Blue Beret Awards

[BlueC/2dLtBeret]

 I just attended Blue Beret 2010 and was wondering exactly what I am now authorized to wear. I got 2 finds, so I know I can wear the find ribbon, but what about the Emergency Services Badge or ES ribbon? thanks for your support on this! C/2d Lt Adams

[jeders]

I just attended Blue Beret 2010 and was wondering exactly what I am now authorized to wear. I got 2 finds, so I know I can wear the find ribbon, but what about the Emergency Services Badge or ES ribbon? thanks for your support on this! C/2d Lt Adams

Assuming that you didn't already have a find ribbon, you get to wear one find ribbon. Depending on the number of sorties you went out on, you may be able to wear the SAR ribbon.

The ES Badge is only for those who have achieved the Tech rating in the ES specialty track, so no.

The ES (Pluto) Patch is authorized if you have GES plus a specialty rating. If you didn't already have this, it still has to be aproved through your chain before you get it.

Other than that, you get to wear your NBB patch on the left breast pocket of your BDUs. You also get the privelage of wearing your regular every-day BDU hat.

[Eclipse]

There is a process to being awarded the Find ribbon - a Personnel Authorization should be issued by the IC.  You receive the ribbon
with your first "Find", but do not put any attachments on it until your 21st find.

The ES badge is a senior-member specialty badge awarded when you complete a specific set of training and staff service.

There is no "ES Ribbon", however what you are probably referring to is the Air Search and Rescue ribbon (which is not only for Air), which may be awarded after completion of 10 sorties on actual missions (not SAREx's).

Both the Find and the SAR will have prop attachments if any of the finds or sorties were done as part of an aircrew.

[Eclipse]

Also, in order to be awarded a "Find", or credited with any actual sorties, you needed to be at least a certified trainee-level in the ES qualification that you expect the award for.

In other words, being a GES-only cadet along for the ride with a qualified team would not get you any ribbons, as you were not
qualified to even be there.

Being a UDF-T or GT-T would qualify you for any awards the team you were with was granted. 

A "Find" is solely at the discretion of the IC of record.

[BlueC/2dLtBeret]

I just attended Blue Beret 2010 and was wondering exactly what I am now authorized to wear. I got 2 finds, so I know I can wear the find ribbon, but what about the Emergency Services Badge or ES ribbon? thanks for your support on this! C/2d Lt Adams

Assuming that you didn't already have a find ribbon, you get to wear one find ribbon. Depending on the number of sorties you went out on, you may be able to wear the SAR ribbon.

The ES Badge is only for those who have achieved the Tech rating in the ES specialty track, so no.

The ES (Pluto) Patch is authorized if you have GES plus a specialty rating. If you didn't already have this, it still has to be aproved through your chain before you get it.

Other than that, you get to wear your NBB patch on the left breast pocket of your BDUs. You also get the privelage of wearing your regular every-day BDU hat.

thank you for the quick response, that cleared up a lot of my questions. I figured you couldnt get the ES badge just from attending (despite what I have been told by others) but cant Cadets earn the badge through an online course?

[BlueC/2dLtBeret]

Also, in order to be awarded a "Find", or credited with any actual sorties, you needed to be at least a certified trainee-level in the ES qualification that you expect the award for.

In other words, being a GES-only cadet along for the ride with a qualified team would not get you any ribbons, as you were not
qualified to even be there.

Being a UDF-T or GT-T would qualify you for any awards the team you were with was granted. 

A "Find" is solely at the discretion of the IC of record.

thanks for your quick response. just so we are on the same page, I am ground team qualified, while we were there, we got 2 finds, which were my first. I only saw that i was updated as FLM on E-Services and was confused as to whether my find would be posted later or if i was just expected to submit that myself. I am guessing now that it will be posted by someone from NBB soon. Thanks again for your help with this matter.

[Hawk200]

I figured you couldnt get the ES badge just from attending (despite what I have been told by others) but cant Cadets earn the badge through an online course?

No. The ES badge is a specialty track badge. There are additional requirements over and above what is needed for the ES patch.

Per CAPR 35-6, 2. a. : "CAP Basic Emergency Services Qualification Badge: Complete all requirements of CAPP 213, Emergency Services Officer-Specialty Track Study Guide, Technician Rating. Note: Cadets can earn the Basic Emergency Services Qualification Badge as they can complete all of the requirements for this rating, though they cannot officially receive the Technician Rating until they become a senior member."

[Eclipse]

Hawk - the ES badge is no longer open to cadets per the KB.

Quoting the KB:

The specialty track awards are a good example. As explained in CAPR 50-17, "CAP Senior Member Professional Development Program," CAP has developed specialty track training programs to prepare a corps of adults to serve in staff positions and contribute to CAP missions. When a senior member earns a technician, senior, or master rating in a specialty track, they become eligible for the corresponding specialty track badge.

But why then can cadets earn the Emergency Services and Communications badges? Those badges (along with the Safety Badge) are the oldest of the specialty badges. There was a time when cadets participating in ES missions had no other form of recognition -- no ground team badge, no EMT badge, etc., like we have today. During this period years ago, CAP policy makers decided that cadets could qualify for the ES and Communications badges, as a way to reward their ES participation. But two years ago, when CAP policy makers added new specialty track badges in the CAP Senior Member Professional Development Program, they did not choose to make another exception that would allow cadets to earn them .

CURT LAFOND | Hq Civil Air Patrol | 334.953.4304
LEAD Team: Leadership, Education, and Development |CAP.gov

[jeders]

thanks for your quick response. just so we are on the same page, I am ground team qualified, while we were there, we got 2 finds, which were my first. I only saw that i was updated as FLM on E-Services and was confused as to whether my find would be posted later or if i was just expected to submit that myself. I am guessing now that it will be posted by someone from NBB soon. Thanks again for your help with this matter.

Only your quals are maintained in e-Services. Your finds/missions/sorties and the associated awards are maintained in your personal personnel file.

Edit to add:

Hawk - the ES badge is no longer open to cadets per the KB.

Quoting the KB:

The specialty track awards are a good example. As explained in CAPR 50-17, "CAP Senior Member Professional Development Program," CAP has developed specialty track training programs to prepare a corps of adults to serve in staff positions and contribute to CAP missions. When a senior member earns a technician, senior, or master rating in a specialty track, they become eligible for the corresponding specialty track badge.

But why then can cadets earn the Emergency Services and Communications badges? Those badges (along with the Safety Badge) are the oldest of the specialty badges. There was a time when cadets participating in ES missions had no other form of recognition -- no ground team badge, no EMT badge, etc., like we have today. During this period years ago, CAP policy makers decided that cadets could qualify for the ES and Communications badges, as a way to reward their ES participation. But two years ago, when CAP policy makers added new specialty track badges in the CAP Senior Member Professional Development Program, they did not choose to make another exception that would allow cadets to earn them .

CURT LAFOND | Hq Civil Air Patrol | 334.953.4304
LEAD Team: Leadership, Education, and Development |CAP.gov

The current R35-6 says cadets can still earn the basic ES badge.

[BlueC/2dLtBeret]

Thank you all for clearing this up for me and for your time. C/ Adams

[Eclipse]

It sounds like someone at your unit has some catching up to do.

Do not assume NBB will take care of any of this - most of this is your unit staff's responsibility based on certifying documents that NBB should provide.

[DakRadz]

Hawk - the ES badge is no longer open to cadets per the KB.

Quoting the KB:

The specialty track awards are a good example. As explained in CAPR 50-17, "CAP Senior Member Professional Development Program," CAP has developed specialty track training programs to prepare a corps of adults to serve in staff positions and contribute to CAP missions. When a senior member earns a technician, senior, or master rating in a specialty track, they become eligible for the corresponding specialty track badge.

But why then can cadets earn the Emergency Services and Communications badges? Those badges (along with the Safety Badge) are the oldest of the specialty badges. There was a time when cadets participating in ES missions had no other form of recognition -- no ground team badge, no EMT badge, etc., like we have today. During this period years ago, CAP policy makers decided that cadets could qualify for the ES and Communications badges, as a way to reward their ES participation. But two years ago, when CAP policy makers added new specialty track badges in the CAP Senior Member Professional Development Program, they did not choose to make another exception that would allow cadets to earn them .

CURT LAFOND | Hq Civil Air Patrol | 334.953.4304
LEAD Team: Leadership, Education, and Development |CAP.gov

Isn't that saying cadet cannot be awarded the new badges which were added?  Also the part saying they did not choose to make *another* exception to those *added*- so the previous exceptions are still in effect, correct?

