The little controversial 1st Sgt Diamond...

[Майор Хаткевич]

That's because the max stripes was 6, all going down.

Once we switched to the Chief system, they started making chevrons WITH the diamond built in between the upper and lower stripes.

I started wearing the small diamond on it's own as a C/SSgt. Had a short period as a C/MSgt-SMSgt. Switched units, and ended up wearing it as a C/CMSgt until being First Sergeant at Encampment and promoting to C/2d Lt at the end of it. This was...April 2006, and already the diamond was being questioned/debated. I personally felt that, at least in a unit environment it had little use. The cadets should know who the 1st Sgt is, and new people would have better luck looking at my nameplate rather than looking for a speck on my chevrons.

[Skydude61]

I wear a lozenge withthe C/TSgt rank, but there are ones built in once you get to Master sgt

[Eclipse]

I wear a lozenge withthe C/TSgt rank, but there are ones built in once you get to Master sgt

Don't you have to be at least a Master Sergeant to be eligible to be a First Sergeant and wear the diamond?

[Bluelakes 13]

CAPP 52-15 states that the typical grades is C/MSgt-C/CMSgt, but not a requirement.

[Skydude61]

I wear a lozenge withthe C/TSgt rank, but there are ones built in once you get to Master sgt

Don't you have to be at least a Master Sergeant to be eligible to be a First Sergeant and wear the diamond?

It isn't a requirement, and I got the position as a Sr airman due to our squadron's lack of any cadets that were actually sergeants, and i have been promoted thrice since then.

[the_T]

IMO I only think the diamond should be worn when you have an abundance of senior NCOs. For example, encampment is a perfect place for the diamond, it makes it easier for basics to tell the difference between the first sergeant and flight sergeants. Despite the fact that its tiny little diamond from far away you can still see that there is something there and identify the first sergeant. On a squadron level, unless you have one of those super squadrons with 50+ cadets, all showing up at a meeting on the same night, I don't see a need for it. I've been to squadron where there's one officer, a C/SMSgt (with the diamond), and the rest are all under C/SSgt. In this environment and diamond is pointless and at that point is where it transitions from being an effective means of identifying someone to unnecessary bling, but that's just what I think.

[Zen Master Charlie]

I really don't think the diamond has a use it CAP

In the AF, one of my units had (give or take) 650 people in it at any given time. Now, that's a lot of e-7's and above, that all COULD be the first shirt. Easy way for a new person to tell who the shirt was? Just look for the diamond.

In cap, squadrons are not even near that size, and your first shirt probably wont stay the first shirt for a long period of time. It makes more sense to me for everyone to been in the same set of chevrons and be done with it.

IMHO of course.

Granted there are no squadrons that large, some units are big. Mine fluctuates between 80 and 100 throughout the year, and for the greenies, it does help them to know who the first shirt is. The largest unit in the nation is in Texas, I had the pleasure of meeting some of their fine cadets at NCC last week. They run about 250 cadets I believe (chartered through a middle school)

[Zen Master Charlie]

'back in the day' the diamond was a completely separate device that was pinned above the chevrons, and you'd see cadets as low as C/Buck Sergeant wearing it.  The diamond in that form has been de-autho for quite some time.

Haha, I still have a pair of those vintage things

[Grumpy]

'back in the day' the diamond was a completely separate device that was pinned above the chevrons, and you'd see cadets as low as C/Buck Sergeant wearing it.  The diamond in that form has been de-autho for quite some time.

Haha, I still have a pair of those vintage things

Back in the day, we sewed our stripes on our sleeves.  First Sergeant had three horizontal stripes on top and three of the "V" shaped stripes going down with a diamond in the middle.

[davidsinn]

I really don't think the diamond has a use it CAP

In the AF, one of my units had (give or take) 650 people in it at any given time. Now, that's a lot of e-7's and above, that all COULD be the first shirt. Easy way for a new person to tell who the shirt was? Just look for the diamond.

In cap, squadrons are not even near that size, and your first shirt probably wont stay the first shirt for a long period of time. It makes more sense to me for everyone to been in the same set of chevrons and be done with it.

IMHO of course.

Granted there are no squadrons that large, some units are big. Mine fluctuates between 80 and 100 throughout the year, and for the greenies, it does help them to know who the first shirt is. The largest unit in the nation is in Texas, I had the pleasure of meeting some of their fine cadets at NCC last week. They run about 250 cadets I believe (chartered through a middle school)

The largest unit in the nation is in Indiana and has over 400 cadets with a maximum of 616 possible. That's more than twice as large as my group.

[a2capt]

Is 616 a hard number? Reach that and you must divest? Thats got to be one heck of a handful that I just can't see working without dedicated leadership.

[davidsinn]

Is 616 a hard number? Reach that and you must divest? Thats got to be one heck of a handful that I just can't see working without dedicated leadership.

It's a charter school. They are only allowed to enroll 88 per grade.

[a2capt]

Ahh... school unit. Got it. Makes sense now. If it's ever larger, then you know what you smell is a rat..

[Zen Master Charlie]

'back in the day' the diamond was a completely separate device that was pinned above the chevrons, and you'd see cadets as low as C/Buck Sergeant wearing it.  The diamond in that form has been de-autho for quite some time.

Haha, I still have a pair of those vintage things

Back in the day, we sewed our stripes on our sleeves.  First Sergeant had three horizontal stripes on top and three of the "V" shaped stripes going down with a diamond in the middle.

I found some stripes similar to that at a surpluss store last year, I couldnt help but pick them up  I collect the old things from Cap devices to stripes to gold dots and diamonds. btw, I know what the gold dot was for, but no one has ever been able to tell me what a gold diamond was... anyone know?

[Zen Master Charlie]

I really don't think the diamond has a use it CAP

In the AF, one of my units had (give or take) 650 people in it at any given time. Now, that's a lot of e-7's and above, that all COULD be the first shirt. Easy way for a new person to tell who the shirt was? Just look for the diamond.

In cap, squadrons are not even near that size, and your first shirt probably wont stay the first shirt for a long period of time. It makes more sense to me for everyone to been in the same set of chevrons and be done with it.

IMHO of course.

Granted there are no squadrons that large, some units are big. Mine fluctuates between 80 and 100 throughout the year, and for the greenies, it does help them to know who the first shirt is. The largest unit in the nation is in Texas, I had the pleasure of meeting some of their fine cadets at NCC last week. They run about 250 cadets I believe (chartered through a middle school)

The largest unit in the nation is in Indiana and has over 400 cadets with a maximum of 616 possible. That's more than twice as large as my group.

Huh, interesting, didnt know that.