Plastic encased grade insignia

[es_g0d]

I think it sad that we have to "hide" vendors that are truly CAP-friendly from "CAP corporate."

I think a true lawyer worth his/her salt could argue that all CAP emblems were created by the US Government, and therefore are public domain.  That would overturn some portions of later-created public law, but so be it.

The bottom line is that CAP Inc. jealously defending its emblems and so forth IS A WASTE OF TIME.  If we're concentrating on a mom-and-pop shop making a nametag with CAP wings on it, we're taking away attention from better pursuits.  If Vanguard wished to pursue it, or to drop supporting CAP, so be it.  The market will correct but ultimately serve the customer best.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[Smokey]

I just got my latest set becuae of my promotion......they look worse than the set for my last rank.  The quality is really cheesey.  They look like they are from a Cracker Jack box.   Yuck.

[smithwr2]

UPDATE -

Here's the comment from Jan 2009 regarding Vanguard having whipped the supply problem for these plastic encased rank:

"The situation has been fixed for months on end.  Plastic insignia is available now. If you order it now, it ships right away. The argument no longer works."

Here's my reality as of Feb 2011:

mid Jan 2011:  Ordered plastic enclosed rank.  Other Vanguard items arrive but Vanguard reports out of stock on the rank.

Feb 6:  Still no rank.  Requested order status.  Vanguard :  "...item is expected to be received into stock this week.  "

Feb 21:   Still no rank.  Requested order status.  Vanguard : "The item we received from the manufacturer was not up to our quality standards.  The shipment was refused and a replacement is expected to be received any day. "

Hmmm...so this was a problem in 2009, now again in 2011.  Maybe other years too...who's keeping track?  How many *years* does it take to whip an inventory management/stock out problem, on the same item no less?  I guess monopolist suppliers get lazy, stay lazy.

To the fella who says 'the situation has been fixed...the argument no longer works', I'm  thinking that statement might be less than fully informed.  VANGUARD FAILS THE MISSION in my humble opinion.

[lordmonar]

Supply and demand dude.

I don't blame vanguard....When the stock was low they put in a new order.......it was of low quality.......so they sent it back.

The problem is that we are the only customers for this partiuclar item.

The fix is to go with the the blue embroidered rank on the flight suits or to remove the rank all together.

I understand your fustration.....we too are waiting for new plastic enclosed rank here in my squadron.

But let's face it.....it is a specialty item and it takes time to produce.

Vanguard is being vilagant in makeing sure that the quality is high.

[Smokey]

And the quality still sucks though...the insignia being sold now is of inferior quality to that sold several years ago.  It looks cheap and is overpriced for the quality.

Since we seem to be the only customer for this junk...it's time to play nice nice with mother blue and if necessary beg for embroidered rank.  It can be full color like the Navy (on a green background for the green zoom bags) but it will cost 20% of what the plastic stuff costs, it's easy to sew on (yeah) won't look funky, and won't melt in the fire!

[a2capt]

If "the" fire has time to actually turn the plastic into a source of ignition, your problems are way worse .. and the non-nomex based embroidered rank insignia would have become 'insinge-nia' by then as well.
As for the things looking like Shrinky-Dinks rejects these days compared to what they used to be..


I do have a set of Capt' bar's from the 2009 remake that I never used because by the time I got them .. it was too late. They'd  been on order for quite a while before that. The promotion beat them.

[smithwr2]

 'insinge-nia'

Ha ha ha ha ha! ...Oh that was a good one.  Thanks.  (And I'm a pilot.)

I saw a good newspaper cartoon  the other day, to the effect of "Search and Rescue...helping lost hunters, hikers, snowmobilers, and downed pilots....that's right, interfering with Natural Selection..."

[Hawk200]

It can be full color like the Navy (on a green background for the green zoom bags) but it will cost 20% of what the plastic stuff costs, it's easy to sew on (yeah) won't look funky....

Agreed. Vivid on background cloth is the way to go. Won't get beat up in the wash as much either.