[jeders]

Hawk - the ES badge is no longer open to cadets per the KB.

Quoting the KB:

The specialty track awards are a good example. As explained in CAPR 50-17, "CAP Senior Member Professional Development Program," CAP has developed specialty track training programs to prepare a corps of adults to serve in staff positions and contribute to CAP missions. When a senior member earns a technician, senior, or master rating in a specialty track, they become eligible for the corresponding specialty track badge.

But why then can cadets earn the Emergency Services and Communications badges? Those badges (along with the Safety Badge) are the oldest of the specialty badges. There was a time when cadets participating in ES missions had no other form of recognition -- no ground team badge, no EMT badge, etc., like we have today. During this period years ago, CAP policy makers decided that cadets could qualify for the ES and Communications badges, as a way to reward their ES participation. But two years ago, when CAP policy makers added new specialty track badges in the CAP Senior Member Professional Development Program, they did not choose to make another exception that would allow cadets to earn them .

CURT LAFOND | Hq Civil Air Patrol | 334.953.4304
LEAD Team: Leadership, Education, and Development |CAP.gov

Isn't that saying cadet cannot be awarded the new badges which were added?

That's how I read it.

[Eclipse]

You're right, in fact the first line of the KB says exactly that - cadets can still earn ES and Comms badges.

[Krapenhoeffer]

And Cadets can earn the IT badge, at least according to CAPP 227.

[MICT1362]

C/2d Lt Adams,

Because I know your NBB TAC, I asked her a couple of questions to be able to give you the best possible answer.  Since attending NBB in 2010 you had 2 finds (which you already knew) so you can wear the Find Ribbon.  You participated in 4 sorties which is not enough to be awarded the SAR ribbon.  You are also authorized to wear the NCSA ribbon.  If this wasn't your first NCSA then you would add a device instead of another ribbon. 

Other than that, you get to wear your NBB patch on the left breast pocket of your BDUs. You also get the privilege of wearing your regular every-day BDU hat.

And correct and incorrect.  The patch portion of this statement is correct, the BDU cover part is incorrect.  You are authorized to wear your Beret in BDU's only.  However, use the same discretion as you did at the activity.  That means, no berets on "duty stations", or in the field.  Other than that, you are able to wear it at meetings and other times you would wear BDU's.  If you have other questions about NBB, I would suggest contacting your TAC or other beret staff.

-Paramedic

[Майор Хаткевич]

Other than that, you are able to wear it at meetings and other times you would wear BDU's.

At the discretion of the unit commander that is.

[MICT1362]

Negative.  The policy letter put out by NHQ authorizes the wear of the Blue Beret, Ranger Tab, and "Dog dish" in the BDU cover while in the BDU uniform.  They removed the verbage of commander discretion. 

[Майор Хаткевич]

Negative.  The policy letter put out by NHQ authorizes the wear of the Blue Beret, Ranger Tab, and "Dog dish" in the BDU cover while in the BDU uniform.  They removed the verbage of commander discretion. 

You have a cite for that?

To show that I did my homework:
Not one of the 4 ICLs in the past 2 years mentions anything regarding these items, nor removing command authority.
Nothing in CAPM 39-1 does anything of the like either.

The only information regarding any one of those "doodads" was mentioned some 4 years ago, pending AF approval, of which we heard nothing about for the past two years. Nothing about this awful fashion statement "dog bowl/dog dish/ranger roll/rain collector" has been mentioned in anything official that I've read or seen in the past 7 years.

[Eclipse]

Negative.  The policy letter put out by NHQ authorizes the wear of the Blue Beret, Ranger Tab, and "Dog dish" in the BDU cover while in the BDU uniform.  They removed the verbage of commander discretion.

Nope.  Unit and activity commanders always have the authority to prescribe or prohibit a given uniform or uniform item.

CC's cannot mandate a cadet wear an item not issued, but they certainly can tell them to leave non-standard items at home.
I'd be real curious where you think a dog dish has ever been authorized, since its has never even been discussed, and just to be clear, there is no existing ICL regarding berets or HMRS bling on the USAF combos - the only comment is 2 sentences from a 2006 meeting that has never been mentioned or addressed since.