National News - November 2005

ACUs to be Sold Early ’06, Until Then Beware Knockoffs

Washington , October 25, 2005 (Army News Service) -- Army officials are warning Soldiers against buying imitation Army Combat Uniforms i n lieu of waiting for Army-approved ACUs to arrive in stores.

AAFES military clothing sales stores are scheduled to get ACUs in April, but a spokesman said they may appear sooner.

"The Army has advised AAFES to expect to start seeing ACUs in January," said Judd Anstey, media branch manager with AAFES. "Details are still being worked out at this time."

Some Soldiers, anxious to get the new uniforms, have bought imitation ACUs from unauthorized vendors. Authorized uniforms made to Army specifications are produced only by government-contracted companies and will be sold through Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores, officials said.

Unauthorized uniforms typically do not meet the Army's specifications in various ways, such as appearance, usability and durability, said Bob Panichelle, product executive in the Field Clothing Branch of Defense Supply Center Philadelphia’s Clothing and Textiles Supply Chain, the organization contracting for ACU production.

Soldiers purchasing uniforms, uniform items, or heraldic items from establishments other than the Army military clothing sales stores must ensure that the items are authorized for wear and conform to appropriate military specifications or are manufactured in accordance with the Uniform Quality Control Program or the heraldic quality control system, Easley said. Soldiers should consult Army Regulation 670-1 for guidance.

Defense Supply Center Philadelphia contracted 16 commercial sources, as well as Unicor Federal Prison Industries, the National Institute for the Blind and the National Institute for the Severely Handicapped to produce the ACUs, Panichelle said.

A similar model for awarding contracts, monitoring production and overseeing the disbursal of uniforms will be used in fielding the Air Force’s new battle dress uniform, expected to begin fielding in the next two years, Panichelle said.

The final wear-out date for the battle dress uniforms and the desert combat uniforms is yet to be determined, said Easley. Active-duty, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers should have two sets of ACUs by May 1, 2007 , according to AR 670-1. By May 1, 2008 , all Soldiers should have four pairs each, and by April 2010, ROTC students should have four sets.

Knockoffs could threaten safety

To tell if an ACU is authorized, Soldiers should look for two tags sewn into the uniform. One tag near the collar is printed with the size and the second tag located elsewhere on the uniform gives the government contract number identifying what company made the uniform, and care instructions, according to Program Executive Office Soldier’s Web site.

Some uniforms being made offshore at present do not contain the Identification of Friend or Foe tag, a tag which allows Soldiers to identify friendly forces at night. Buying a uniform without the tag could put a Soldier in danger, Panichelle said.

Other uniforms may contain fabric that is not in compliance with Army specs for the ACU camouflage pattern, Panichelle said, and could jeopardize the safety or security of an individual Soldier or an entire unit.

Like BDUs, ACUs have an expected wear-life of 6 to 12 months, and are made of the same rip-stop fabric as the summer BDUs. For quality control, DSCP closely monitors production at its manufacturing facilities through periodic site visits and quality inspections by specialists assigned to these facilities, Panichelle said.

If Soldiers have problems with issued ACUs, they can return the uniforms for a monetary refund or a store credit. With imitation ACUs, there is no guarantee of the quality of materials used, location where uniforms were manufactured, or refunds for defective uniforms.

ACUs issued by priority

The official ACUs are not currently available for purchase, and at this point are still being issued on a prioritized basis, with deploying units top on the list.

At basic training sites, ACUs were issued to trainees beginning Oct. 1. At the Basic Combat Training Brigade, Fort Benning , Ga. , the supply is limited but trainees receive ACUs before they go to their advanced training, said Dave Thompson, brigade S4 officer in charge.

Commanders in basic training units and graduates of drill sergeant school are being given the opportunity to buy ACUs early so they can set the example for trainees and to maintain uniformity in a unit, Thompson said.

Soldiers and commanders are responsible for ensuring they purchase and wear authorized uniforms and heraldic items, according to Army regulation 670-1.

Commanders will also conduct periodic inspections to ensure that all personnel under their command wear only uniforms and heraldic items produced by certified manufacturers and that they meet specifications for design and quality, in accordance with AR 670-01.

The 16 companies awarded the contracts to produce ACUs are: American Apparel, DJ Manufacturing Corp., Propper, Golden, Woolrich, Bethel Industries, Bremen Bowden, Rutter Rex, Fox Apparel , Sidran, Inc., American Power Source, Inc., Ashland Sales and Service, Caribbean Needle Point, Inc., Wear-tech, Inc., Tullahoma and AC Fabricated Products

For more information, see the PEO Soldiers Web site: www.peosoldier.army.mil/pmequipment.

Air Force to Discuss New Uniforms

Washington , DC , October 13, 2005 - Airmen may have new and improved uniforms in the near future. The Air Force Uniform Board met in Washington Oct. 20 and 21 to discuss uniform improvement and standardization.

The board, last meeting in June 2003, was scheduled to address various uniform requirements, including the Airman's new battle dress uniform and the physical training uniform. It was also slated to set standards for the dress and personal appearance of all Air Force personnel.

