Plastic-Encased Grade Insignia: Why?

[Panache]

Okay, this is less a uniform question and more a history question.

Now, I'm aware that plastic-encased grade insignia is required on the green flight suit for those senior members who are 2LT and higher.  I'm also aware that USAF pilots wore plastic-encased grade insignia during the Vietnam era, but no longer do so (correct me if I'm wrong). 

So, my question is what was the original reason for encasing grade insignia in plastic in the first place on USAF flight suits?

[lordmonar]

Before they had cloth grade they used the plastic encased grade for safety.

[SarDragon]

Before they had cloth grade they used the plastic encased grade for safety.

Can you elaborate? I'm curious, too.

[Storm Chaser]

The grade insignia was most likely metal, encased on plastic. Aviators also wore metal insignias on their leather jackets, which they no longer do.

[JC004]

But when?  A CAP jacket I have from that era has plastic insignia in the plastic encasing.

[SarDragon]

OK, I thimk I've got it fangered out. Metal grade is pin on, and would be a personnel and FOD hazard in any number of situations.

As for metal in plastic, my captains bars are plastic and plastic, and I've had them since 1987, having been purchased at an AFB uni shop.

[Panache]

Huh.  Interesting.  I've always had the WAG theory that it was because the metal could cause a static spark and, as such, was a fire hazard.  No, I don't have any real basis for that guess, just something that seemed like a plausible "maybe".

[Storm Chaser]

1950s-60s Vietnam Era Plastic Encase Grade Insignias

[Panache]

Interesting.  In that picture of the captain's bars above, it appears to actually be two separate 1LT bars just encased in the same piece of plastic.  I don't see the connecting "railroad tracks", unless it's just a trick of the camera.

[JC004]

That's how they go in these things.

[PHall]

In the Air Force, the Military Airlift Command wore the plastic encased rank until 1992 when the great Air Force reorganization took place and MAC became Air Mobility Command and they started wearing the subdued cloth rank they wear today.

[SarDragon]

Huh.  Interesting.  I've always had the WAG theory that it was because the metal could cause a static spark and, as such, was a fire hazard.  No, I don't have any real basis for that guess, just something that seemed like a plausible "maybe".

Metals, in and of themselves, cannot create static sparks, because any friction-generated voltage will dissipate almost immediately. Static usually comes from rubbing two insulators together, and the spark comes when you discharge the accumulate voltage on a conductor. Certain combinations of insulators work better than others, and the air needs to be fairly dry. Humid air will dissipate static fairly. In case you're going to mention them, thunderstorms are a bit of a special case.

Excellent article.

[Storm Chaser]

It's interesting that most of the insignias and patches (plastic encased grades, white letter over blue background name tapes, etc.) that many consider "ugly" or "odd" looking on our uniforms today, were worn by the Air Force sometime in the past. Of course, we always seem to be a few decades behind our parent service when it comes to updating our uniforms.

[Shuman 14]

Spit-balling here, but my guess is to prevent the rank itself from tarnishing.

In the era of non-pressurized cockpits, I "assume" the transition from one elevation to another caused condensation to form on the metal insignia which caused tarnishing and even rusting on the metal. The plastic coating most likely prevented that.

As to "Vietnam", I'm guessing the high humidity of the jungle climate caused similar effects to the insignia.

I know that sew-on insignia and badges started appearing in the Vietnam era but I also heard that the early cotton uniforms and sew-ons didn't hold up too well in the climate (ie jungle rot) so the plastic held up better for the time and  as the newer poly-cotton and nylon-cotton blends came along they began to replace the older insignia.

Again, just a guess.

[Eclipse]

Now instead of tarnishing, it just turns green inside the laminate.

It's a toss-up what looks worse, the 1/2-inch "pillar of wisdom" made by fliers attaching it with
velcro (+1 for those lifer-captains who have no interest or intention of promoting, yet need to be
able to sanitize their uniform at a moment's notice).

Or the "greenhouses" that flourish on humid days.

