Got the blues? Published Nov. 25, 2008 By Senior Master Sgt. Rob Webb 20th Medical Group SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- The bus comes to a halt but nobody moves or says a word. Hearts begin to speed up as a crowd appears outside the bus. "Everyone off the bus," you hear. From that point on your life changed. No longer could you sleep in or have a bad day. Most importantly, no longer was it about you. It became about the team - it was Basic Military Training and you were about to become an American Airman. From that day on you and I became part of a team that has defended the freedom of our nation with pride, dignity and honor; and we looked good doing it because we were proud to have "the Blues." The "Blues" uniform connects us to past warriors, identifies us as team members and projects a professional appearance to the world. It is our responsibility to ensure that we wear "Blues" properly and within the guidelines of Air Force Instruction 36-2903. A few standards for proper wear of Air Force outer garments worn with "Blues" are identified below. The Pullover Sweater: (AFI 36-2903, page 29) - Place metallic name tag on wearer's right side with the bottom of the name tag level centered between the middle of the sleeve seam and the seam neckline; position at an appropriate level down from shoulder seam (male and female). - May be worn indoors or outdoors. - Tie/tab is optional. - Collar of shirt may be worn inside or outside of sweater. - Sleeves may not be pushed up. - Officers and Senior NCOs wear shoulder mark insignia. All other enlisted members wear metal rank insignia 5/8 inch from edge and centered. Center horizontally on the epaulet, with bottom of insignia 1-inch from shoulder seam. - Sweater may be tucked under. The Cardigan Sweater: (AFI 36-2903, page 30) - May be worn indoors or outdoors. - Will be buttoned outdoors and/or all buttons fastened or unbuttoned indoors. - Tie/tab is optional. - Collar of shirt may be worn inside or outside of sweater. - Sleeves may not be pushed up. - Officers and Senior NCOs wear shoulder mark insignia. All other enlisted members wear metal rank insignia 5/8 inch from edge and centered. Center horizontally on the epaulet, with bottom of insignia 1-inch from shoulder seam. The Lightweight Blue Jacket (AFI 36-2903, page 31) - May be worn indoors or outdoors. - May be worn with civilian clothes when insignia is removed. - Air Force Symbol is optional. May be embroidered on the left side at members cost and is not authorized to be worn with civilian clothes. - Women may wear male version of the lightweight blue jacket. - Enlisted personnel wear 3 1/2- or 4-inch (women) and 4-inch (men) sleeve chevron on sleeves or metal rank insignia on collar. Wear metal rank insignia centered 1-inch up from bottom collar, and parallel to outer edge. The bus comes to a halt, but this time everyone is talking. Again, hearts begin to speed up and a crowd is forming. This time nobody yells, "Everyone off the bus," because everyone is ready to get off. This time you are a "coined" American Airman! This time the crowd represents families, veterans, and wingmen that identify you as a true professional. So when you put on your "Blues" Monday morning, take two minutes to make sure everything is in place. Take the first minute for yourself and use the second minute to check your wingmen.