Epaulet Conversion Kit

[Newslick]

I know this is an old thread, but here is what I did and it may be of use to someone; I could only find an enlisted jacket, but I had a friend who owed me a favor and who is a first rate tailor, he makes things for professional sports teams.

1)I got the small Hap Arnold buttons and braid from Scamguard
2)I got an enlisted flight cap from the local surplus store (they had a pile of them).
3)I took pix of a real officer's jacket  showing the detain of the shoulder straps.
4) Sent my friend the jacket, shoulder boards, cap, braid and pix. He said "No problemo." He offered to fake the shoulder strap buttons and just attach that end of the straps with Velcro but I opted for the functional buttons.
5) He made shoulder straps out of the enlisted flight cap and expertly put them on. The shade is not exact but it is mostly covered up by the shoulder mark anyway. This is apparently not a job for amateurs, nor the faint hearted, as you eviscerate something you just paid good money for.
6)  He shortened the sleeves and sewed the braid on.

Bada bing, officer's jacket. Now I have to get it taken in, as I have a 13" drop.   
He also offered to install some completely hidden high tech shoulder mark shapers (in a pocket within the strap) but I do not need them.  That would have REALLY been hot rodding a uniform.

     Picayunish moment: Note, epaulettes are really the gray thingys we attach to the jacket (what we tend to call shoulder marks), the straps on the jackets are really shoulder straps or passants.

[Eclipse]

The "straps" on the jacket are the epaulettes.

The insignia are epaulette sleeves

[AirDX]

Is this what you mean...and did CAP ever wear this?

Back on first topic thread deviation (epaulette conversion to piston rings/JROTC shoulder marks)  , I've used the example of the Irish Air Corps before but I think something like what they have (as long as some dim bulb doesn't demand that it be grey! ) would be quite distinctive for us, and still look aviation-related!

Seeing as CAP is at least 400% larger than the Irish Air Corps, WHY??

Boy, somebody just has to drag weight standards into this, huh? 

[SarDragon]

Here's what Wikipedia has to say:

Epaulette (also spelled epaulet) is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations.

Epaulettes are fastened to the shoulder by a shoulder strap or "passant", a small strap parallel to the shoulder seam, and the button near the collar, or by laces on the underside of the epaulette passing through holes in the shoulder of the coat. Colloquially, any shoulder straps with marks are also called epaulettes. The placement of the epaulette, its color and the length and diameter of its bullion fringe are used to signify the wearer's rank. At the join of the fringe and the shoulderpiece is often a metal piece in the form of a crescent. Although originally worn in the field, epaulettes are more common today on dress or ceremonial uniforms.

[NCRblues]

I own one of those white dress uniforms!!

[AngelWings]

The one reason I've been told by two-three MCSS workers explaining the extreme price difference between officer and enlisted coats was this: Enlisted are made by DSCP (now called DLATS), a government controlled vendor, for issue at BMT. The contracts for these jackets always demand high amounts, so high that there is an purposeful excess. That way they can be sold at the vendors. However, officer coats supposedly are made by civilian contractors in lower quantities. Why? There is much more enlisted airmen than commisioned officers. So the need for an excess is small, and the government sells them at higher prices.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Is this what you mean...and did CAP ever wear this?

Back on first topic thread deviation (epaulette conversion to piston rings/JROTC shoulder marks)  , I've used the example of the Irish Air Corps before but I think something like what they have (as long as some dim bulb doesn't demand that it be grey! ) would be quite distinctive for us, and still look aviation-related!

Seeing as CAP is at least 400% larger than the Irish Air Corps, WHY??

Boy, somebody just has to drag weight standards into this, huh? 

:clap:

The one reason I've been told by two-three MCSS workers explaining the extreme price difference between officer and enlisted coats was this: Enlisted are made by DSCP (now called DLATS), a government controlled vendor, for issue at BMT. The contracts for these jackets always demand high amounts, so high that there is an purposeful excess. That way they can be sold at the vendors. However, officer coats supposedly are made by civilian contractors in lower quantities. Why? There is much more enlisted airmen than commisioned officers. So the need for an excess is small, and the government sells them at higher prices.

