CAP Talk

General Discussion => Membership => Topic started by: CorsairPilot on January 17, 2022, 06:16:26 PM

Title: C/1st Lt Ranks on Shoulder Boards
Post by: CorsairPilot on January 17, 2022, 06:16:26 PM
I don't know if this is the right place to put this, but I have a question about the way C/1st Lt ranks go on the shoulder boards for Class A blues. Are the two pips supposed to conform to the shoulder board, or do they remain flat? Thank you,
Title: Re: C/1st Lt Ranks on Shoulder Boards
Post by: Capt Thompson on January 17, 2022, 06:59:40 PM
They remain flat, the shoulder boards have a slight curve but not really enough where this should look bad.
Title: Re: C/1st Lt Ranks on Shoulder Boards
Post by: SarDragon on January 17, 2022, 07:34:22 PM
I have seen many instances where they have been gently curved to match the profile of the shoulder boards. Emphasis on gently.

Sent from my SM-A526U using Tapatalk

Title: Re: C/1st Lt Ranks on Shoulder Boards
Post by: N6RVT on January 17, 2022, 08:43:38 PM
Quote from: CorsairPilot on January 17, 2022, 06:16:26 PMI don't know if this is the right place to put this, but I have a question about the way C/1st Lt ranks go on the shoulder boards for Class A blues. Are the two pips supposed to conform to the shoulder board, or do they remain flat? Thank you,

I bent mine to sit flat on the board.  1LT is as far as I got, so I never tried doing it with three.
Title: Re: C/1st Lt Ranks on Shoulder Boards
Post by: JohhnyD on January 18, 2022, 05:32:29 AM
Quote from: Dwight Dutton on January 17, 2022, 08:43:38 PM
Quote from: CorsairPilot on January 17, 2022, 06:16:26 PMI don't know if this is the right place to put this, but I have a question about the way C/1st Lt ranks go on the shoulder boards for Class A blues. Are the two pips supposed to conform to the shoulder board, or do they remain flat? Thank you,

I bent mine to sit flat on the board.  1LT is as far as I got, so I never tried doing it with three.
When I was a cadet in PCR-CA-138 I gently conformed all ranks except full colonel to the shoulder boards...that my older brother gave me from his time as a cadet officer. I love that the shoulder boards have remained the very same through the generations.

Anyone know the history and starting date of them?
Title: Re: C/1st Lt Ranks on Shoulder Boards
Post by: SarDragon on January 18, 2022, 05:38:39 AM
Don't know the history but they were introduced in 1964.

Sent from my SM-A526U using Tapatalk

Title: Re: C/1st Lt Ranks on Shoulder Boards
Post by: JohhnyD on January 18, 2022, 05:40:23 AM
Quote from: SarDragon on January 18, 2022, 05:38:39 AMDon't know the history but they were introduced in 1964.

Sent from my SM-A526U using Tapatalk


Makes sense, my brother's Mitchell was 1966.
Title: Re: C/1st Lt Ranks on Shoulder Boards
Post by: Capt Thompson on January 18, 2022, 01:12:12 PM
I actually never really liked the look of them, I always thought they were out of place on the service coat. Then again, I was also in JROTC at the time and we pinned metal rank directly to the epaulette, so I was probably somewhat biased. I still have mine with C/Capt pinned through them, just double checked and they aren't bent to match the board but they don't look bad. They are from before they gave you velcro for them, so I have a pair of blue Cadet Officer epaulettes sewn to the bottom of each so they could fit on an officer's service coat.
Title: Re: C/1st Lt Ranks on Shoulder Boards
Post by: Toad1168 on February 03, 2022, 06:28:19 PM
The regs don't state one way or the other. I always curved mine.  They look weird (IMO) when sitting flat against the curve of the shoulder board, especially at C/Capt or C/Col.