Originally Posted by
Timelord
An entirely reasonable view, but my point is this: If the Space Operations specialisation is so different to, say ATC or ABM as to warrant a badge on the left breast, a space TRADITIONALLY reserved for flying badges, then I wish they had designed an entirely new badge. In my view the use of the single wing for a non flying trade devalues those awarded to flyers over the last 102 years.
I wonder if the senior RAF officers in the picture would be smiling so broadly if the Space Ops people had been awarded pilot’s wings with the space ops symbol in the middle?
It’s not for a non-flying trade - Aircrew can qualify for it and wear it, should they wish. Also, non-flying branches and trades have had their own flying badges since 1982:
- Fighter Control “FC” single wing for Air Ops and Non Commissioned Controllers on Shacks and Sentry.
- Airborne Technician “AT” single wing for TG1 engineers on Sentry and Rivet Joint.
- Airborne Imagery Analyst “IA” single wing for TG11 Int Analysts on Sentinel.
- Airborne Specialist “RAF” single wing for the above 3, which are now obsolete, and the Mission Intelligence Coordinators (MICs) of TG11 that operate parts of the MQ9 Reaper, and very recently TG19 AGS who are Cabin Crew on Voyager and BAe 146.
The Space Operators Badge has a silver wing, compared to all RAF Flying Badges have an ecru-colour drab silk wing (or they should have). So side by side, they are different. As for wearing badges on the breast, the space operators were already doing that with the USAF’s version - which horror of horrors has 2 ‘wings’!
As a single wing flying badge wearer I really can’t get too stuffy about this (2 kinds as well!). The Space Ops Badge looks different enough to both of my flying badges that I am entitled to wear, so I really don’t give 2 hoots. In fact, for anyone that qualifies for the Space Ops Badge, all I can say is - well done!
As for wings in space. Here are the US military’s Astronaut badges - it doesn’t seem to worry them!!
