Beginning today, airmen are required to wear a combination of the Air Force’s blue uniform on Mondays. The decision came out of the strategic summit Aug. 27 at Bolling AFB, D.C., the service said in a release Sept. 5. “We all agreed that part of our image, culture, and professionalism is instilled in our blues,” said Gen. Norton Schwartz, Chief of Staff, in the memo that he circulated Sept. 4 to announce the change. The policy is mandatory for most career fields, but installation commanders retain the authority to adjust it as necessary for mission requirements. Prior to 9/11, most airmen wore blues as their primary duty uniform.
The Air Force overall reduced its size by 120 aircraft in fiscal year 2021, but kept about the same number of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft, according to data supplied by the service. The F-35 fleet saw the biggest increase while the B-1B bomber fleet saw the largest decline.