Warrant Officer's uniform

[Major Carrales]

OK, tell us about these.  I know there were such things a while back, but how far back.  And how did one warrant  being a CAP warrant officer?

[SarDragon]

Well, the blue one is late 60s - early 80s, because of the metal breast badge. The "Coca-Cola" patch on the tan uniform went away 12/66, and the metal badge went away in7/81.

The tan shirt is either 505s or 1505s, pre-1967. I couldn't ever remember the difference. The rounded collar points and the lack of epaulets distinguished then from the Shade 1s from before that. The nametag looks non-reg. It appears to be blue and missing the CAP crest.

There were warrant officers WIWAC, but don't know the promotion process.

[Major Carrales]

Well, the blue one is late 60s - early 80s, because of the metal breast badge. The "Coca-Cola" patch on the tan uniform went away 12/66, and the metal badge went away in7/81.

The tan shirt is either 505s or 1505s, pre-1967. I couldn't ever remember the difference. The rounded collar points and the lack of epaulets distinguished then from the Shade 1s from before that. The nametag looks non-reg. It appears to be blue and missing the CAP crest.

There were warrant officers WIWAC, but don't know the promotion process.

I've also seen a lozenge shaped WO rank.  When is that from?

[SarDragon]

Are you speaking of a true lozenge (Cadet Major insignia), or the shape of, say, the reply button below?

The former was, TTBOMK, never used as a CAP WO rank insignia. The latter was used, in various color schemes, from 1942 until 1956.

[Major Carrales]

Are you speaking of a true lozenge (Cadet Major insignia), or the shape of, say, the reply button below?

The former was, TTBOMK, never used as a CAP WO rank insignia. The latter was used, in various color schemes, from 1942 until 1956.

I used the term "lozenge" for lack of a better word.  Yes, the shape of the reply button.  I have seen photos of CAP officers wearing them although they may have been doing so apocryphally.  Also, some items on "e-bay" have passed these off as CAP rank...however, we know how accurate those can actually be.

The devices of which I speak are among these items...

[Camas]

The tan shirt is either 505s or 1505s, pre-1967. I couldn't ever remember the difference.

The 505's were 100% cotton and were phased out by the Air Force during the mid-60's while the 1505's came out around 1962 and were a cotton/polyester blend.  The Air Force phased those out around 1978.

[AlphaSigOU]

Back in the days WIWAC, WOs performed the same function as flight officers - not old enough to get 2d Lt, but a transition from cadink to donut-eatin' s'member. When the AF's last warrant officer retired in 1980 (I think), shortly afterward is when the CAP WO grade was retired for flight officer.

[DeputyDog]

...the AF's last warrant officer retired in 1980 (I think)...

The last active duty warrant officer in the Air Force retired in 1980, while the last Air Force Reserve warrant officer retired in 1992.

[jimmydeanno]

Well, the blue one is late 60s - early 80s, because of the metal breast badge. The "Coca-Cola" patch on the tan uniform went away 12/66, and the metal badge went away in7/81.

The tan shirt is either 505s or 1505s, pre-1967. I couldn't ever remember the difference. The rounded collar points and the lack of epaulets distinguished then from the Shade 1s from before that. The nametag looks non-reg. It appears to be blue and missing the CAP crest.

There were warrant officers WIWAC, but don't know the promotion process.

I've also seen a lozenge shaped WO rank.  When is that from?

There used to be Cadet Warrant Officers prior to there being Cadet Flight Officers.  It was a gold pip that looked like the C/2d Lt insignia of today only gold.  I don't know of dates though.

[JohnKachenmeister]

There were CAP warrant officers in the 60's and 70's, mostly former Mitchell cadets who transitioned to SM officer.

The shirt and the jacket are non-contemoraneous.  The shirt is, IIRC, shade 1505.  The 1505 was the one without epaulet and with rounded collars, and was a great uniform.  It always looked good, was hard to wrinkle, and could be washed by a Third-World Hooch Mama by pounding it on a rock in a dung-infested river and would still look professionally cleaned and pressed!

The nametag is not regulation.  The proper name tag in that era would have been black, with an enamel CAP crest .  The droop wings are correct for the period, however.

The jacket bears the metal breast badge that came out in 1967, I think.  Maybe 1966, but with wear mandatory by 1967.  The metal breast badge replaced the Pepsi-Cola patch.

[JohnKachenmeister]

Hey... wait a minute...

The CAP cutouts on the shirt are wrong.

When the Pepsi-Cola patch was worn, the CAP cutouts had periods between the letters... C.A.P.

The non-period CAP cutouts came out on the same order as the metal breast badges. 

Prior to 1967, cadets wore different cutouts from officers...  "C.A.P.C."