I do have a set of Capt' bar's from the 2009 remake that I never used because by the time I got them .. it was too late. They'd  been on order for quite a while before that. The promotion beat them.

Pretty sad commentary on their expediency. Never got the point as why we had to have the plastic once the Air Force transitioned (or at least after a few years after the Air Force transitioned.)

[vento]

It can be full color like the Navy (on a green background for the green zoom bags) but it will cost 20% of what the plastic stuff costs, it's easy to sew on (yeah) won't look funky....

Agreed. Vivid on background cloth is the way to go. Won't get beat up in the wash as much either.

Our current version for the BDUs is a pretty good option. It's readily available and we don't need to re-invent the wheel. Funny we allow the cloth version on the blue flightsuit (and they look good) but not on the pickle suit.

[PHall]

It can be full color like the Navy (on a green background for the green zoom bags) but it will cost 20% of what the plastic stuff costs, it's easy to sew on (yeah) won't look funky....

Agreed. Vivid on background cloth is the way to go. Won't get beat up in the wash as much either.

Our current version for the BDUs is a pretty good option. It's readily available and we don't need to re-invent the wheel. Funny we allow the cloth version on the blue flightsuit (and they look good) but not on the pickle suit.

That's because the Air Force hasn't approved it yet. Now, did we ever ask them? That's the question.

[lordmonar]

BTW.....Vanguard is not the sole sorce for these insignia.

A quick google search turned up 10 CT posts and this link. http://www.thebattlezone.biz/airforce/officerrankinsignia.html

$26.50 for a pair.

Have fun.

[Spaceman3750]

http://www.thebattlezone.biz/airforce/officerrankinsignia.html

http://www.militarylogisticsmfg.com/index140.html

EDIT: Beat me to it

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Curious that they still have AF CWO4 grade listed but when you click on it, Major's butterballs come up.

I don't think there's been a General Of The Air Force since LeMay, has there?

I fully support ditching the plastic-encased and ultramarine and going to the dark-blue that is allowed for the utility jumpsuit for ALL field wear - flight suits, BDU's (or whatever succeeds them), BBDU's, nametapes, everything.

To my knowledge, the AF has never used those.

[AlphaSigOU]

Curious that they still have AF CWO4 grade listed but when you click on it, Major's butterballs come up.

I don't think there's been a General Of The Air Force since LeMay, has there?

The only five star General of the Air Force was Hap Arnold. LeMay never reached that exalted rank, he was just a mere 4-star general.

[wacapgh]

It can be full color like the Navy (on a green background for the green zoom bags) but it will cost 20% of what the plastic stuff costs, it's easy to sew on (yeah) won't look funky....

Agreed. Vivid on background cloth is the way to go. Won't get beat up in the wash as much either.

Our current version for the BDUs is a pretty good option. It's readily available and we don't need to reinvent the wheel. Funny we allow the cloth version on the blue flightsuit (and they look good) but not on the pickle suit.

That's because the Air Force hasn't approved it yet. Now, did we ever ask them? That's the question.

I think there's a board minute from back around 2004 that we either had asked, or we going to ask for permission.

[PHall]

It can be full color like the Navy (on a green background for the green zoom bags) but it will cost 20% of what the plastic stuff costs, it's easy to sew on (yeah) won't look funky....

Agreed. Vivid on background cloth is the way to go. Won't get beat up in the wash as much either.

Our current version for the BDUs is a pretty good option. It's readily available and we don't need to reinvent the wheel. Funny we allow the cloth version on the blue flightsuit (and they look good) but not on the pickle suit.

That's because the Air Force hasn't approved it yet. Now, did we ever ask them? That's the question.

I think there's a board minute from back around 2004 that we either had asked, or we going to ask for permission.

IIRC it was "we are going to ask" and I've never seen any kind of follow-up on it.

[SoCalMarine]

Here's a question for everyone.... does anyone know why the USAF moved from plastic encased insignia to sew-ons? I'll give you a hint. It has to do with safety.

*Based on what family and friends in the AF have told me anyway.