[a2capt]

I used a laser cutter to blast holes in the plastic before sewing it on.. Did it at the right pitch for the sewing machine

[JC004]

I used a laser cutter to blast holes in the plastic before sewing it on.. Did it at the right pitch for the sewing machine

I have some things for which a destructive laser might come in handy...

[flyboy53]

Okay, this is less a uniform question and more a history question.

Now, I'm aware that plastic-encased grade insignia is required on the green flight suit for those senior members who are 2LT and higher.  I'm also aware that USAF pilots wore plastic-encased grade insignia during the Vietnam era, but no longer do so (correct me if I'm wrong). 

So, my question is what was the original reason for encasing grade insignia in plastic in the first place on USAF flight suits?

I'm going to get the dates wrong, but here's what I remember about plastic-encased rank.

First, and most important is to know what CAP wears on flight suits or other uniforms is pretty much driven by approvals made by the Air Force. Also, I wouldn't be at all surprised has a lot more to do with our status as civilian volunteers than any other reason.

Second, plastic rank was just as much an Air Force command thing and theater thing. Sure, aircrews for Mother MAC wore plastic insignia, but so did SAC AAC, ADC and USAFE. I remember ADC and AAC specifically from the late 1970s wearing plastic rank insignia because I served in Alaska during that era.

During WWII, some aircrews certainly wore metal rank insignia, but the majority wore embossed leather insignia on flight suits and jackets. I even had a pair of clear plastic captains' bars from WW II that were made of a hard thick type of plastic and were sewn on flight suits with pre-formed holes on the connecting bars.

The use of leather rank insignia continued well into the late 60s and changed largely because of the Vietnam War. From Vietnam, you started seeing a lot of subdued insignia on flight suits -- if worn at all.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, ATC (or AETC as it is now called) and ADC used to wear the same blue rank insignia worn on flight suits that was worn fatigues of that era. By the way, you could pretty much determine what an aircrew's mission was of that era by the color of their flight suites. ADC and Systems Command pretty much wore orange flight suits. Special duty aircrews and some SAC crews wore blue.

If you were in Air Force Security Forces or AF Communications Service (Command) and were lucky enough you might have even scored a MA-1 flight jacket, but with blue name taps and related rank insignia for officers. I was in Air Force Security Forces (Police) in 1978. The issue fatigue uniform still had embroidered rank insignia on a blue background for officers. Everyone started transitioning to subdued insignia that summer.

The big change to subdued insignia occurred about 1980, but I am personally aware of MAC crews that continued to wear plastic insignia during Desert Storm.

[SarDragon]

Spit-balling here, but my guess is to prevent the rank itself from tarnishing.

In the era of non-pressurized cockpits, I "assume" the transition from one elevation to another caused condensation to form on the metal insignia which caused tarnishing and even rusting on the metal. The plastic coating most likely prevented that.

As to "Vietnam", I'm guessing the high humidity of the jungle climate caused similar effects to the insignia.

I know that sew-on insignia and badges started appearing in the Vietnam era but I also heard that the early cotton uniforms and sew-ons didn't hold up too well in the climate (ie jungle rot) so the plastic held up better for the time and  as the newer poly-cotton and nylon-cotton blends came along they began to replace the older insignia.

Again, just a guess.

Doubtful. The chrome plated stuff does not appreciably tarnish. Certainly not like the silver from the '40s and '50s. This plastic stuff was used only on flight suits, so wasn't a factor on utilities. As for material, Nomex has been around since the late '60s, and is pretty rot resistant.

The pin backs were the big issue.

[Shuman 14]

The pin backs were the big issue.

Really? Why? Snag too much on stuff in the cockpit?

BTW, became a Patron Member tonight, figured the least I could do is send my 35 USC in. 

[SarDragon]

The pin backs were the big issue.

Really? Why? Snag too much on stuff in the cockpit?

BTW, became a Patron Member tonight, figured the least I could do is send my 35 USC in. 

Snagging harnesses, and coming off. Don't need the FOD. Also, stick one on the shoulder of a shirt, like you would on a flight suit, and see how it feels.