In 1967, only one set of cutouts were authorized for both cadets and SM's, the CAP without periods.

[SarDragon]

The WO insignia on the cards seems to be legitimate. It's hard to tell the color on the RH set; maybe it's just a darker brown than the other set. They are CWO insignia, worn from 1942 to 1956.

The SM warrant officers I had contact with WIWAC ('64 - '69) were certainly older than 21. One guy in my squadron was olde enough to be my father.

Cadet WO came about in 1968. I was one. It was changed to C/FO sometime between 1985 and 1987, and was discontinued some time after 1997.

[PA Guy]

I turned SM in 1966 and since I was under 21 and had my COP/Mitchell I became a WO until I was 21.

[PA Guy]

There were CAP warrant officers in the 60's and 70's, mostly former Mitchell cadets who transitioned to SM officer.

The shirt and the jacket are non-contemoraneous.  The shirt is, IIRC, shade 1505.  The 1505 was the one without epaulet and with rounded collars, and was a great uniform.  It always looked good, was hard to wrinkle, and could be washed by a Third-World Hooch Mama by pounding it on a rock in a dung-infested river and would still look professionally cleaned and pressed!

The nametag is not regulation.  The proper name tag in that era would have been black, with an enamel CAP crest .  The droop wings are correct for the period, however.

The jacket bears the metal breast badge that came out in 1967, I think.  Maybe 1966, but with wear mandatory by 1967.  The metal breast badge replaced the Pepsi-Cola patch.

The 505 and 1505 were identical in cut and style.  The only difference between them was the material and a slight color difference.  The color difference was so slight you wouldn't notice it unless they were side by side.  When 1505s first came out there was a problem in CAP with people mixing 505/1505 parts.

[JohnKachenmeister]

I turned SM in 1966 and since I was under 21 and had my COP/Mitchell I became a WO until I was 21.

I came back into CAP in 1970 after I came home from Vietnam. I can't remember why I was not eligible for 2LT rank, but I was over 21.  They made me a WO.  I had to quit CAP when I got a real job as a cop, back when we changed shifts every month.  As a rookie cop back then I didn't have time for either sleep OR a social life, so it was a pretty good bet that I didn't have time for CAP.

[JCJ]

Well, the blue one is late 60s - early 80s, because of the metal breast badge. The "Coca-Cola" patch on the tan uniform went away 12/66, and the metal badge went away in7/81.

The tan shirt is either 505s or 1505s, pre-1967. I couldn't ever remember the difference. The rounded collar points and the lack of epaulets distinguished then from the Shade 1s from before that. The nametag looks non-reg. It appears to be blue and missing the CAP crest.

There were warrant officers WIWAC, but don't know the promotion process.

I've also seen a lozenge shaped WO rank.  When is that from?

There used to be Cadet Warrant Officers prior to there being Cadet Flight Officers.  It was a gold pip that looked like the C/2d Lt insignia of today only gold.  I don't know of dates though.

I was one about 1975

[JCJ]

There were CAP warrant officers in the 60's and 70's, mostly former Mitchell cadets who transitioned to SM officer.

The shirt and the jacket are non-contemoraneous.  The shirt is, IIRC, shade 1505.  The 1505 was the one without epaulet and with rounded collars, and was a great uniform.  It always looked good, was hard to wrinkle, and could be washed by a Third-World Hooch Mama by pounding it on a rock in a dung-infested river and would still look professionally cleaned and pressed!

The nametag is not regulation.  The proper name tag in that era would have been black, with an enamel CAP crest .  The droop wings are correct for the period, however.

The jacket bears the metal breast badge that came out in 1967, I think.  Maybe 1966, but with wear mandatory by 1967.  The metal breast badge replaced the Pepsi-Cola patch.

The 505 and 1505 were identical in cut and style.  The only difference between them was the material and a slight color difference.  The color difference was so slight you wouldn't notice it unless they were side by side.  When 1505s first came out there was a problem in CAP with people mixing 505/1505 parts.

The shirt to me looks like 505 (not 1505) - but may be the photo lighting/quality

[ZigZag911]

Most SMs served as WO or CWO (sometimes promoting to CWO) before becoming 2 Lt.

I believe the CAP Officer Course (ECI/AFIADL) was required at that time (early 70s)
for commissioned rank via duty performance promotion.

At that same time a program was introduced for 'cadet transition' to SM status: Mitchell/Earhart became WO under 21, 2Lt/1Lt respectively at 21; for Spaatz it was CWO under 21, Capt at 21....much like current FO program....but there were 'over 21' seniors serving as WO or CWO simultaneously

I spent not quite 2 years as a 'cadet transitioning' WO with an Earhart, then when I turned 21 the paperwork got messed up and I only received 2 Lt....since I was heading off to grad school, I was happy enough just to get that!