CWU 45/P

[Willy McCoy]

Just picked up a winter jacket off eBay for $60 shipped. There is no label inside but it has SERVAL zippers and a Velcro pocket inside for the emergency orange signal sheet. Bi-swing back. Never mind the dog leash - I was at the dog park when the photo was snapped. Location : Sand Point Naval Air Station - now Magnuson Park.

Anyone have any idea on the maker or year? 732d Airlift patch, Command patch, plastic encased rank and flag patch came with it.

Pics and measurements/material for the emergency signal sheet would be appreciated.

I've never had a CWU 45/P so I had to pull the trigger on it. Nice and warm too (Seattle).

 

[watchmanjimg]

Just picked up a winter jacket off eBay for $60 shipped. There is no label inside but it has SERVAL zippers and a Velcro pocket inside for the emergency orange signal sheet. Bi-swing back. Never mind the dog leash - I was at the dog park when the photo was snapped. Location : Sand Point Naval Air Station - now Magnuson Park.

Anyone have any idea on the maker or year? 732d Airlift patch, Command patch, plastic encased rank and flag patch came with it.

Pics and measurements/material for the emergency signal sheet would be appreciated.

I've never had a CWU 45/P so I had to pull the trigger on it. Nice and warm too (Seattle).

Nice score! Sounds like one of the early '75-'76 examples. I traded mine awhile back so I can't help with the dimensions of the signal sheet, but I believe it was a lightweight nylon material.

 

[Willy McCoy]

I think it is'a CWU 17/P MIL-J-83388A due to the outline size of the single nomenclature size - 2 3/4 X 1 3/4. They switched to a two tag system for the CWU winter weight jacket and updated the name code to CWU 45/P sometime in '79 or '80' as far as I can tell.

There is a fragment of the nomenclature tag that looks like the coarser weave of the label on the left.

 

[watchmanjimg]

I think it is'a CWU 17/P MIL-J-83388A due to the outline size of the single nomenclature size - 2 3/4 X 1 3/4. They switched to a two tag system for the CWU winter weight jacket and updated the name code to CWU 45/P sometime in '79 or '80' as far as I can tell.

There is a fragment of the nomenclature tag that looks like the coarser weave of the label on the left.

We discussed this in great detail here:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=11727&hilit=cwfs&start=10

I agree that your jacket looks like a MIL-J-83388A, and the examples I've run across are Greenbriers from contracts dated '75 and '76. I'm not so sure I'd call your jacket a CWU-17/P, at least not as configured. According to the training manual cited in the link referenced above, the CWU-17/P is distinguished from the -45 by the presence of the hood. Additionally, later examples under MIL-J-83388A are specifically marked as CWU-45/Ps. This appears to be noted in your treatise as well.

Our best information thus far is that the original 83388 spec was the -17/P (which was supplied with the detachable hood) and subsequent revisions are -45/Ps. However, I have yet to see an example of the original 83388 or its label.

 

[MikeyB-17]

As Jim says, it's mentioned in that previous thread, but my signal flag measures roughly 50 inches square, and is made of a silky/rayon material with rough-cut edges-I don't propose to make a habit out of getting mine out of the pocket, as the edges are starting to unravel after doing it once. You would probably need to double it over if using it, as fully opened it's very thin and not that brightly coloured, it needs more than one layer to show up clearly. I love 45/P's, my favourite cloth jacket. My early one stays in the cupboard, but my 1980 version is my daily wear jacket on the way to work.

 

[Willy McCoy]

Thank you, thank you, thank you both for your input and steering me in the right direction !!
I absolutely like the jacket a lot and it will be used.

I wish that there were stickies to make the search more streamlined, but consider myself very lucky to learn from such a great pool of information and knowledgeable people.

I am betting that mine is a CWU 45/P that has seen much flight time.

 

[Phantomfixer]

I am betting that mine is a CWU 45/P that has seen much flight time.


hopefully it still has the smell of JP-4 :lol: :lol:
Love the 45P you have a nice warm jacket this winter...

 

[FtrPlt]

Nice jacket! I was issued mine in the early 1980s and don't think I wore it more than 2-3 times in my 6 years flying. I found them pretty bulky and the strap running between the lining (across the back) was particularly annoying. I usually just wore the CWU-36 with thermal top.

 

[flightmac]

Re: CWU 45/P w/hood

We were issued a hood, with attachment buttons to sew under the jacket collar, for our deployments to Alaska starting in the late 90's. It was labeled:

HOOD, FLYER'S, COLD WEATHER, ARAMID
MIL-J-83388
DLA-100-87-C-0380
8415-01-167-7243
MEDIUM
ALPHA INDUSTRIES, INC.
SUMMIT APPAREL CORP. (MFG)

 

[Rutger]

The strap is also present in at least one CWU-36 I have. I remember that vividly as I had one dry cleaned, and it somehow seemed to have affected the strap, making it tighter and the jacket a pain to wear. But it could have been that the strap was already too tight, as I wore it only 1 or 2 times before having it at the dry cleaners. Or too strong chemicals maybe? Considered opening it up, remove the strap and sow it up again, but they're so cheap that I got a handful of 'em right now.
Still, I never go to a drycleaner anymore with any flight jacket I own, lukewarm water and woollite it is.

