If the Air Force has switched to ABUs, why does CAP still need blue name tapes?

[SarDragon]

I'm missing your point entirely regarding the green camo thing. Help me out here.

[Major Carrales]

I'm missing your point entirely regarding the green camo thing. Help me out here.

Really?  The idea is that sometimes military uniforms are used merely because they are military uniforms regardless of design or purpose or for traditional reasons.  For example, fleet marines wearing woodland CAMMO on ships in the 1980s, Pockets on uniforms that people are not allowed to put things in (when the initial intent was to have more pockets to put things in), last era's field uniform is today's dress uniform, wearing dessert CAMMO in urban airports in the 1990s and wearing woodland CAMMO in CAP uniforms with blue name tapes.

[supertigerCH]

I'm missing your point entirely regarding the green camo thing. Help me out here.

Really?  The idea is that sometime military uniforms are used merely because they are military uniforms regardless of design or purpose or for traditional reasons.  For example, fleet marines wearing woodland CAMMO on ships in the 1980s, Pockets on uniforms that people are not allowed to put things in (when the initial intent was to have more pockets to put things in), last era's field uniform is today's dress uniform, wearing dessert CAMMO in urban airports in the 1990s and wearing woodland CAMMO in CAP uniforms with blue name tapes.

Yes!  Someone finally brought the conversation back around to the topic of this thread... which is CAP uniforms / UMB name tapes.

I was starting to wonder if we had already reached the point... of saying as much as we could about it (which maybe we have).  Good conversation everyone!!

[Hawk200]

Personally, I'd like to see navy blue nametapes and accoutrements. You can even keep the white lettering/stitching, but I hate the ultramarine. We could do it tomorrow, just have to have someone request it. It wouldn't take much for V to do it, it wouldn't surprise me if they make them on demand anyway.

It would carry over well with the ABU (it's a couple of dark spots on a uniform that's pretty light in "low light" conditions.) Anyone that knows the AF uniform is gonna know that this one isn't.

[supertigerCH]

Yeah, a number of us were talking earlier... about how dark (navy) blue would be very good.


Some ranks on dark blue cloth are already being sold for use on dark blue CAP uniforms.  Most places that make/sell name tapes also make them in dark blue.  I think a lot of members would be fine with that...



Acceptable on a BDU/ABU... and would look very professional on all of our dark blue corporate uniforms.

[titanII]

What in the world does the Navy need a camouflage-style uniform for, anyway?  (I'm not referring to SEALS or Seabees or anyone who does that kind of work.  I'm talking about the regular jobs on board a ship.)  What's the purpose of a camouflage uniform on board a ship?

My somewhat uneducated guess is that it could help out in a situation where (for instance) an enemy aircraft is strafing a ship. It'd be a lot harder for that pilot to target sailors that blend in with the ship.

[Major Carrales]

For those that knock the "Ultramarine" name tapes it should be pointed out that the official colors of the USAF are "Ultramarine Blue and Air Force Yellow."  Today, the official colors of the U.S. Air Force are ultramarine blue and golden yellow, representing the sky and the sun.

All rank flags have an ultramarine blue field with white stars and 2 1/2-inch yellow fringe.

So, be careful of remarks that disparage Ultramarine Blue, it shows a distinct lack of knowledge of tradition.

[AngelWings]

For those that knock the "Ultramarine" name tapes it should be pointed out that the official colors of the USAF are "Ultramarine Blue and Air Force Yellow."  Today, the official colors of the U.S. Air Force are ultramarine blue and golden yellow, representing the sky and the sun.

All rank flags have an ultramarine blue field with white stars and 2 1/2-inch yellow fringe.

So, be careful of remarks that disparage Ultramarine Blue, it shows a distinct lack of knowledge of tradition.

I hate the color on my uniform as a tape. I love ultramarine blue and golden yellow, but not on my uniform as a color for my tapes. Only patch I don't mind being full color is the US Flag, because those colors represent a lot to all of us. And this is coming from someone with "Blue" by Eiffel 65 being a good representation of how many things in my life are blue. I love blue, and ultramarine blue is my second favorite shade of blue (only under sky/baby blue to me).

[Major Carrales]

For those that knock the "Ultramarine" name tapes it should be pointed out that the official colors of the USAF are "Ultramarine Blue and Air Force Yellow."  Today, the official colors of the U.S. Air Force are ultramarine blue and golden yellow, representing the sky and the sun.

