Cadet Cover with White Band

Started by Jill Smith, April 23, 2016, 12:05:49 AM

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Jill Smith

I saw the photo of the other CAP cadet cover with a white band, and thought I'd post the one I my collection.

This hat is the typical USAF-issue kind, with an applied white mohair band.  I'm guessing that this might have been some honor guard detail, granted permission by a commander.  It was made by Bancroft and is dated 1961 under the sweatband.

Also, period photos of the initial cadets at the US Air Force academy wearing covers with white bands.


Jill Smith


PHall

That must have been a really old picture, as in pre 1969 old.
The white band showed that the person wearing it was a CAP Cadet and NOT a member of the Air Force.
SarDragon should be able to give some dates since he has a collection of CAPM 39-1's that goes back decades!

Jill Smith

How do I post photos?  I just found an AWESOME pic of a USAFA cadet wearing the cover with the white band!

jeders

If the photos are hosted elsewhere on the web, you simply link to them insert image button in the message toolbar. If they are not on the internet, you first have to host them somewhere other than CAPTalk and then link to them.
If you are confident in you abilities and experience, whether someone else is impressed is irrelevant. - Eclipse

Jill Smith

Google "early USAF Academy pics" and scroll through them to see the vintage black and white pic of the cadet wearing the blue cover with a white mohair band.

MSG Mac

Quote from: Jill Smith on April 23, 2016, 12:22:01 AM
How do I post photos?  I just found an AWESOME pic of a USAFA cadet wearing the cover with the white band!

I believe you have to have a "minimum" number of posts, before you can upload photos and attachments. I think it's 25, but the moderators can correct me if I'm wrong.
Michael P. McEleney
Lt Col CAP
MSG USA (Retired)
50 Year Member

PA Guy

Pre 1964 and for a short time later CAP cadets who earned their COP (Certificate of Proficiency) were authorized to wear the white band. Early Mitchell cadets were also authorized the white band on service hats for a short time.

SarDragon

Quote from: PA Guy on April 23, 2016, 02:33:21 AM
Pre 1964 and for a short time later CAP cadets who earned their COP (Certificate of Proficiency) were authorized to wear the white band. Early Mitchell cadets were also authorized the white band on service hats for a short time.

Not so with the Mitchell thing. That style hat has always been restricted to cadet officers (disregarding color/honor guard, who never wore the white band). C/WOs were not authorized the wheel hat or shoulder boards when the rank was instituted in 1968. That was what came with the Mitchell award starting then. It looks like the hat and boards became authorized for C/WOs in 1980. There were 2 changes to the 1977 39-1 that I do not have on hand, so I'm a little unsure of exact dates.

The white band went away sometime between 1970 and 1977.

Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

kwe1009

Can we just stop calling the cap a "cover"?  Neither CAPR 39-1 nor AFI 36-2903 use that word at all in reference to headgear.

ZigZag911

I'm pretty sure the "wheel cap" was authorized for Cadet WO in the early 70s...I got my Mitchell with several other cadets in December 1971 (NJ Wing),presented by group CC,  seem to recall several of us had that hat, mainly because we had seen other cadet officers wearing.

If memory serves, the key factor back then was that it could only be worn by cadet officers if authorized by the wing CC.

Holding Pattern

Quote from: kwe1009 on April 23, 2016, 01:01:23 PM
Can we just stop calling the cap a "cover"?  Neither CAPR 39-1 nor AFI 36-2903 use that word at all in reference to headgear.
The trick to getting this to change is to start using a more correct term a lot.

I suggest "flight cap."

I will commence using this immediately.

CAP even gets a mention on wikipedia regarding side caps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_cap

PHall

Quote from: Starfleet Auxiliary on April 24, 2016, 04:27:40 AM
Quote from: kwe1009 on April 23, 2016, 01:01:23 PM
Can we just stop calling the cap a "cover"?  Neither CAPR 39-1 nor AFI 36-2903 use that word at all in reference to headgear.
The trick to getting this to change is to start using a more correct term a lot.

I suggest "flight cap."

I will commence using this immediately.

CAP even gets a mention on wikipedia regarding side caps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_cap

Flight Cap doesn't work when you're talking about the Service Cap...

SarDragon

Quote from: ZigZag911 on April 24, 2016, 03:48:03 AM
I'm pretty sure the "wheel cap" was authorized for Cadet WO in the early 70s...I got my Mitchell with several other cadets in December 1971 (NJ Wing),presented by group CC,  seem to recall several of us had that hat, mainly because we had seen other cadet officers wearing.

If memory serves, the key factor back then was that it could only be worn by cadet officers if authorized by the wing CC.

That's possible. I left NJ Wing in 1969, when I went on AD, and joined the DarkSideā„¢. There's no specific definition of "cadet officer" in the 39-1. There weren't many C/WOs when I turned SM.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret