Bye-bye, BDUs

Technical Sergeant Leisa Grant of the National Guard Bureau of Public Affairs was quoted in Soldier of Fortune:

There are two things you should not see on 1 November: Halloween costumes and the Air Force version of the Battle Dress Uniform. In 2006, the Airman Battle Uniform became authorized for wear and a date was set for final phase-out of the woodland camouflage-patterned BDU's.
Previously announced to be effective 1 October 2011, a more recent Air Force manual, 36-2903, Dress and Appearance of Air Force Personnel pushed the date back to 1 November. This applies to all Air Force components.
Other items will simultaneously enter retirement with the BDUs, effective 1 November, including the desert camouflage uniform, black t-shirt, black combat boots, and tan boots with the ABU outside a theater of operations.
The almost thirty-year-old duty uniform, originally designed for wear throughout Europe and the Cold War, was worn by all branches of the service until 2005. Starting 1 November, only the Navy will be authorized to wear the BDU until its set phase-out date.
Aside from its appearances, one of the major differences between the ABU and the BDU is their maintenance. The new uniform requires very little care, needing only to be washed and hung for drying. Furthermore, the boots, now a sage green, full-grain leather boot with rubber heel and toe reinforcements, do not require polishing.
Not all Airmen embraced the changes immediately: "The BDUs featured solid, good-looking creases that looked great with well-shined boots," said Master Sergeant Sam Macaluso, a member of the 152nd Airlift Wing of the Nevada Air National Guard. But, even for those who liked creases and spit-shined boots, the appeal of less maintenance has grown on them: "We'd often spend our entire guard duty at night getting the perfect shine on those boots," Macaluso said. "It's nice to have boots you don't need to shine and a uniform you don't need to press constantly." With less time spent on up keeping their uniforms, Airmen are afforded more time to focus on other aspects of their military lives. A big benefit is the ABU gives Airmen at schools more time to study," Macaluso said. "Discipline and standards are important, but I believe Airmen have a lot more than their uniforms to focus on these days."