Foreign Military Decorations on the CAP uniform

[Hawk200]

Yes, used to be! They are doing great things now. Just got back about a month ago from seeing their new facilities at Hurlburt.

That's some hardcore stuff. Do any CAP GT stuff, or have you decided to leave the "in the sticks" stuff in the past? (Most old jumpers I know of have some pretty trashed knees.)

[flyboy53]

I worked closely with CC and the PJ's. I was on the original 1st Air Commando Combat Weather Team. We wore a grey beret, and getting that authorized really took a while!

Hope you didn't call him a comptroller!

Naw, just typing too fast on my lunch break!

You guys are pretty hard core. In my Security Forces era, you guys wore a black beret and jumped into target zones to feed the weather telementry back to the base. The ones I met treated me with a great level of respect even though what I did to earn my blue beret was nothing like what you did.

VERY PROUD HISTORY! My wife's uncle did that in WWII, earning a Silver Star and Purple Heart. I think he was in Europe at the time after D-Day. Most people don't realize that the Army Air Forces was doing that stuff.

Wear the wings...and be proud of the others. What an AE lesson those are! What an amazing level of experience you bring to AE!

[AC]

Yes, used to be! They are doing great things now. Just got back about a month ago from seeing their new facilities at Hurlburt.

That's some hardcore stuff. Do any CAP GT stuff, or have you decided to leave the "in the sticks" stuff in the past? (Most old jumpers I know of have some pretty trashed knees.)

Well, I have new titanium knees now, + screws & pins in my feet, and two titanium rods & plates holding my head on, and I can still pass the flight physical, so I say no to most GT operations!

[MSG Mac]

Yes, used to be! They are doing great things now. Just got back about a month ago from seeing their new facilities at Hurlburt.

That's some hardcore stuff. Do any CAP GT stuff, or have you decided to leave the "in the sticks" stuff in the past? (Most old jumpers I know of have some pretty trashed knees.)

Well, I have new titanium knees now, + screws & pins in my feet, and two titanium rods & plates holding my head on, and I can still pass the flight physical, so I say no to most GT operations!

But you can't pass the TSA guy at the airport :i)

[GroundHawg]

You can wear foreign jump wings, pilot/aircrew wings and the other foreign awards on the USAF Uniform. You just have to be in the country that issued the award. I will give you an example. I did my AT at Osan AFB in Korea a few years back. We were told to bring our blues as they have an end of tour US/Korea banquet at the end of the AT. (They serve the Koreans traditional American food and vice versa. The Koreans downed our Cokes like it was their job btw) I had earned the Korean Jump Wings while I was in the Army so I rocked them out for that one day. I couldn't wear my Canadian, German, Thai, etc.. wings.
This should be addressed when and if the uniform manual ever gets revised. I think CAP members should be allowed to wear one foreign in line with the USAF regs, just drop the requirement to be in the country of issue.

And to AC. The USAF Combat Weather Operator that was attached to us my first tour in Afghanistan was the most high speed individual I have ever had the privilege to serve with.  I even looked into the job when I joined the USAF, but I would have had to drive to PA for drill weekends. You have my respect for serving in a often overlooked and thankless job.

[AC]

Thank you. I'm glad you call them wings, not badges! I remember when those badges came out for everybody, it seems, and we thought they were jump wings. The Air Force was giving them out like candy.

[PHall]

Thank you. I'm glad you call them wings, not badges! I remember when those badges came out for everybody, it seems, and we thought they were jump wings. The Air Force was giving them out like candy.

You mean the Occupational Badges? Every AFSC except pilots, navigators and enlisted aircrew has a Occupational Identification Badge.
Nothing special about them, you're not even required to wear yours if you don't want to.

[AlphaSigOU]

Thank you. I'm glad you call them wings, not badges! I remember when those badges came out for everybody, it seems, and we thought they were jump wings. The Air Force was giving them out like candy.

You mean the Occupational Badges? Every AFSC except pilots, navigators and enlisted aircrew has a Occupational Identification Badge.
Nothing special about them, you're not even required to wear yours if you don't want to.

However, AFI 36-2903 'highly encourages' wear of occupational specialty badges. In reality, the squadron first shirt would probably be all over Airman Snuffy's six if he or she wasn't sporting an occupational specialty badge...

[Hawk200]

Thank you. I'm glad you call them wings, not badges! I remember when those badges came out for everybody, it seems, and we thought they were jump wings. The Air Force was giving them out like candy.

You mean the Occupational Badges? Every AFSC except pilots, navigators and enlisted aircrew has a Occupational Identification Badge.
Nothing special about them, you're not even required to wear yours if you don't want to.

However, AFI 36-2903 'highly encourages' wear of occupational specialty badges. In reality, the squadron first shirt would probably be all over Airman Snuffy's six if he or she wasn't sporting an occupational specialty badge...

Not really. I know numerous Air Force personnel that don't wear their badges except on blues, and sometimes not even then. Most of the time, you'll see the newbies out of tech school with them on, and a lot of the permanent party airman on AETC bases wearing them to distinguish themselves from the pipeliners, but other than that, it's not pushed. A First Sergeant has far better things to do than to give an airman grief over an optional uniform insignia.

