Air Force Mess Dress Regulations
The United States Air Force has three levels of regulation uniform. Battle dress uniform is the everyday working uniform. It consists of a pair of pants and a shirt made of green, black and brown camouflage worn with a belt and boots. A similar uniform, called desert camouflage, is used by airmen and officers serving in the Middle East. The "dress blues" uniform is a more formal one that is worn for important meetings and when dignitaries are on base. The most formal uniform of all is the mess dress uniform.
Other People Are Reading
-
Significance
-
Unlike for the battle dress uniform, there is one Air Force mess dress regulation uniform for men and another for women. It is only worn for formal events, such as the Air Force Ball, or for events where civilian men would be expected to wear tuxedos and either black or white ties and where the women would be expected to wear formal attire.
Men
-
The Air Force mess dress regulation uniform for men includes a pair of long blue pants held up with a blue belt with a silver buckle, a white shirt, and a short, semifitted blue jacket. The event determines whether the uniform includes a dark blue bow tie with a dark blue cummerbund or a white bow tie with a white waistcoat.
-
Women
-
The Air Force mess dress regulation uniform for women is a long, straight, dark blue skirt with a slit up one side. A white blouse is worn beneath a fitted, dark blue jacket. A simple necktie is worn under the collar of the blouse. If the occasion demands it, the woman may wear a pair of white gloves.
Shoes and Hat
-
Men and women may wear low quarters, black patent-leather flat shoes, with the mess dress regulation uniform. Women may wear black pumps with no more than a 2-inch heal. Mess dress regulation uniforms do not include a hat.
Insignia
-
The stripes showing the rank of an enlisted airman are sewn to the shoulder of the mess dress regulation uniform jacket. Officers, who do not wear stripes, indicate their rank on their shoulder boards decorated with braided silver thread.
Considerations
-
While Air Force personnel are issued battle dress uniforms and dress blues uniforms at basic training, if they need a mess dress regulation uniform, they must buy it themselves. Mess dress regulation uniforms are available on any Air Force base at a uniform supply store. They can also be obtained through the military uniform exchange, an online service.
-
