LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Lackland trainees received more than 800 pairs of new Airman Battle Uniform boots Sept. 8 - 12.
Overall, 848 pairs were distributed during the week, 653 to male trainees and 195 to female trainees.
"This boot completes the ABU ensemble. The ABU boot manufacturer has made boots for a number of years for the Department of Defense and has a great track record," said Lt. Col. Paul Bredholt, 37th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander. "Our supplier, Defense Supply Center Philadelphia provided us enough stock that we were able to aggressively realign our processes to roll out the boots three weeks before the forecasted Oct. 1, issue date."
The sage colored ABU boot was issued ahead of schedule as more supplies became readily available. The sage ABU boot replaces the desert boot previously issued to basic military trainees.
"Our Air Force Clothing Initial Issue Function introduced the ABU utility uniform last year, issuing the desert combat boot with them. At that time, Defense Supply Center Philadelphia was developing the needed support for supplying our BMT trainees with the ABU combat boot," Colonel Bredholt said.
The new sage colored boot fits into the scheme of the blue, tan, grey and green patterns found in the ABU that will eventually replace the standard Battle Dress Uniform.
Benefits of the new boot go beyond the aesthetic, as the suede boot is polish-free and easy to maintain.
The ABU boot will now be the standard boot issued to Air Force BMT trainees.