All rank flags have an ultramarine blue field with white stars and 2 1/2-inch yellow fringe.

So, be careful of remarks that disparage Ultramarine Blue, it shows a distinct lack of knowledge of tradition.

I hate the color on my uniform as a tape. I love ultramarine blue and golden yellow, but not on my uniform as a color for my tapes. Only patch I don't mind being full color is the US Flag, because those colors represent a lot to all of us. And this is coming from someone with "Blue" by Eiffel 65 being a good representation of how many things in my life are blue. I love blue, and ultramarine blue is my second favorite shade of blue (only under sky/baby blue to me).

I was just posting this because I have heard the color being referred to as "stupid" and, being that RESPECT is one of our CORE VALUES and my fondness for tradition, the color need not be described so vitriolically. 

I also, after staving my passionate response, suppressed the idea of why we would need a "subdued" name tag if all other "subdued" patches are not allowed by regulation.  What would be the intent of a subdued name tape aside from "looking cool?"  The change, after some 40 plus years of a blue name tape, would play into the arguments that we are 'posing and pretending" to be the USAF.   

In my opinion, the only way said tapes would be in line with credibility is if they were mandated by the USAF for wear or spelled our in USAF Instruction Manuals.

[AngelWings]

For those that knock the "Ultramarine" name tapes it should be pointed out that the official colors of the USAF are "Ultramarine Blue and Air Force Yellow."  Today, the official colors of the U.S. Air Force are ultramarine blue and golden yellow, representing the sky and the sun.

All rank flags have an ultramarine blue field with white stars and 2 1/2-inch yellow fringe.

So, be careful of remarks that disparage Ultramarine Blue, it shows a distinct lack of knowledge of tradition.

I hate the color on my uniform as a tape. I love ultramarine blue and golden yellow, but not on my uniform as a color for my tapes. Only patch I don't mind being full color is the US Flag, because those colors represent a lot to all of us. And this is coming from someone with "Blue" by Eiffel 65 being a good representation of how many things in my life are blue. I love blue, and ultramarine blue is my second favorite shade of blue (only under sky/baby blue to me).

I was just posting this because I have heard the color being referred to as "stupid" and, being that RESPECT is one of our CORE VALUES and my fondness for tradition, the color need not be described so vitriolically. 

I also, after staving my passionate response, suppressed the idea of why we would need a "subdued" name tag if all other "subdued" patches are not allowed by regulation.  What would be the intent of a subdued name tape aside from "looking cool?"  The change, after some 40 plus years of a blue name tape, would play into the arguments that we are 'posing and pretending" to be the USAF.   

In my opinion, the only way said tapes would be in line with credibility is if they were mandated by the USAF for wear or spelled our in USAF Instruction Manuals.

Anyone can find any reason to call us posers. I've even heard AD guys call the Reserves a bunch of posers. Just by saying we are the USAF Aux somebody will think we are all posers. We should look like the USAF, we are their Aux. Even JROTC has the right nametapes and patches for the uniforms, and they're much farther away from the military than we are (I'd know, I'm in JROTC). IMO, it looks stupid and unprofessional to have a subdued uniform and all full color patches. It is like getting a dirtbike to ride around on highways with. I respect your opinion, and personally, I don't give a flying foxtrot about the patches, since I'll find some reason to be unhappy with any uniform I get, just like anyone else.

Anyone disrespecting a color must have too much free time and a poor understanding of the traditions it represents.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Anyone can find any reason to call us posers. I've even heard AD guys call the Reserves a bunch of posers.  Just by saying we are the USAF Aux somebody will think we are all posers. We should look like the USAF, we are their Aux...personally, I don't give a flying foxtrot about the patches.

And, having been ANG, I've heard some pretty nasty things from the AD side too.

Personally, I don't give a flying foxtrot about those who slap the "poser" label hither and yon...all it tells me is they have some insecurities/issues of their own.

[SarDragon]

What in the world does the Navy need a camouflage-style uniform for, anyway?  (I'm not referring to SEALS or Seabees or anyone who does that kind of work.  I'm talking about the regular jobs on board a ship.)  What's the purpose of a camouflage uniform on board a ship?

My somewhat uneducated guess is that it could help out in a situation where (for instance) an enemy aircraft is strafing a ship. It'd be a lot harder for that pilot to target sailors that blend in with the ship.

The reason was explained further up in the thread, and has absolutely nothing to do with your guess. The likelihood of a ship getting strafed in today's world is very low.