Prior to this meeting, the major Air Force commands gathered and submitted their recommendations to the board for review. The board will use this info rmation as they attempt to make decisions about the future of Air Force uniforms.

The Air Force will release the results from the October board within a few weeks of the meeting.

California Workers Must Buy Own Uniforms

San Francisco , CA , October 13, 2005 (AP) - A state appeals court ruled that police officers, firefighters and other uniformed government workers must pay for their own uniforms.

A Court of Appeal panel in San Francisco upheld an earlier ruling that state and local government workers cannot charge their employers for buying and maintaining uniforms they wear on the job.

The First District, Court of Appeal panel rejected arguments that uniformed employees are entitled to reimbursement under an 1872 state law that requires the government to cover all necessary job expenses. The court cited a separate law that holds state employees responsible for buying their own uniforms.

Payment for uniforms is considered compensation, and workers in labor unions, who comprise a majority of California 's public employees, can negotiate uniform allowances into their contracts but cannot use the law to seek full reimbursement, the panel ruled in its opinion issued Tuesday.

Attorney Ronald Yank, who filed seven lawsuits over uniform costs, said the plaintiffs will likely appeal to the California Supreme Court. "My clients and I were finding that the amounts to which employers would agree (in union contracts) were way too low" and did not cover uniform maintenance and cleaning costs, he said.

Textile Industry Seeks Import Restrictions

Charlotte , NC , October 15, 2005 (Business Journal) - In the wake of the latest round of U.S.-China textile and apparel trade talks, the U.S. textile industry has asked the federal government to impose restrictions on imports of Chinese-made towels.

“At this round, China returned to its position of delay and no compromise by insisting on terms for an agreement that were impossible for the U.S. government to accept and that would have been extremely damaging to the U.S. industry and its workers," Cass Johnson, president of the National

Council of Textile Organizations, says in a written statement.

"As a result, the U.S. textile industry has filed another safeguard petition today and will continue to file petitions as subsidized imports from China cause U.S. textile plants to close and U.S. textile workers to lose their jobs."

Imports of towels from China increased 224 percent during the first eight months of the year, according to the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition.

The terms of China 's entry into the World Trade Organization allow the United States to impose limits on Chinese textile and apparel goods.

U.S. and Chinese negotiators ended their latest round of talks on textile and apparel trade late Wednesday in Beijing without an agreement.

The talks were the fourth round of negotiations between the countries since August, when U.S. officials began to seek an agreement that would limit Chinese textile and apparel imports.

he United States has been seeking a deal to limit Chinese textile and apparel imports for three years. According to press reports, the Chinese government wants a shorter-term deal and looser limits.

The talks have been driven in large part by domestic textile makers, including many N.C. companies, that have been hurt in recent years by inexpensive foreign-made goods, especially from China .

Bomb-proof Lights, Dog Uniforms Among Wares at Homeland Defense Show

Colorado Springs, CO, October 26, 2005 (Rocky Mountain News, as reported by Roger Fillion) - They trekked here to peddle their products: bomb-proof light bulbs, uniforms for police dogs and other "working" canines, as well as backpacks that can decontaminate a Humvee infected with anthrax.

More than 70 exhibitors from Colorado and elsewhere showcased their goods at a conference sponsored by the National Homeland Defense Foundation, a Colorado Springs nonprofit.

For light bulb guru Charles Bolta, it was the first time he had exhibited at a homeland defense conference - and he's hoping to capitalize on the occasion. Attendees at the four-day event at the Broadmoor Hotel include military brass, government types, corporate America and academics.

"We've never come to one of these things before," said Bolta, the founder of American Environmental Products, a Boulder outfit that produces specialized light bulbs designed to boost worker productivity or combat winter depression.

Among the company's newest products: a bomb-proof fluorescent bulb engineered to survive an explosion. The light is slightly similar to a glow-in-the- dark toy on steroids. Even after the power has been turned off - or cut off - Bolta's bulb will produce an afterglow for about an hour. The glow is equivalent to 20 percent of the original light - enough to help get around in a dark place.

According to Bolta, the bomb-proof light could be deployed in underground bunkers, military command-and-control facilities, elevators or any place without windows.

At the other end of the spectrum, defense giant General Dynamics hosted a virtual-reality tour of a new combat ship that will serve as a floating command center. Visitors got to don a high-tech helmet to experience what it would be like to serve on the bridge or in the command center of the so-called Littoral Combat Ship, which will ply coastal waters.

Closer to home, Broomfield-based Intelagard showcased a backpack and a hand cart that will spray formulas that can extinguish fires or decontaminate vehicles, people or rooms infected with anthrax, mustard gas, sarin gas or some other deadly agent.

The company has been testing its decontamination system for other uses, too.

"It looks very good for avian flu, as well as SARS," said Lorraine Cope, Intelagard's marketing manager.

Perhaps the most unusual product on display was the K9 Pro Wear uniform - a uniform for police dogs and similar canines. The clothing is designed to protect the wearer from sharp objects as well as natural pests such as mosquitoes or fleas.

