the other. Now as far as the name and Air Force tag that went over the pockets, was the name over the left pocket and Air Force over the right?

[SAC Killer]

As far as the layout of the top jacket, I know that the missileer badge went on the upper right pocket, the SAC patch on the upper left pocket, a wing patch on one shoulder, and a squad patch on the other. Now as far as the name and Air Force tag that went over the pockets, was the name over the left pocket and Air Force over the right?

When I was an MCCM (mid '70s):
The SAC patch went on the right pocket. The missile badge (aka "pocket rocket") went on the left pocket. This is as you are wearing the shirt; one guy let his fiancee set up his light blue shirt one day and she got everything exactly backwards; he didn't notice; did he take flak that day! "Combat Crew" badge went just above the name tag which was just above the right pocket. If you had one, 15th AF Crewmember Excellence patch went above that. On the left, only the US Air Force tag above the pocket unless you held other badges such as paratrooper. We didn't wear squadron or wing patches on the crew blues, but other special patches, such as Olympic Arena, were occasionally worn on the left shoulder. There was never a need for a squadron patch because your scarf indicated that. Scarf colors:

10SMS = blue
12SMS = red
490SMS = yellow (okay, officially gold)
564SMS = green
Instructor = gray
Standboard = white

[njh621]

I know the scarfs applied to the Minuteman crews, but did it apply to the Titan II as well?

-Nick

[Kris Kross]

On the subject of the MCCM who discharged his weapon in the LCC:

Does anyone recall his name, specifically did it start with "Pav" and rhyme with "lovitch"? That was the rumor when a certain person became Wg/CC at Malm while I was there. I am certain that this is a common myth but just curious if it could be confimed. Should I call "Mythbusters"?

*Names have been changed to protect the potentially innocent, but not much.

KK

[njh621]

Heh, I think it would be worth it to call them just to see em bust a silo myth!

By any chance is there another designation for the crew blue uniforms (other then utility uniforms)? Like some other official gov't name? I want to see if I can track some more information on them, and possible found somewhere to get them.

[Major T]

I have seen USAF missile crew uniforms for sale on ebay. Search the site with several different topics, i.e. air force uniforms,
air force missile, air force combat crew uniforms, etc. Listers use all sorts of terms putting things up for sale. Ebay has an enormous inventory of strange stuff. I found an XL USAF n3b parka after patiently looking for several months. Great item to keep warm with here in Alaska. Good luck in your search for these old relic uniforms. I was glad to throw mine in the Salvation
Army box some 33 years ago as I left the crew force after over five years at Whiteman AFB and several hundred (too many to count) alert tours. Proud I did it but would not want to go through that mess again.
MajorT

[njh621]

No luck so far, although I did come across two items of interest.

First off, there's this baby (I'm keeping an eye on this one, take the old name tag off, and throw one I have here one. Add a SAC patch and a SMS patch, and that'll be the talk of my physics class):
http://cgi.ebay.com/1971-Vietnam-Air-Fo ... dZViewItem

Then, there's this. Look likes a combination set of crew blues and coveralls? Whatever it was, didn't look like the crew blues I'm after.:
http://cgi.ebay.com/US-Air-Force-Missle ... dZViewItem

Anyways, just thought I'd share this. The hunt for crew blues continues....

-Nick

[Major T]

The first item on ebay you cited is a field jeacet, usaf issue item but not anything to do with missile combat crews, at not at least the SAC crews. The second item looks like the blue bag of the latter years in the missile crew fashion world. Keep looking. Good luck. Major T

[SAC Killer]

The first item on ebay you cited is a field jeacet, usaf issue item but not anything to do with missile combat crews, at not at least the SAC crews. The second item looks like the blue bag of the latter years in the missile crew fashion world. Keep looking. Good luck. Major T

Regarding the field jacket, crews did not get them but maintenance did. I collected a couple that way. In maintenance we also got removable liners and hoods for the field jackets. You could keep the jacket, but the hood & liners were returnable. The jackets with the liners installed were pretty warm, but not as warm as the parkas. Even at El Forko Grande we could use them most of the winter vice the parkas. Preferable because the field jackets weren't as clumsy when working on the site. In serious winter, though, we used the parkas. There just isn't any way to convey what -100 degrees wind chill feels like. The wind chill cards they issued us said that wind chills lower than -40 had "little additional chilling effect." Whoever wrote that was never on a Minuteman LF in deep winter.

[Major T]

I did get my hands on a field jacket at Wurtsmith AFB, MI in 1981 after leaving missile ops to return to public affairs. Went from Whiteman(flight jackets for crews) to Vandenberg(mostly no jacket) to Elmendorf (back to public affairs) n3b parka and ended up at Wurtsmith AFB, MI where I did get issued a field jacket with liner. Have made my home in Anchorage Alaska since 1984 and the winters are mostly less awful than No Dak. I grew up in Minneapolis and spent my time in missile ops (involuntary career broadening after Vietnam) worrying about my lack of a "northern tier" assignment. I just knew I would get Minot and after trying to volunteer for Malmstrom and Ellsworth without success I did an end run around SAC and got back into Public Affairs after I got promoted to major. Can't say that was a great idea career wise but I did enjoy Alaska and found a home here. Wurtsmith was nearly as remote, cold and nasty as No Dak and with tons of lake effect snow being on the shore of lake Huron. That was a miserable two and half years and made retirement from the USAF very appealing.
Cheers,
Major T