The hoods pop up all the time on ebay, often even in the original wrapping. I should get me one, just to get a complete jacket....
I don't think I've seen any pics of a hooded CWU-45 in action, as it where.

 

[FtrPlt]

I was issued a hood, as well (early 1980s). I never understood the reason for it since I'd also been issued N-2B and N-3B hooded parkas. In hindsight, the latter two were obviously nylon and not nomex but that never registered at the time. I never saw anyone wearing a hooded CWU-45.

Regarding the internal straps: not sure what its purpose is? I also considered opening the jacket and removing it.

 

[Phantomfixer]

I cut out the strap on my last 45P. Two little slits in the liner and zip them shut with a machine... Agreed it was annoying. The AMC guys here at DAFB wear the hood at times. Usually the FE doing scanning duties in the winter/rain.
I never had much use for a hood, that is why God made flat caps.... :lol:

 

[Monsoon]

A few of the guys in my squadron wear/wore the hood. Not even sure if they issue it anymore.

I came across mine a few weeks ago when I was packing up all my flightgear after I retired. It was brand new and still in the bag.

 

[FtrPlt]

Re: CWU 45/P w/hood

We were issued a hood, with attachment buttons to sew under the jacket collar, for our deployments to Alaska starting in the late 90's. It was labeled:

HOOD, FLYER'S, COLD WEATHER, ARAMID
MIL-J-83388
DLA-100-87-C-0380
8415-01-167-7243
MEDIUM
ALPHA INDUSTRIES, INC.
SUMMIT APPAREL CORP. (MFG)

I was re-reading the thread. Out of curiosity, were you issued an N-2B or N-3B? In thinking about it, I don't think I received a hood in the 80s but likely received it when I went back into ANG in the 90s.. I was wondering if maybe they ceased issue on the short parka (can't remember if it's the N-2B or N-3B) and this was when the hoods started being issued?

 

[flightmac]

Re: CWU 45/P w/hood

We were issued a hood, with attachment buttons to sew under the jacket collar, for our deployments to Alaska starting in the late 90's. It was labeled:

HOOD, FLYER'S, COLD WEATHER, ARAMID
MIL-J-83388
DLA-100-87-C-0380
8415-01-167-7243
MEDIUM
ALPHA INDUSTRIES, INC.
SUMMIT APPAREL CORP. (MFG)

I was re-reading the thread. Out of curiosity, were you issued an N-2B or N-3B? In thinking about it, I don't think I received a hood in the 80s but likely received it when I went back into ANG in the 90s.. I was wondering if maybe they ceased issue on the short parka (can't remember if it's the N-2B or N-3B) and this was when the hoods started being issued?

I was never issued an N-2B or N-3B, just a CWU-36 and -45 in '88 (and later an A-2). As side note, I was issued an MA-1 in the 70's to use in lieu of my M-65 when climbing Nav-Aid towers (TACAN, GS, etc.) as a ground technician. I'm trying to find a picture of me in Alaska wearing my CWU-45 with the hood while flying an Aero Club plane. If can find it, I'd like to post it.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Life support folks were issued the MA-1 in Germany at Ramstein, in the early to mid 80s, they had all the SQ patches on them. Looked cool....The N2B

 

[flightmac]

Life support folks were issued the MA-1 in Germany at Ramstein, in the early to mid 80s, they had all the SQ patches on them. Looked cool....The N2B

I wish I had a picture with an MA-1 and green fatigues. Were you one of those Life Support guys or were you flying then?

 

[Monsoon]

Life support folks were issued the MA-1 in Germany at Ramstein, in the early to mid 80s, they had all the SQ patches on them. Looked cool....The N2B

AFCC also issued them to the guys that were pole climbers or some of the AFSC that did work outside.

 

[watchmanjimg]

Life support folks were issued the MA-1 in Germany at Ramstein, in the early to mid 80s, they had all the SQ patches on them. Looked cool....The N2B

AFCC also issued them to the guys that were pole climbers or some of the AFSC that did work outside.

This makes sense. I have the remnants of an '80s green-lined example patched to 2112 Comm Sq, RAF Chicksands.

 

[Monsoon]

This makes sense. I have the remnants of an '80s green-lined example patched to 2112 Comm Sq, RAF Chicksands.

The AFCC guys might have been one of the last groups officially issued the MA-1s.