More from CTS: a new civilian look

Sometimes, change can be fashionable. Ramstein’s Construction and Training Squadron, for instance, recently fashioned a major change: not to their organization, but to the uniforms worn by civilian employees.

When the squadron was first formed Sept. 1, 1950, it was comprised of all German civilians except for one U.S. liaison officer. The German civilians wore U.S. military uniforms with their own patches, insignia and ranks. 

Over the years, the civilian uniforms changed as the military did. In the mid-1980s, for instance, the utility uniforms changed from the green fatigues to battle dress uniforms.

However, German workers were not held to the same grooming standards as their U.S. military counterparts. The resulting confusion over the civilians’ status led to criticism among the military population when they saw civilians with long hair, beards and mustaches, and men with earrings. 

On March 15, the CTS civilian uniforms made a dramatic change from a military appearance to a distinctive civilian uniform. 

“Since it affected such a smaller population, we were able to accomplish this change a lot quicker than the Air Force,” said Col. Peter Sartori, CTS commander. “Although we’ve changed the civilian uniforms, we continue their proud tradition of 56 years of construction for USAFE and EUCOM.”