Cadet Officer Shoulderboards

[capchiro]

What is the best method to attach officer rank to the cadet shoulder boards?  What different methods are you using?  Thanks,

[Pylon]

What is the best method to attach officer rank to the cadet shoulder boards?  What different methods are you using?  Thanks,

For promotion ceremonies, I always found a gas-driven nail gun worked best.  (Or at least garners some worried looks when you pull it out to affix the boards    )  Local anesthesia optional.   

Seriously though, I used the Velcro option.  Sew the loop side to the coat epaulet, glue the hook side to the boards.  Voila.   

I know there are also other good methods in use, including affixing the cadet shouldermarks (the soft blue ones) to the underside of the boards to allow them to "slip on" to the service coat epaulets.  The Velcro is just the one I used WIWAC.

[MIKE]

I just pinned the grade on.  For C/Capt I flattened out the boards so the grade would fit... but others have bent the pips themselves.

Thats what you wanted to know right?  Not how to attach the boards to the uniform?

[Pylon]

Thats what you wanted to know right?  Not how to attach the boards to the uniform?

Whoops.   

It's Monday morning.  The caffeine has not yet completely flowed into my system.  I'll have to make another pot... 

So yeah... to answer your actual question:  What Mike said.     I find bending or "curving" the pips slightly was most effective for me.

[Matt]

I'm in favor of just being promoed in the shirt, places the pain-in-the-arse part on the cadet... in which case, use nail gun and bend the clasps on the inside, not use the [darnit]s on the backs of the pins... boards were to thick to affix them I found.

[kilnerd]

I always used a push pin (hang posters with them) to make the holes in the board, then I would try to shape the rank to match the board