The Golden Pip

[LtCol057]

I was a cadet in the early 1970s, making it to C/Sgt.  I hated having to sew the new stripes on everytime I promoted. Then got out for 18 years.  When I came back in as a SM in 1990, the gold pip was a C/FO.  I think it was around 1997-1998 when they changed everything.  I remember the bus driver hat with the white band, even tho I never wore one.  Our regular uniform was the khakis with flight cap.  Very rarely did we wear the OD green fatigues.  IIRC, back then the females didn't wear the OD green, their field uniform was a lt blue shirt, jeans, and flight cap.  I know, I'm dating myself, but I do have the 20-year pin, even tho I very rarely wear my ribbons. 

[KioGoten]

My senior members are newer than 99 and 00.  One who is also a Captain joined as a cadet in 00 and made it to C/2LT

Wow does that guy think he is the best thing since sliced bread.

Yup I remember the FO rank.  I think it was a great rank to have and gave those who earned it the drive to earn their silver 2LT pin.

I do have a Senior Member who was a cadet back in the 70's but he doesnt come to the meeting much anymore.  He made SM Major and then stopped coming to the meetings.

But thanks alot for the link to the old ranks.  This helped alot.

Capt Nelson Guadalupe, CAP
SWR-TX-313 Abilene Squadron
2LT Texas Guard
Midland Medical Division

[PHall]

If you are old enough to have worn the Gold Pip as a C/WO, then you are offically an "Olde Fart".

(And I wore mine with pride!)

[SarDragon]

I liked the instant promotion when they were added to the program.

[AlphaSigOU]

If you are old enough to have worn the Gold Pip as a C/WO, then you are offically an "Olde Fart".

(And I wore mine with pride!)

Same here... 

[Trung Si Ma]

If you are old enough to have worn the Gold Pip as a C/WO, then you are officially an "Olde Fart".

(And I wore mine with pride!)

Right along side our clown ribbons.  And I will publicly admit to liking the olde Wright, Rickenbacker, Goddard, and Earhart Ribbons.

[Hill CAP]

Hi,

My Mitchell was dated July 29, 1999 and I was a C/FO. the change was August 1, 1999 when they removed C/FO and added in C/SMSgt and C/CMSgt.

If you was a C/FO you had the option to remain in the old program until you took your Earhart or change to C/2d Lt and take on the new program.

[ZigZag911]

When I got my Mitchell in the summer of '69, C/WO was a new and confusing rank.  We were not allowed to wear the bus driver hat (anyone else remember the white bands?) or shoulder boards until we became "real" cadet officers.

By '71 we had shoulder boards (which I always despised!) and saucer cap, as C/WO.

[FARRIER]

If you are old enough to have worn the Gold Pip as a C/WO, then you are officially an "Olde Fart".

(And I wore mine with pride!)

Right along side our clown ribbons.  And I will publicly admit to liking the olde Wright, Rickenbacker, Goddard, and Earhart Ribbons.

I wore mine with pride also.  The ribbons,  having them shadow boxed, I can still remember which ones are which by aircraft icons on them.

[KioGoten]

So when they took out the C/FO and added the C/SMSgt and C/CMSgt did this lengethen the program for the cadets?

Is it now longer for them to made cadet officer?

Capt Nelson Guadalupe, CAP
SWR-TX-313 Abilene Squadron
2LT Texas Guard
Midland Medical Division

[SarDragon]

Yes. There have been two or three (?) achievements added since the C/WO days.

[ßτε]

Two achievements were added: Mary Feik & Neil Armstrong
One achievement changed to a milestone: Wright Bros.

Before, to become C/2d Lt: Seven achievements, Mitchell, and then Flight Commander Achievement.
Now, to become C/2d Lt: Three achievements, Wright Brothers, five more achievements, then Mitchell.

[SarDragon]

I don't recall anything beyond Mitchell for C/2dLt, BITD.

[ßτε]

I don't recall anything beyond Mitchell for C/2dLt, BITD.

WIWAC, Mitchell gave you C/WO, and Flight Commander Achievement was for C/2d Lt.

[SarDragon]

OK, way, way back. For a variety of reasons, I never got past Mitchell, so don't recall what came later.

[MIKE]

^ Weak. 

[heliodoc]

Gold PIP

1978 ..same year  I attended UAAFASC

If that makes us old farts..so be it....

Transferred the Gold Pip to the AF type WO 1.5 yrs later and wore those as the youngest Sqdn CC in the Wing...people were ticked off at that and that is why I thought, in most cases, of CAP rank and grade .... was such a joke...the older farts than me we on the lecture circuit about "how I needed to be a 2nd and 1Lt series....

Told a few Wing types what I thought of that and in 1981 went on to better things than CAP.......

30 yrs later...... NOT much has changed in CAP ...only plenty of types out there STILL telling folks what and how is good for you / one

IF ONLY they would follow their OWN suggestions

From a Gold Pip and  old CAP WO type....

[Al Sayre]

If you are old enough to have worn the Gold Pip as a C/WO, then you are offically an "Olde Fart".

(And I wore mine with pride!)

Me too...

[High Speed Low Drag]

If you are old enough to have worn the Gold Pip as a C/WO, then you are offically an "Olde Fart".

(And I wore mine with pride!)

I was a C/WO (pronounced as "see-wooo") when I got my Mitchell in '85.  (Went through Blue Beret in '85 as a WO).  Got my Earhart in '86 and was a C/Maj in '87 when they switched to as a FO.  Me and my peers grumbled about the "good 'ole days" of the see-wooo being replaced with something out of a Hollywood RAF movie (pip, pip, cheerio).

I think that we should return to the golden pip - then we can refer to C/2nd LTs as "butter-pips."

(Insert appropriate curmudgeon comment here)  (Did I remember to use the bathroom yesterday?) (These darn cadets and these new-fangled phones - back in my day you had to find a pay-phone if you wanted to cry to your mamma about the mean sergeant!) (WIWAC, we had to march 5 miles at every meeting - uphill both ways) (Changes to the regs came by mailman, not ....zzzzzzzzzz)

[HGjunkie]

If you are old enough to have worn the Gold Pip as a C/WO, then you are offically an "Olde Fart".

(And I wore mine with pride!)

I was a C/WO (pronounced as "see-wooo") when I got my Mitchell in '85.  (Went through Blue Beret in '85 as a WO).  Got my Earhart in '86 and was a C/Maj in '87 when they switched to as a FO.  Me and my peers grumbled about the "good 'ole days" of the see-wooo being replaced with something out of a Hollywood RAF movie (pip, pip, cheerio).

I think that we should return to the golden pip - then we can refer to C/2nd LTs as "butter-pips."

(Insert appropriate curmudgeon comment here)  (Did I remember to use the bathroom yesterday?) (These darn cadets and these new-fangled phones - back in my day you had to find a pay-phone if you wanted to cry to your mamma about the mean sergeant!) (WIWAC, we had to march 5 miles at every meeting - uphill both ways) (Changes to the regs came by mailman, not ....zzzzzzzzzz)

+1 on the Butter Pip, i would have a blast callin my Sq's new 2d lt "Butter-Pip".