[Shuman 14]

Not to sound ignorant, but how are the plastic coated ones attached then?

[SarDragon]

Not to sound ignorant, but how are the plastic coated ones attached then?

Sewn on, very carefully, with a heavy duty machine. Or, like a2capt did, pre-punch them. I tried gluing some to Velcro, but the glue attacked the plastic.

[Shuman 14]

Not to sound ignorant, but how are the plastic coated ones attached then?

Sewn on, very carefully, with a heavy duty machine. Or, like a2capt did, pre-punch them. I tried gluing some to Velcro, but the glue attacked the plastic.

OK, so why not just subdued sew-on rank or order some State Defense Force non-subdued sew-on rank? Seems like that would be much simpler to do? 

[SarDragon]

Not to sound ignorant, but how are the plastic coated ones attached then?

Sewn on, very carefully, with a heavy duty machine. Or, like a2capt did, pre-punch them. I tried gluing some to Velcro, but the glue attacked the plastic.

OK, so why not just subdued sew-on rank or order some State Defense Force non-subdued sew-on rank? Seems like that would be much simpler to do? 

The AF sez we gotta use the plastic stuff on the green bags, so that's what we do. Makes little sense, but them's the rules.

[Shuman 14]

Not to sound ignorant, but how are the plastic coated ones attached then?

Sewn on, very carefully, with a heavy duty machine. Or, like a2capt did, pre-punch them. I tried gluing some to Velcro, but the glue attacked the plastic.

OK, so why not just subdued sew-on rank or order some State Defense Force non-subdued sew-on rank? Seems like that would be much simpler to do? 

The AF sez we gotta use the plastic stuff on the green bags, so that's what we do. Makes little sense, but them's the rules.

And what do actual USAF personnel use on their uniforms... if I can ask?

[Panache]

And what do actual USAF personnel use on their uniforms... if I can ask?

Subdued embroidered grade insignia and/or their grade on a leather "wings" name patch, if I recall correctly. 

[flyboy53]

And what do actual USAF personnel use on their uniforms... if I can ask?

Subdued embroidered grade insignia and/or their grade on a leather "wings" name patch, if I recall correctly.

Or custom cloth flight patches or name tags.....

[bosshawk]

Just to muddy the waters a bit, guys, the Army had sew-on insignia in the late 50s: I know, I wore fatigues in those days and had my rank and branch sewn on.  I wore flight suits in Korea in 63-64 and I seem to recall sew-on insignia then, actually on the flight suit collars.  Wings went on a leather patch on the left chest.

[raivo]

And what do actual USAF personnel use on their uniforms... if I can ask?

On the leather A1 jacket, you wear a leather nametag with your name/rank on it.

On the flightsuit itself or on the green flight jacket, enlisted members wear a cloth tag with their name/rank, and officers wear cloth subdued rank on the shoulders and a cloth tag with their name only.

[Panache]

Well, the best reason I've seen for the existence of plastic-encased grade in the first place seems to be "prevent FOD hazards".  Also maybe to prevent them from coming loose and flying around the cockpit during high-G maneuvers?  That would make sense if embroidered cloth grade weren't in use yet.

[AlphaSigOU]

Not to sound ignorant, but how are the plastic coated ones attached then?

Sewn on, very carefully, with a heavy duty machine. Or, like a2capt did, pre-punch them. I tried gluing some to Velcro, but the glue attacked the plastic.

OK, so why not just subdued sew-on rank or order some State Defense Force non-subdued sew-on rank? Seems like that would be much simpler to do? 

The AF sez we gotta use the plastic stuff on the green bags, so that's what we do. Makes little sense, but them's the rules.

I think it was more CAP's idea of being distinctive than Ma Blue's.  She probably said 'no problem'. 

[Al Sayre]

Pin on grade in a military aircraft cockpit with crossover shoulder harnesses would be very uncomfortable to say the least...

[PHall]

Not to sound ignorant, but how are the plastic coated ones attached then?

Sewn on, very carefully, with a heavy duty machine. Or, like a2capt did, pre-punch them. I tried gluing some to Velcro, but the glue attacked the plastic.

