How to Wear Your Air Force Uniform
When you serve the military, you must take pride in your appearance. A large part of how you look depends on how you wear your uniform. The Air Force provides specific directives about uniforms and personal appearance in the Air Force Instruction 36-2903 document. This is also known as the Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel document, and it contains the most recent updates to the policies.
- Ensure that you are wearing the proper uniform for your location and activity. The specifications about what uniform to wear are determined by the officers in your chain of command. Wearing the wrong uniform may result in disciplinary action.
- Make sure that your uniform is clean and pressed according to the current guidelines that govern the uniform you are wearing. A dirty or wrinkled uniform looks bad, and it doesn’t give the professional impression that is required by the Air Force.
- Place your ribbons, badges and insignia in the proper location for the uniform you are wearing. While even this is regulated, these items give you an opportunity to show off your accomplishments and some limited individuality.
- Keep your gig line straight. This line goes from the top button of your shirt to the button on your pants and the edge of your belt buckle. If this isn’t straight, your uniform isn’t on properly.
- Shine or polish your shoes. Scuffed shoes and dull shoes take away from your uniform, and you are likely to fail an inspection or get a citation if your shoes aren’t shined or polished.
- Check your personal appearance. In the Air Force, your hair, facial hair, jewelry, makeup and fingernails are all part of your uniform. Your hair must not touch your collar if you are a woman. Men must have a clean-shaven face. The jewelry you can wear depends on your rank, rate and uniform, so be sure it fits in with the current policy. Your makeup must be natural-looking and if you are allowed to wear nail polish, it must be neutral. Your nails have to be neatly trimmed.