Air Force Global Strike Command activated

[Eclipse]

Not all that CAP related, but interesting nonetheless. I was more interested in the new herald, and the fact that someone actually took the time with the shaping and kerning of the text in the scroll.



Air Force Global Strike Command activated
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123162363

"...8/7/2009 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials stood up a new major command to oversee all of its nuclear forces in an activation ceremony Aug. 7 at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

Air Force Global Strike Command will provide combat ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global strike operations in support of combatant commanders..."

Could this be considered a descendant of SAC?

[MIKE]

At the ceremony (That I watched live.) they took the streamers off the cased SAC colors and put them on the AFGSC colors.

[Strick]

It would have been neat if they used the old SAC emblem.  Last I read, the old SAC emblem was hijacked by the Provisional AF cyber command wich is now under AFSC.  After reading many articles about AFGSC, I wonder if it is safe to say if "SAC IS BACK" .

[BuckeyeDEJ]

The type in the scroll isn't kerned. It's angled to follow the contour at the point, and follows a baseline around the upper bouts. This isn't abnormal for MAJCOM emblems... well, except for CAP's.

[Eclipse]

The type in the scroll isn't kerned. It's angled to follow the contour at the point, and follows a baseline around the upper bouts. This isn't abnormal for MAJCOM emblems... well, except for CAP's.

Yes, it is.  In fact all type is on some level.

Kerning is spacing, proper kerning results in proportional spacing between the letters.  There are any number of military insignia, both historic and current where the kerning is not done properly.

Following the uppers is generally not an issue, what causes the most problem is what to do with the
letters that run through the lower center point.  Many insignias just ignore it, or don't get it right, this one does, and the finished product looks all the better for it.

Obviously this has no bearing on mission, but since the insignia will be on most of the aircraft, uniforms, letterhead, and signage, those that notice wind up with cringe factor their whole careers when its not right.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

Technically, you could say it is, Eclipse, but the letterspacing isn't as big a deal here as how it conforms to the space it's in (especially when you're trying to fit five words in). Specific kerning doesn't make an em's worth of difference here, because the glyphs are narrow and generally square to begin with, and because there's only one instance in the AFGSC emblem where a letter pair ("FO") might need attention.

The big problems are how to wrap type around the bouts and still get it right in the point — the most expedient way to do that in Illustrator is split the type path into three parts. The two bouts will wrap based on the baseline, but the middle part almost needs to be manipulated letter-by-letter. Then, the trick is matching the visual height and width of the other letters.

Dollar to a donut, AFHRA did this through the Institute of Heraldry.

Not that I want to turn this into an Illustrator clinic or a lecture on manually manipulating individual letters. Seems this discussion would be better centered on AFGSC's mission, especially in the wake of the nuclear blunders under the previous (now-departed) leadership, and maybe, how CAP can provide support.

Back to Strick's comment: When the new AFGSC commander draws direct references and makes parallels to SAC, well, your hunch might be right. SAC is back, just under a different name and a slightly different mission.

[JohnKachenmeister]

Neat patch, too.

A blending of the Hap Arnold Air Forces insignia; the globe from the 20th Air Force's patch; and the lightning bolts, unleashed from the mailed fist, of the Strategic Air Command.

[RiverAux]

lightening bolts make me think more of electronics and communications...

[ol'fido]

Hey, some guy called the Air Force from Taiwan and wanted to know what to do with the NUCLEAR TRIGGERS they got instead of the coffee makers.

[Mustang]

Technically, you could say it is, Eclipse, but the letterspacing isn't as big a deal here as how it conforms to the space it's in (especially when you're trying to fit five words in). Specific kerning doesn't make an em's worth of difference here, because the glyphs are narrow and generally square to begin with, and because there's only one instance in the AFGSC emblem where a letter pair ("FO") might need attention.

The big problems are how to wrap type around the bouts and still get it right in the point — the most expedient way to do that in Illustrator is split the type path into three parts. The two bouts will wrap based on the baseline, but the middle part almost needs to be manipulated letter-by-letter. Then, the trick is matching the visual height and width of the other letters.

Exactly as I did with my CAP command shield graphic--'cept each and every letter was individually manipulated.


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[BuckeyeDEJ]

That's a good job, Mustang. Instead of Friz Quadrata, can you render the letters in Cheltenham or a good Century face for poops and giggles? I'd like to see that.

[DC]

lightening bolts make me think more of electronics and communications...

Yeah, with the way they are on there I see what you mean. Still, it's not without precedent, lightning bolts were a big part of the SAC shield.

I wish they'd stolen that back from the Cyber Command while they're still on the ground. It would be much better suited to GSC than cyber-anything.

[Mustang]

As requested, here it is using Century Schoolbook Bold, with the type reworked.



[attachment deleted by admin]

[Eclipse]

Nice!

[BuckeyeDEJ]

That matches AF MAJCOM scrolls much better. Note this: Because of the converging angles, the I and R look like they're leaning into each other. They're not, but it's the optical illusion.

Someone please alert NHQ/PA — we have your MAJCOM emblem right here.

(Do you have that in a vector image?)

[Mustang]

Affirmative, it was created in Illustrator.

A few more type tweaks:

[attachment deleted by admin]

[MIKE]

Umm... topic?

[Mustang]

Umm... topic?

Thread squawking 7500....

[lordmonar]

lightening bolts make me think more of electronics and communications...

Think of Zues and Thor.  The hand of god striking at the enimies of peace!

[Eclipse]

Umm... topic?

Actually its not far off, since in the original thread I mention I was as interested in the insignia as the new MAJCOM.