OK, so why not just subdued sew-on rank or order some State Defense Force non-subdued sew-on rank? Seems like that would be much simpler to do? 

The AF sez we gotta use the plastic stuff on the green bags, so that's what we do. Makes little sense, but them's the rules.

I think it was more CAP's idea of being distinctive than Ma Blue's.  She probably said 'no problem'. 

We can be distinctive with the cloth full color grade insignia on the blue background like we wear on the BDU's today.
And the cloth insignia is much easier to sew on and is cheaper too!

[Panache]

We can be distinctive with the cloth full color grade insignia on the blue background like we wear on the BDU's today.
And the cloth insignia is much easier to sew on and is cheaper too!

What do you think you're doing, bringing logic and common sense into a uniform thread?   

[PHall]

We can be distinctive with the cloth full color grade insignia on the blue background like we wear on the BDU's today.
And the cloth insignia is much easier to sew on and is cheaper too!

What do you think you're doing, bring logic and common sense into a uniform thread?   

Being the rebel I truly am!

[Mustang]

And what do actual USAF personnel use on their uniforms... if I can ask?

Subdued embroidered grade insignia and/or their grade on a leather "wings" name patch, if I recall correctly.

USAF aircrew haven't worn leather nametags in 20 years; they're all embroidered now, and only enlisted put their rank on them. It's wings, first and last name only for officers.

I say, don't like plastic encased rank? Don't wear it. Go slick-shouldered.

[68w20]

And what do actual USAF personnel use on their uniforms... if I can ask?

Subdued embroidered grade insignia and/or their grade on a leather "wings" name patch, if I recall correctly.

I say, don't like plastic encased rank? Don't wear it. Go slick-shouldered.

Is that authorized?  I'm not seeing it in 39-1.

[Panache]

Subdued embroidered grade insignia and/or their grade on a leather "wings" name patch, if I recall correctly.

USAF aircrew haven't worn leather nametags in 20 years; they're all embroidered now, and only enlisted put their rank on them. It's wings, first and last name only for officers.

I stand corrected.

I say, don't like plastic encased rank? Don't wear it. Go slick-shouldered.

Please read my original post.  I wasn't complaining.  I was simply asking a historical question.

[Private Investigator]

Not to sound ignorant, but how are the plastic coated ones attached then?

Sewn on, very carefully, with a heavy duty machine. Or, like a2capt did, pre-punch them. I tried gluing some to Velcro, but the glue attacked the plastic.

I happen to be in a dry cleaner and notice the owner had a picture of her husband in Army uniform. I asked if she did uniforms. She chuckle and say she did his for 20 years, AND, everyone in his squad, platoon, company and eventually battalion. That is how they bought the store, cool story actually   

[flyboy53]

Subdued embroidered grade insignia and/or their grade on a leather "wings" name patch, if I recall correctly.

USAF aircrew haven't worn leather nametags in 20 years; they're all embroidered now, and only enlisted put their rank on them. It's wings, first and last name only for officers.

I stand corrected.

I say, don't like plastic encased rank? Don't wear it. Go slick-shouldered.

Please read my original post.  I wasn't complaining.  I was simply asking a historical question.

Well, I'm going to agree with your original post. In the 1960s, the leather wings were placed inside a plastic sleeve that was sewn on to the flight jacket or flight suit. You would pull out the leather patch when you needed to dry clean the jacket or the flight suit. The dreaded plastic rank was originally sewn on to the flight suit or attached with Velcro -- original rank insignia from that era actually pressed the Velcro into the plastic via some sort of heat laminating process (I have a pair purchased in Texas). The problem was that after a while anything plastic got brittle or yellowed and would have to be replaced.

You could always tell the crews who served in the Pacific theater because they would come back with cloth flight wings that were embroidered and looked so close to the leather ones that you had to look twice.

We're of an era now where the military is moving more and more to cloth or embroidered insignia. I wish the CAP would take the steps already in place with the blue flight suit (cloth rank insignia) and maybe transition the green suit to the same stuff.