[supertigerCH]

Does dark blue really count as "subdued"??  Does that mean that police, fire fighters, paramedics/EMTs, and Coast Guard Auxiliary are all wearing subdued uniforms?

Dark blue is just much more "sharp" and professional of a color... as opposed to a bunch of rainbow colors that look like a 5 year old pasted them on.  A uniform like that is not exactly the epitome of a "professional image" ...for the public to look at.  I think just about anyone you could pull aside on the street and ask this to would agree.  It makes us all (including the senior members) look like a bunch of kids playing army.

Is this the image that is really best to be showing to the public...  when the life saving activities (and mission) of CAP is actually very serious work?  Whether it's right or wrong, people (the public) make judgements based on how professional of an image they see... and take more seriously people and organizations that display such an image.


I have noticed for some time now, what someone just mentioned.  State Defense Forces (State Guards), the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Sea Scouts, ROTC, JROTC, and cadet programs all around the country... are all able to wear proper and modern uniforms... that are current with the era we are living in.  Many of these groups are not even congressionally chartered like CAP... and yet they are able to find a way to issue uniforms that are current with the times... and which garner the greatest amount of respect from the public.


We all know there is another side of this too... based on the actions/behavior of the people wearing the uniforms.  What a person says & does... can bring dishonor to even the best uniforms.  That however... is a story for another forum thread...

[RiverAux]

Saying it is a violation of our core value to call a color stupid?  Give me a break.  Just because it is a tradition doesn't mean that it is still the right way to go.  The AF changed from it a long time ago and its time for us to do so as well. 

[AngelWings]

Anyone can find any reason to call us posers. I've even heard AD guys call the Reserves a bunch of posers.  Just by saying we are the USAF Aux somebody will think we are all posers. We should look like the USAF, we are their Aux...personally, I don't give a flying foxtrot about the patches.

And, having been ANG, I've heard some pretty nasty things from the AD side too.

Personally, I don't give a flying foxtrot about those who slap the "poser" label hither and yon...all it tells me is they have some insecurities/issues of their own.

Exactly. It is their problem, not ours, and we shouldn't have to suffer from it or even consider it in our organization.

[AngelWings]

Saying it is a violation of our core value to call a color stupid?  Give me a break.  Just because it is a tradition doesn't mean that it is still the right way to go.  The AF changed from it a long time ago and its time for us to do so as well.

No, it is stupid to call a color stupid that is a representation of our heritage, and the USAF's heritage, not just any color. Just like it is stupid to call red, white, and blue stupid. That doesn't mean I support having that color on my uniform, but I respect the heritage it represents.

[Spaceman3750]

I'm partial to "Stupid is as stupid does" myself.

[Major Carrales]

I have noticed for some time now, what someone just mentioned.  State Defense Forces (State Guards), the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Sea Scouts, ROTC, JROTC, and cadet programs all around the country... are all able to wear proper and modern uniforms... that are current with the era we are living in.  Many of these groups are not even congressionally chartered like CAP... and yet they are able to find a way to issue uniforms that are current with the times... and which garner the greatest amount of respect from the public.


We all know there is another side of this too... based on the actions/behavior of the people wearing the uniforms.  What a person says & does... can bring dishonor to even the best uniforms.  That however... is a story for another forum thread...

We operate by the rules given us despite what other are allowed to do.  All the "kings horses and all the kingsmen's" CAPTALK discussions accomplish nothing if the USAF says no.

[supertigerCH]

I have noticed for some time now, what someone just mentioned.  State Defense Forces (State Guards), the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Sea Scouts, ROTC, JROTC, and cadet programs all around the country... are all able to wear proper and modern uniforms... that are current with the era we are living in.  Many of these groups are not even congressionally chartered like CAP... and yet they are able to find a way to issue uniforms that are current with the times... and which garner the greatest amount of respect from the public.


We all know there is another side of this too... based on the actions/behavior of the people wearing the uniforms.  What a person says & does... can bring dishonor to even the best uniforms.  That however... is a story for another forum thread...

We operate by the rules given us despite what other are allowed to do.  All the "kings horses and all the kingsmen's" CAPTALK discussions accomplish nothing if the USAF says no.

Very true!!

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

We operate by the rules given us despite what other are allowed to do.  All the "kings horses and all the kingsmen's" CAPTALK discussions accomplish nothing if the USAF says no.

Especially if the rules make no bloody sense...like the "low-light/at-a-distance" bit.