Canadian-based K9 Pro Wear also pitched cool packs to keep working dogs cooler and working longer on a hot day. The packs fit inside the uniform.

"We cool down hot dogs," quipped John Malyna, director of K9 Pro Wear.

The company deliberately doesn't offer dogs one type of protection.

"We don't make bulletproof vests," said Malyna, adding that working dogs typically get injured by, say, knocking against a sharp object.

Replacing a stricken or dead dog can be pricey for a police force or other agency. Malyna said it typically costs $50,000 to acquire, train and maintain a dog over its lifetime.

DeMoulin adds Sales and Marketing Director

Greenville, IL, October, 2005 (Company Release) - DeMoulin Brothers & Company has announced the addition of Larry Melnick as National Sales and Marketing Director of its newly formed DeMoulin Apparel division. Previously, Melnick was National Sales Manager for Leventhal Ltd.

For over 100 years, DeMoulin has been manufacturing military, college and high school band uniforms. The DeMoulin Apparel division currently supplies uniforms for major transit, corrections, public safety and flame-resistant clothing programs.

A USA/Union manufacturer with offshore production capabilities, DeMoulin has its own on-site quality control and provides “domestic make” at prices that are competitive in today’s marketplace.

To learn more, contact Larry Melnick at 847-921-2342.

Lynn Police Department Scraps Casual Uniforms for more Traditional Duds

LYNN, MA, October 24, 2005 (The Daily Item, as reported by Jill Casey) - Lynn police are scrapping their casual all-weather community policing uniforms in favor of the more traditional police attire.

After four years of wearing a uniform essentially designed for bicycle patrols - the department voted to go back to a uniform consisting of a pressed navy blue (or LAPD blue as the outfitter calls it) shirt and pants.

"There's a certain commanding presence you have with the new uniforms," said Lt. Dave Brown. "With the other uniform, I just don't think people where accustomed to seeing police officers dressed like that."

On any given night, an officer could be wrestling with a suspect on the pavement or running through yards and jumping over fences in pursuit - which is a lot easier to do in a pair of wind pants and a cotton polo shirt.

And while many patrolmen prefer the community policing uniforms, the consensus among the ranks seem to favor the traditional duds, which most officers have already begun sporting.

"It's more professional, plus it's more durable," said Officer Domingo Polonia about his new uniform. "This is comfortable and tactful." Polonia said he hasn't run into a situation where the new uniform has limited his ability to run or handle a tough predicament.

The new uniforms were built into the latest police contract, approved earlier this year. The contract states officers have until February 2007 to purchase and start wearing the new uniform.

In their contract, patrolmen were given an $800 allowance a year for purchase and maintenance of uniforms.

The majority of officers have already begun wearing the new uniform, but some, like Officer Michael DiMeglio haven't gotten around to switching yet.

"I think that looks better," he said, looking over at Polonia dressed in full-uniform hat and all. "But this is more comfortable," he said about the old uniform.

The community policing uniform was brought on for bike patrols, but eventually became the standard attire for officers in February 2001. Brown said officers who initially agreed to those uniforms, later regretted it after realizing they tear easily and don't look as sharp.

"The old uniforms turned out to be not quite what we expected," Brown said.

In addition to the new uniforms, the department has revived motorcycle patrols, which come with their own set of duds - similar to what State Police wear.

Superior Uniform Group Announces Earnings for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2005

Seminole, FL, October 27, 2005 (PRNewswire-FirstCall) -- Superior Uniform Group, Inc., manufacturer of uniforms, career apparel and accessories, today announced that for the third quarter ended September 30, 2005, sales were $34,194,000 compared with 2004 third quarter sales of $36,960,340. Net earnings were $158,550 or $.02 per common share (diluted), compared with net earnings of $1,803,113 or $.24 per common share (diluted) in the 2004 third quarter.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2005 , sales were $100,910,004, compared with sales of $106,125,651 in the nine months ended September 30, 2004 . Net earnings for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 were $944,524 or $.13 per common share (diluted) versus net earnings of $4,210,914 or $.55 per common share (diluted) in the first nine months of 2004.

Michael Benstock, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "Sales for the third quarter were disappointing. We continue to operate in a very price-sensitive and competitive environment. A

large part of our customer base has been significantly impacted by rising fuel, energy and transportation costs. Two significant hurricanes caused some disruption to our primary supply chain as well as directly impacting the operations of several of our customers. Our volume was also lower as a result of the service difficulties that we experienced earlier in the year from our warehouse implementation. We are pleased with the operation of the warehouse at this point and we strongly believe that this is a very good investment for the future of the Company.

“Our gross margins were significantly lower in the quarter as a result of several factors; primarily lower production volume to absorb overhead costs and increased charges for obsolescence as a result of declining sales prior to the release of the new products in the Defining Uniforms catalog.

Selling and administrative expenses for the third quarter were down slightly from the prior year period despite recognizing approximately $250,000 in costs associated with settlements of pension liabilities as a result of the significant number of positions eliminated in our work force during the current year.”

For more info rmation, please visit www.superioruniformgroup.com.