Airmen are taught the importance of dress and appearance, from their first day of Basic Military Training to the end of their careers. Dress and appearance tells people about the Air Force culture, not only who Airmen are as individuals, but as a team. The Air Force has always striven for greatness, developing the standard into what is worn today.
“This is basic psychology; when you look good, you feel good,” said Chief Master Sgt. Edward Mueller, 673rd Logistics Readiness Group senior enlisted leader. “It’s a win-win situation.”
For Mueller, pride in the Air Force uniform is an important aspect of being a ready Airman. It demonstrates readiness among Airmen, but maintaining high dress and appearance directly affects the community’s perception and trust of the Air Force.
“It all boils down to attention to detail and applying the same attention to all of the details,” said Mueller. “How can I expect someone to carry out big tasks when they can’t carry out the little ones?”
Mueller, like many other children, watched what was popular in the ‘80s; G.I. Joe, Rambo, Full Metal Jacket and other war movies in which military members wore the uniform.
Although the movies were inaccurate at times, it created a foundational concept of the military uniform and its appearance for a young Mueller.
The inaccurate representations of the military were immediately voided once Mueller went to BMT, which is currently an eight-and-a-half week program designed to transform civilians into Airmen at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. The training focuses on Air Force core values; Integrity first, Service before self and Excellence in all we do. Maintaining proper dress and appearance is one way Airmen demonstrate these core values.
For Mueller, maintaining this standard was not difficult. He thrived on structure and was slowly becoming the disciplined individual he wanted to be. Knowing he would be able to provide for his family drove him to complete BMT and climb the ranks over time in his career.
“I was wildly unstructured and terribly undisciplined as a young person. But I had a wife and child who I had to provide a house and medical benefits for and to put food in their bellies and clothes on their back,” said Mueller. “So when I found that structure and discipline, I realized that’s what's going to make them safe and give them a chance at being happy.”
Upon completion of BMT and technical school, Mueller entered the petroleum, oils and lubricants career field where he continued to uphold Air Force uniform standards not only for himself, but as a leader amongst his peers.
For Mueller, dress and appearance can influence the Airman mindset. He states attention to detail made him confident and ready to execute the mission, which carried over to deployed environments where, when dealing with degraded conditions, attention to detail can be paramount.
Today, Mueller continues to keep his appearance within standards. Every other Sunday, he presses his Operational Camouflage Pattern uniform and on the other Sundays, he cuts his own hair to stay in regulation.
“If I present myself in an unprofessional manner — if I’m not paying attention to the details, then you might not trust my ability as a leader,” said Mueller. "That potentially puts the mission or other people in jeopardy, especially in a contingency environment.”
Everyone, regardless of rank, must demonstrate and enforce proper standards. When one Airman ignores the problem, they become the problem.
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson strives to ensure Airmen are following dress and appearance standards; making sure hair is in shape for both men and women, correct winter layering, loose strings on the uniform, boot laces being tucked in, proper patch placement on the uniform, maintaining proper customs and courtesies, and so much more.
“Standards must be uniform, gender-neutral, and high,” said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, when addressing generals and flag officers at Quantico, Virginia. “If not, they’re not standards. They’re just suggestions.”
Bottom line, holding yourself accountable to stay in regulation according to the Air Force Instruction 36-2903 may be a small task, but if not followed, can be perceived as something much greater. Roughly 1% of American citizens serve in the military, with the Air Force making up 25% of the force. The precision and attention to detail of every Airman is what makes them stand out from other people both on and off the installation.
“Not everybody has the opportunity to do this,” said Mueller. “So keep your bar high and insist that others measure up.”