[lordmonar]

As a retired NCO.....it was not the First Sergeant who was "encouraging" airman to wear their badges.

As an NCO I let my guys know that were supposed to wear their badges (on all uniforms) and their ribbons on their blues.

With the manditory blues Monday....this may have changed....but there are more ways then one to skin the cat.

When I put on MSgt the Command Chief came right out and told us "sew your stripes on your sleeves and go out and buy a mess dress". (this was back when we could still wear the shoulder marks.

There are many unoffical ways to push these sort of agenda items.

I had an NCOIC who was told (in my presence) by the Chief......"you know if you shave off that moustach you probably will win SNCO of the quarter".  Next day the MSgt was clean shaven.....and he won SNCO of the Quarter.

[jimmydeanno]

It's not even just enlisted folks that get 'reminded' to put those things on.  My wife is former 3C071->33S71, and now 17D.  The 17D's get to wear the "cyberspace officer" badge:



Many do not like them, so they were opting not to put them on their ABUs, etc.  Her new commander told them all that they WILL wear them, whether they like it or not. 

[lordmonar]

What's not to like.

Buzz Lightyear is a proud member of star command!   

[flyboy53]

Thank you. I'm glad you call them wings, not badges! I remember when those badges came out for everybody, it seems, and we thought they were jump wings. The Air Force was giving them out like candy.

You mean the Occupational Badges? Every AFSC except pilots, navigators and enlisted aircrew has a Occupational Identification Badge.
Nothing special about them, you're not even required to wear yours if you don't want to.

However, AFI 36-2903 'highly encourages' wear of occupational specialty badges. In reality, the squadron first shirt would probably be all over Airman Snuffy's six if he or she wasn't sporting an occupational specialty badge...

Not really. I know numerous Air Force personnel that don't wear their badges except on blues, and sometimes not even then. Most of the time, you'll see the newbies out of tech school with them on, and a lot of the permanent party airman on AETC bases wearing them to distinguish themselves from the pipeliners, but other than that, it's not pushed. A First Sergeant has far better things to do than to give an airman grief over an optional uniform insignia.

Sorry, but I had just the opposite experience.

When I retrained into Public Affairs from Security Police continued wearing of what was then a "functional qualification badge" was mandated. My division chief then was a former SAC Minuteman Missile Launch Officer, and things like my SP functional badge lended me a different level of professional credibility not only in my duty section, but also in the field...just like his pocket rocket did in a fighter wing.

Years later, when I was attached to SP units, I was still considered one of them, and treated accordingly.

I  proudly continue to wear my original issue ones to this day, despite the change to the new occupational badge.

[Hawk200]

Many do not like them, so they were opting not to put them on their ABUs, etc.  Her new commander told them all that they WILL wear them, whether they like it or not.

I'd be asking when they would be issued. When a pub says "optional", it means optional. It doesn't say "optional, unless the commander decides he/she wants to make it mandatory"(unless it actually does say that). A commander is supposed to be enforcing rules, not deciding which ones they're going to follow. It's "chain of command", not "cafeteria command."

[Tim Medeiros]

Optional, like when your MTI says "now I can't tell you to get the USAF symbol embroidered on your lightweight blue jacket, but I can 'highly suggest' you do it otherwise your going to be the only ones without it at graduation thus looking like idiots" 


I've come to learn, many things are "optional", just some things are more "optional" than others.

[MSG Mac]

Optional, as in "Wing patches are now optional", except you will continue to wear them.

[lordmonar]

Many do not like them, so they were opting not to put them on their ABUs, etc.  Her new commander told them all that they WILL wear them, whether they like it or not.

I'd be asking when they would be issued. When a pub says "optional", it means optional. It doesn't say "optional, unless the commander decides he/she wants to make it mandatory"(unless it actually does say that). A commander is supposed to be enforcing rules, not deciding which ones they're going to follow. It's "chain of command", not "cafeteria command."

Well....that's the difference between CAP and the USAF.

When the chief says "do it" you do it.  Sure you could stand your ground and be a non conformist....as my TI said to me "it will reflect".

[jimmydeanno]

And when they give you a uniform allowance it doesn't need to be issued.

[Tim Medeiros]

The way uniform allowance was explained to me was to ensure proper maintenance of uniforms via replacement of unserviceable items.  My uniforms were issued yes, but the money for them was taken from my initial clothing allowance, so in a sense I still paid for them.

Someone with more knowledge please feel free to set me straight on this if I am wrong.

[lordmonar]

The way uniform allowance was explained to me was to ensure proper maintenance of uniforms via replacement of unserviceable items.  My uniforms were issued yes, but the money for them was taken from my initial clothing allowance, so in a sense I still paid for them.

Someone with more knowledge please feel free to set me straight on this if I am wrong.

Nope....100% right.  They gave you your initial clothing allowance at basic and you signed it away the same day.

If for some reason you got shorted an item at BMTS they actually gave you that money in your end of training pay check.

Having said that.....if you can't afford the $2 for a sew on patch and the $5 for your blues badge...then you need to go see the finance counselor ASAP.

Now....officers don't get a clothing allowance they have to just suck it up. 

But they also have the unwritten rule of not wearing ribbons on their servcie uniforms.