Here’s the deal with the Air Force PT uniform

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The Air Force’s new PT uniform is coming soon – again.

First unveiled in early 2021, the service’s new PT gear is now expected to arrive at Army & Air Force Exchange Service, or AAFES stores, within the continental United States starting in November, an Air Force spokesperson told Task & Purpose.

Some optional PT uniform items including the long-sleeve shirt and sweatshirt are currently still in development and will be available to airmen later, the spokesperson said.

The Air Force has been providing the PT uniforms to airmen in Basic Military Training since July, the spokesperson said. The trainees have received the short-sleeve shirt, running shorts, all-purpose shorts, track suit, and other items of new PT gear.

Air and Space Forces Magazine first reported that the PT uniform is expected to hit AAFES shelves this fall.

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The new PT uniform includes running shorts, all-purpose shorts, t-shirts, pants, and jackets,” according to the Air Force. The clothing is made from soft, quick-drying material that includes antimicrobial technology to help with moisture and odor.

The PT jacket is meant to be sleeker than what most airmen now have, and it is made of fabrics that do not make much noise during workouts. It also has a zipper chest pocket for Common Access Cards and other items.

But for the past couple of years, the Air Force’s quest to provide airmen with new running shorts, shirts and other PT gear has turned into a marathon. The new PT gear was initially supposed to be available starting in 2022, but its rollout was delayed multiple times due to a variety of issues including a fabric shortage. Most recently, the PT uniform was supposed to be available in AAFES stores in July.

“The fielding of a new uniform required time for mandatory government sources to find, and collaborate with, domestic fabric manufacturers to meet the technical requirements of the PT uniform materials,” the Air Force spokesperson said.  “That process took longer than expected.”

Don Lee, acquisition program manager for the Combat Ready Airman program under Air Force Materiel Command, recently told audience members at the most recent Air & Space Forces Association’s annual symposium that the PT uniform might not be available to airmen until 2025 or 2026.

Task & Purpose has since learned that Lee was referring superficially to optional uniform items such as the long-sleeve shirt and sweatshirt.

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Jeff Schogol

Senior Pentagon Reporter

Jeff Schogol is a senior staff writer for Task & Purpose. He reports on both the Defense Department as a whole as well as individual services, covering a variety of topics that include personnel, policy, military justice, deployments, and technology.