Quick SM Uniform Question

[lordmonar]

like

[Eclipse]

I proudly state I had to look that up...

[Shuman 14]

It's not just about distinctiveness; the insignia has to be distinctive from a distance. I suspect that from a distance, a white propeller over blue background is hard to distinguish from a white star over blue background. Perhaps they should've made the propellers red. Or better yet, but the CAP triangle with propellers inside the blue circle.

Agreed, but I imagine the counter-argument would be "adding another color to the embroidery would drive up costs!"

Personally, I think the scarlet CAP tri-prop in a white triangle would have been far more distinctive (both at-a-distance and low-light) than the new design.  But, hey, what do I know?

Concur.  :clap:

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I know all about "low-light/at-a-distance."  But they have never quantified it (how low is the light?  at what distance?  in what weather conditions?), and in virtually all cases it depends on who is observing.

[Panache]

I know all about "low-light/at-a-distance."  But they have never quantified it

And they never will.  As it is, it's a great tool that allows them to arbitrarily reject items they don't like for whatever reason and use the never-defined "low light/at-a-distance" standards as justification.

[Al Sayre]

1x10^-6 candela/m^2 @ 1000 furlongs

[Eclipse]

MONTGOMERY, AL - Lt Col Tommy Smothers, recently appointed CAP-USAF Inspector General demonstrates the latest in
"Low-Light Insignia Identification and Targeting systems" from Soldier Systems.

Said Lt Col Smothers, "We can't have just anyone wandering around looking like might have some tenuous similarity to a military organization,
and this will insure no one sneaks in a badge that kinda sorta looks military-ish..."

He went on, "...why just last year we had a Senior Airman who dropped his son off for a Civil Air Patrol encampment and accidentally
saluted the CAP 'Major' who had volunteered to take a week off without pay to train his son.  The Airman was 'super-sad' for a week
due to his mistake and, after being released from 6 months sick leave, now makes it his mission to go on every military-related forum
and Facebook page to insure others don't make the same mistake..."

"This is just force protection, nothing more, nothing less...".

[Garibaldi]

MONTGOMERY, AL - Lt Col Tommy Smothers, recently appointed CAP-USAF Inspector General demonstrates the latest in
"Low-Light Insignia Identification and Targeting systems" from Soldier Systems.

Said Lt Col Smothers, "We can't have just anyone wandering around looking like might have some tenuous similarity to a military organization,
and this will insure no one sneaks in a badge that kinda sorta looks military-ish..."

He went on, "...why just last year we had a Senior Airman who dropped his son off for a Civil Air Patrol encampment and accidentally
saluted the CAP 'Major' who had volunteered to take a week off without pay to train his son.  The Airman was 'super-sad' for a week
due to his mistake and, after being released from 6 months sick leave, now makes it his mission to go on every military-related forum
and Facebook page to insure others don't make the same mistake..."

"This is just force protection, nothing more, nothing less...".

Did his brother Dick approve before he spoke to the media?

[Eclipse]

^ He's behind him in the photo, but can't be seen without the NVGs.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

And they never will.  As it is, it's a great tool that allows them to arbitrarily reject items they don't like for whatever reason and use the never-defined "low light/at-a-distance" standards as justification.

Kind of their Sword of Damocles that hangs over the heads of all those who would think of changing the status quo viz. uniforms.

[Panache]

He went on, "...why just last year we had a Senior Airman who dropped his son off for a Civil Air Patrol encampment and accidentally saluted the CAP 'Major' who had volunteered to take a week off without pay to train his son.  The Airman was 'super-sad' for a week due to his mistake and, after being released from 6 months sick leave, now makes it his mission to go on every military-related forum and Facebook page to insure others don't make the same mistake..."

"That CAP Major was just standing there, at encampment, practically trolling for salutes!"

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

"That CAP Major was just standing there, at encampment, practically trolling for salutes!"

Yelling at Airmen to get over there and show proper respect to a CAP Major.

[foo]

No epaulets, CAP cutouts on the collars.  You are correct.  That goes for both the AF and aviator shirts.

Apparently this is changed as of last Thursday?

CAPM 39-1 26 JUNE 2014

1.4.1. Adult individuals without grade pursuing officer promotion will wear the USAF-style or Corporate-style uniform as for Officers without any rank insignia.

1.4.1.1. USAF-style Uniforms. With the Service Dress Uniform (Class A), these individuals will wear the officer-style service coat, with sleeve braid, officer-style flight cap, US collar insignia, and gray epaulet sleeves without rank insignia. With the Blue Service Uniform (Class B), these individuals will wear the officer style flight cap and gray epaulet sleeve without grade insignia.

1.4.1.2. Corporate Style Uniforms. On the Corporate-style Field Uniform, no collar insignia or rank insignia on the hat will be worn. On the Aviator shirt, gray epaulets without grade insignia will be worn.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I noticed that.  It did change.

[Eclipse]

More places where two committees didn't speak.

On one hand you have some insignia like cutouts being eliminated because they
are only worn for a short time and there's no point to the expense, and then
on the other you have nonsense like this.

There's literally no point or reason for it.  Just leave the epaulets sleeveless until
you have some sort of grade to put there.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I remember a lot of SMWOG's wearing the blank greys because they thought that was the "insignia" for SMWOG.

[lordmonar]

More places where two committees didn't speak.

On one hand you have some insignia like cutouts being eliminated because they
are only worn for a short time and there's no point to the expense, and then
on the other you have nonsense like this.

There's literally no point or reason for it.  Just leave the epaulets sleeveless until
you have some sort of grade to put there.

Ahhh.....but then you might be mistake for a real USAF Airman Basic.   

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

More places where two committees didn't speak.

On one hand you have some insignia like cutouts being eliminated because they
are only worn for a short time and there's no point to the expense, and then
on the other you have nonsense like this.

There's literally no point or reason for it.  Just leave the epaulets sleeveless until
you have some sort of grade to put there.

Ahhh.....but then you might be mistake for a real USAF Airman Basic.   

Except for the grey nameplate and the CAP cutouts on the collars.

[MacGruff]

Except for the grey nameplate and the CAP cutouts on the collars.

But ...  there are no longer CAP cutouts on these uniforms...   

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

No, there aren't.  But we still have the grey nameplates.