One possibility, and throw brickbats if you must, could be for all of CAP to adopt the enlisted jacket, but with the mess dress shoulder boards.  They could be attached just as cadet officer boards are.

The mess dress shoulder boards are not cheap, but the cost would be offset (in part, anyway) by the much more ready availability of enlisted service coats at often-cheap used prices (Evilbay, thrift shops).

Also, they would be d*s*i*c*i*e - our officer boards are all blue, the AF's are blue/silver.

[MSG Mac]

The one reason I've been told by two-three MCSS workers explaining the extreme price difference between officer and enlisted coats was this: Enlisted are made by DSCP (now called DLATS), a government controlled vendor, for issue at BMT. The contracts for these jackets always demand high amounts, so high that there is an purposeful excess. That way they can be sold at the vendors. However, officer coats supposedly are made by civilian contractors in lower quantities. Why? There is much more enlisted airmen than commisioned officers. So the need for an excess is small, and the government sells them at higher prices.

They didn't mention that Officers have to buy their uniforms, while enlisted are issued their uniforms and receive a uniform allowance for the upkeep and replacement of uniform items. Officers get a 1x uniform stipend upon commissioning. But the commercially made uniforms are usually of a higher quality than the DCSP.

[Newslick]

Is this what you mean...and did CAP ever wear this?

Back on first topic thread deviation (epaulette conversion to piston rings/JROTC shoulder marks)  , I've used the example of the Irish Air Corps before but I think something like what they have (as long as some dim bulb doesn't demand that it be grey! ) would be quite distinctive for us, and still look aviation-related!

Seeing as CAP is at least 400% larger than the Irish Air Corps, WHY??

Boy, somebody just has to drag weight standards into this, huh? 

:clap:

The one reason I've been told by two-three MCSS workers explaining the extreme price difference between officer and enlisted coats was this: Enlisted are made by DSCP (now called DLATS), a government controlled vendor, for issue at BMT. The contracts for these jackets always demand high amounts, so high that there is an purposeful excess. That way they can be sold at the vendors. However, officer coats supposedly are made by civilian contractors in lower quantities. Why? There is much more enlisted airmen than commisioned officers. So the need for an excess is small, and the government sells them at higher prices.

One possibility, and throw brickbats if you must, could be for all of CAP to adopt the enlisted jacket, but with the mess dress shoulder boards.  They could be attached just as cadet officer boards are.

The mess dress shoulder boards are not cheap, but the cost would be offset (in part, anyway) by the much more ready availability of enlisted service coats at often-cheap used prices (Evilbay, thrift shops).

Also, they would be d*s*i*c*i*e - our officer boards are all blue, the AF's are blue/silver.

I really dislike those white mess uniforms. They all look like waiters at a country club, or organ grinder monkeys.
The gray shoulder boards have kind of grown on me and I am fine with them.
The McPeak uniform looked [darn] sharp I think, but ignored Air Force tradition. The RAF has more naval traditions and adapted naval ranks (like Wing Commander). Having the ranks on their sleeves is fine for them. The USAF came from the US Army, and as they are more a  Naval tradition the sleeve ranks did not work.  Plus the general tended to keep himself in McPeak physical condition, and that suit was cut for a runner's physique with no shoulders whatsoever. Don't know how I would ever have worn one, I am more the bodybuilder type. And I would shudder to think of the sight of the McPeak uni on some of us.     

[ZombieButter]

What are you all talking about by 'braid'? I thought the only difference between enlisted and officer was the epaulets.

[SarDragon]

What are you all talking about by 'braid'? I thought the only difference between enlisted and officer was the epaulets.

Officers also have 1/2" blue sleeve braid on their service dress coats.

[PHall]

What are you all talking about by 'braid'? I thought the only difference between enlisted and officer was the epaulets.

Officers wear a 1/2" dark blue braid on both sleeves 3" from the end of the sleeve. (Ref. CAPM 39-1, Table 2-1, Line 1)