CAP 'U.S' Command Patches

[O-Rex]

Here's an interesting one from the YGBSM Department: We have been through four CAP Command patches for flight/utility uniforms in the past 6 (?) years: Round seal patch that we had for years, the 'Aux-on' patch, the 'Aux-off with U.S' patch with a wear-out date of March (?) in favor of the latest 'Aux-off without U.S.'

As the voice of discontent, I semi-jokingly told someone I was going to zap the darned white U.S. with a blue sharpie.

I actually found a med blue sharpie and did it.  I would've loved to post a pic, but I think we have found that more often than not, the lighting doesn't do the subject justice. 

The blue was not an exact match, so I only traced over the US, and you know, it doesn't look that bad; don't think anyone standing outside your 'personal space' will notice.  You have to hold it at different angles while you do it, since the lettering is a bit raised.

Granted, I already have the new patches (an FYI for the benefit of those thinking "Dude, just buy the blasted things & be done with it..") but between CAP Command and Florida Wing patches, I have more freakin' obsolete 'collector' patches than I know what to do with.

I love CAPTalkers because they are bold risk-takers    Anyway, anyone out there also willing to give it a go, try this and chime in?

This is just for fun, REMEMBER that neither O-Rex nor CAPTalk officially sanctions the unauthorized modification and/or defacement of CAP insignia   :angel:

[IceNine]

I've seen similar things done in the past

We had a member a few years ago that got promoted to 1Lt and used silver fingernail polish and changed the butterbars.

He wore it like that for well over a year before anyone noticed.

The only issue I could see is spacing doesn't "deleting" the text make the whole thing look skewed to one side?

[davidsinn]

I've seen similar things done in the past

We had a member a few years ago that got promoted to 1Lt and used silver fingernail polish and changed the butterbars.

He wore it like that for well over a year before anyone noticed.

The only issue I could see is spacing doesn't "deleting" the text make the whole thing look skewed to one side?

It's the command patch with the US in the field of the patch.

[Eclipse]

...it doesn't look that bad; don't think anyone standing outside your 'personal space' will notice.  You have to hold it at different angles while you do it, since the lettering is a bit raised...

Yes, it does, and yes, they will.  Photoshop doesn't work in the wet world.
Please don't try this at home folks.

Just buy the right patch...

[heliodoc]

After that little goat___

NHQ CAP ougght to have taken the loss and supplied the entire nation with new patches

[O-Rex]

After that little goat___

NHQ CAP ougght to have taken the loss and supplied the entire nation with new patches

FYI: if NHQ or Wing wants to change a patch that is currently stocked by VG, they are required to buy out existing stocks, which is why you want a long lead time to make the new patch mandatory.

[lordmonar]

Heck...that is the same solution NHQ has to all the "US" command patches on the aircraft and vans.  The sent out a roll of blue tape to each wing.

Back in the day on active duty (It was a Tuesday) we used to fill in the stars of our SrA stripes with a sharpie instead of going out and buying new Sgt Stripes.

[ZigZag911]

I've seen similar things done in the past

We had a member a few years ago that got promoted to 1Lt and used silver fingernail polish and changed the butterbars.

He wore it like that for well over a year before anyone noticed.

The only issue I could see is spacing doesn't "deleting" the text make the whole thing look skewed to one side?

When I became a lt col I forgot to get a new rank device for my blazer nametag....an occasion arose when I needed to wear the blazer combo unexpectedly, so I took some silver spray paint and "promoted" my major's leaf!

Passed muster fine (I think it was a talk to a civic group)

I have since invested in the proper insignia.

[heliodoc]

Desperate times call for desperate measures, eh, ZigZag??

[O-Rex]

Desperate times call for desperate measures, eh, ZigZag??

Getting the new patches was no big deal, except for the one on the A-2 jacket, the original of which was sewn to a leather backing-that one got a bit pricey...

[Major Carrales]

Anyone see my photo of "Faux nametapes?"

[img alt=]http://captalk.net/MGalleryItem.php?id=49[/img]

For emergency and instructional use only.

[Mustang]

You couldn't Photoshop a t-shirt on at the same time??

[LTC Don]

Uh, whut is dis command patch thing you speak of? 

After re-joining back in '06, I started hearing about this 'command patch', then I finally got to see it.  I have to admit, it is pretty sharp looking, but I found myself scratching my head a bit at the notion of it being called a 'command patch', when in reality, it's just an organizational patch that replaced the original organizational patch, the corporate seal worn on flight suits.

Air Force pilots all belong to, well, the Air Force, but they don't wear the Dept. of the Air Force seal on their suits, they wear the overhead command they are attached to over the right breast, such as Air Combat Command, or Air Mobility Command.  Now, I don't know the procedures now, but they 'used' to wear their 'Wing' patch on one shoulder, then their lowest echelon, their assigned unit/squadron on the opposite shoulder. Moving that over to our side, it is a geographic command structure such as Middle East Region (right breast), North Carolina Wing (left shoulder), Raleigh-Wake Composite Squadron (right shoulder).  I know we don't do that process and never have but perhaps we should have.  I could really see taking the current faux command patch and putting each region in the scroll, that would be more organizationally sound when compared to what the Air Force does.

So, I'm a bit confused how this 'command patch' thing got started when it really isn't a 'command patch' but just a corporate seal replacement.  Or was all this drama hashed out ad nauseum when if was first discussed/implemented.......

Cheers,

[heliodoc]

Yep Sir,

More of CAP's ideas of what command patches are...the whole thing is silly and the fretting over it is more silly

Maybe its more of CAP's "culture of awareness" of itself.  THERE is a difference between command patches and corporate seals.  Did not SLS, CLC, UCC courses teach anybody anything??

CAP  .....  Confusion Amongst People

[Eclipse]

This is worn on the flight suit and jumpsuit, as well as being the badge for vehicles and aircraft.
It is the only version currently approved, all others have been sundowned.

It was brought into play at a time when there was serious discussion about CAP becoming a MAJCOM
in and of itself.

[heliodoc]

A 501c(3) organization becoming a MAJCOM in the DoD?? >:

I must not have been around...

A 501c(3) a MAJCOM  Where is that urinalysis cup when one needs it

[Nick]

Really, that's something I could get behind.  I know we've hashed through all this plenty of times before, but... The reserve component has AFRC.  The guard component has the NGB (not really a MAJCOM -- it's Air Staff, but close enough).  CAP can be the auxiliary component -- move CAP-USAF up to HAF/A3 so you don't have to make the CAP-USAF/CC a 3 or 4-star general and draw dotted lines connecting to 1 AF and AU for the respective programs.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

Whether it's a MAJCOM, a DRU or a standalone agency, the emblem is on the right breast.

CAP isn't a direct reporting agency, but it's a standalone organization that reports within the Air Force hierarchy. I'm sure that other elements of the Holm Center would wear their agency emblem on flight suits (and to draw a parallel to ROTC, OTS, et al., the USAFA emblem is worn on flight suits more than 5,000 feet above Annapolis and West Point). It is wholly appropriate for CAP to wear its organizational emblem where it's authorized.

If we remove the flag, we could mandate a wing or region patch on that side, just like Big Blue. On the other shoulder, which we now leave to member discretion, a squadron or group emblem could be placed.

Now to fix the ambiguity that allows some to wear the emergency services patch in that odd spot below the breast zipper.... surprised Big Blue didn't say "uh-uh, don't crap up our flight suit like you did the BDUs." LOL!

[Nick]

Yeah, I'm not even questioning that.  A shield is a shield ... every organization above group level has one, and I'm hardly concerned with CAP's (in fact, I was glad when they made it and dropped the seal from the flight suit). 

Side response -- Just to be clear, though, ROTC and OTS wears the AETC patch.  USAFA wears theirs because it's a DRU.

I've also thought about the wing patch in lieu of an American flag.  Depending on where you go in the AF, the rules are different -- AETC and (I believe) ACC wears the wing patch, AMC wears the flag... it's MAJCOM guided.  It would be more advantageous for us (not to mention more consistent with the AF-style uniform and BDUs) if we would wear a wing patch on the left sleeve.  I agree 100%.

And yeah, every time I see the ES patch on the pocket I can't help but think Navy.

[Mustang]

CAP isn't a direct reporting agency, but it's a standalone organization that reports within the Air Force hierarchy. I'm sure that other elements of the Holm Center would wear their agency emblem on flight suits (and to draw a parallel to ROTC, OTS, et al., the USAFA emblem is worn on flight suits more than 5,000 feet above Annapolis and West Point). It is wholly appropriate for CAP to wear its organizational emblem where it's authorized.

Um, CAP doesn't report to anyone in the Air Force hierarchy, nor is it an element of the Holm Center, as you imply.  These statements are both true about CAP-USAF, however, though CAP doesn't report to CAP-USAF, either. If we were, we'd wear an Air Education and Training Command patch on the right breast, as the CAP-USAF folks do.