OCP Notes
Effective 01 NOV 25, Civil Air Patrol is authorized to wear the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) uniform.
Wear-out date for the Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) is 31 OCT 28.
Cadets! Please, please, please DO NOT rush into wasting your parents' money recklessly, take the time to understand exactly what you need and don't need in order to switch to OCPs. Note, your OCPs need to be 100% complete before I will allow you to wear them, and you will only be allowed to wear them after they have passed a hanger inspection from me. You get no "points" for being first, only for being correct. -- SQ/CC
From the National Commander: Operational Camouflage Pattern Uniform
On this page you will find the following information:
- Authorized OCP Uniform Variants
- Tan 499 vs Coyote
- OCP (Scorpion W2) vs MultiCam®
- OCP variants which are NOT authorized
- A word about commercial vendors.
- eBay and Military Surplus.
- Shoulder Patches (how it's supposed to look)
Authorized OCP Uniform Variants
There are two "styles" or "cut" of OCP uniforms that are authorized for CAP. Use caution as to not mix the two! One is the "non-fire-retardant" or "garrison" version which was what first came out when the Army switched from the UCP pattern, and the Air Force followed suit. This version has slanted chest pockets with Velcro closures, single panel Velcro shoulder pockets with forward zippered entries, zippered front with velcro'ed wind flap on the blouse and slanted cargo pocket flaps with three bellows on the trouser.
Examples:
DLATS Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) Coat $59.24
DLATS Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) Trousers $59.22
The other is the "improved hot weather" version, which is what you see on Vanguard. It is a lighter weight uniform. It does not have chest pockets, the shoulder pockets have a top flap buttoned entry which creates a divided Velcro panel, and it’s a button-down front instead zippered like the garrison version. The trousers of the "hot weathers" have a slightly smaller cargo pocket with a straight opening top flap and only one bellow in the center. The thigh pocket of the "hot weathers" sits a little more to the rear, and there's a surplus of material at the knee allowing for more comfortable articulation.
Examples:
Improved Hot Weather Combat Uniform (IHWCU) OCP Coat $53.90
Improved Hot Weather Combat Uniform (IHWCU) OCP Trousers $69.16
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Note: the terms ACU (Army Combat Uniform) and IHWCU (Improved Hot Weather Combat Uniform) is interchangeable when talking about the Air Force's [CAP's] Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) uniform. They're the same things; the Army had them first and the Air Force followed suit.
Tan 499 vs Coyote
Official color for OCP belts, boots, and tee shirts is Tan 499 NOT Coyote 489/476
OCP (Scorpion W2) vs MultiCam®
If you are getting your OCPs from any other source than Vanguard or the Military Clothing Store, then use cause to not get the wrong camouflage pattern nor the wrong cut. There's a pattern that looks very similar to OCP (Scorpion W2) and that is MultiCam® sometimes also referred to as OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom) pattern.
OCP (Scorpion W2) uses the following colors:
• Dark Cream 559
• Tan 525
• Light Sage 560
• Olive 527
• Dark Green 528
• Brown 529
• Bark Brown 561
Notice that MultiCam® incorporates vertical components to the pattern, which are not present in OCP, and the color palettes are just slightly different.
MultiCam® (OEF Pattern)
• Cream 524
• Tan 525
• Pale Green 526
• Olive 527
• Dark Green 528
• Brown 529
• Dark Brown 530
OCP variants which are NOT authorized:
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Army Aircrew Combat Uniform (A2CU) two-piece flight suit used by both the Army and the Air Force; has more and distinctive pockets for aircrew and Velcro draw-in tabs on the blouse, all of which differs significantly from the standard OCP uniform.
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Flame-Resistant Army Combat Uniform (FRACU) looks like a set of "garrison" ACU but is made with 65% Rayon / 25% Para-Aramid / 10% Nylon woven ripstop fabric and has two 1 inch x 1 inch squares of Nylon, one on the left cuff of the blouse and the other on the center of the left main cargo pocket flap of the trouser.
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Crye Precision combat shirts and combat pants/field shirt and field pants; Patagonia OCP uniforms; any other non-standard issue OCP uniform. YOU ARE NOT AFSOC! You're CAP, you WILL abide by CAPR 39-1 which furthermore references DAFI36-2903 when it comes to the wear of OCP uniforms.
DAFI36-2903 Dated: 29 FEBRUARY 2024
Chapter 5 - OCP UNIFORMS5.1. The Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP), Male and Female.
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OCPs purchased by Air Force personnel through the Army Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) Military Clothing Sales Stores (MCSS), or issued through Individual Equipment Elements or contract equivalent, are certified as fully compliant with all specifications.
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The non-fire-retardant and improved hot weather combat OCP uniforms are the only OCP uniforms authorized to be worn by all Airmen.
A word about commercial vendors.
A lot of reputable sites on the internet will make things easier for you when shopping for OCPs, both the uniforms themselves and the foot wear and accessories. Look for filters like, "AR 670-1 Compliant" "AFI 36-2903 Compliant" this can help narrow the search. The main [commercial] manufacturers of OCP uniforms are Propper and Tru-Spec.
Some reputable online vendors include:
TacticalGear.com (has free shipping on orders over $150)
U.S. Patriot (which is a Galls company; no free shipping)
There are of course others and this is by no means an endorsement of these two, but I have personally ordered from both and had no issues. -- SQ/CC
eBay and Military Surplus.
Take ALL of the advice above into account when shopping on eBay or when at a military surplus store. There can be some great deals out there, but you also need to know what you're getting -- is it the right pattern? is it the right cut/variant? does it have any significant defects -- holes, stains, tears? One good thing about a surplus store (provided they allow it) is you can try on uniforms to get an idea of what fits.
There are a decent number of military surplus stores in the area, just do a Google search. One which is used by Infantry Explorers Post 558 (next door) is All American Surplus -- 2584 Fender Ave, Ste D, Fullerton, CA 92831. Show them your CAP ID and ask for Mike to get 10% off OCPs and 20% off on ABUs.
Shoulder Patches
The following are photos of how your shoulder patches are to be set up here at the squadron. Depicted below are "garrison" OCPs with everything, and below that "hot weather" OCPs with right shoulder and left shoulder.
(There is of course no real difference in terms of patch placement between garrisons and hot weathers, just the way the pockets open -- forward zipper for garrisons and button down top flap for hot weathers.)
At this time the squadron does not have an inventory of Velro® backed squadron patches, only sew-on patches that were (are) used for ABUs. Cadets wishing to wear OCPs will need have hook fastener attached to regular [sew-on] squadron patch in order to be compliant.
Besides a squadron patch, cadets will also need the following patches with hook fastener backing:
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A reverse US flag with gold border
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An "AUX" duty position patch
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A California wing patch
AUX - Duty Identifier Patch (BLUE BACKING)