So excited I can't wait....
 

...for my 3 new 15cm by 3cm patches emblazoned with "Royal Air Force" that I can sew to my CS95 (not the outer jacket mind you) and that will help those who recognise neither my beret badge nor my distinctive rank to realise that I am in the Royal Air Force!!!!!!!!:D

It is great to know that we can still find money for these types of initiative during a time of cutbacks! Makes me proud to serve! And I hope the chap who thought up this gets one of the new £1000 chairs as a reward!!!!:D :D :D :D :D

Shameless copying of our new velcro backed ROYAL NAVY embroidered badges......

The Royal Marines have had shoulder flashes for years, presumably so people didn't mistake them for pongos....

Full Command?
 

Meanwhile, those RAF personnel in the JHC are already wearing JHC formation badges - which take precedence, as you're only allowed to wear one badge plus your UJs? Should I advertise my 'full command' or embrace jointery? Either way, I'll probably p1$$ someone off!

Apparently these ones go over the right breast - isn't that chest in these PC days?

.....maybe it's for ease of identification during Op Fresco 2??...

Chaps - I am on the very outer edges of the Empire here - the mail ship is slow and the telegraph is playing up. Any good links for this sort of guff?
Heard stories (again) about aircrew getting lovely little wingy things to put on shirts too. Save all that awful summer sweating at Brize I guess. Please add to rumours with anything wilder than current truth (if possible).

Ta.

May I ask, whatever happened to looking at rank tabs?

Great, more rubbish to stitch on....:}

I thought it was only the RAF Regiment and Plod who wore little labels so that other people could lead them back to where they worked after they'd forgotten after lunch?

Ah - but the Rocks know effing well that it's only a joke. Some of the RAF's finest, they are. Honest - and some of the most humorous if GDT/ODT/CCS at the covert WestOxonian aerodrome was anything to judge by.

Save LOADS of cash!!!
 

Hey, here's an idea - let's save on employing tailors by making every badge metal with a pin on it and, when presented, the RAF can hammer the things into your chest - who said we don't learn from other nations.......!!!!! Anyone for a GEMS????

Oh those RAF Regiment chappies are so tough! Glad I never faced one down in Lincoln........Oh! Too late!:E
Saved my Plastic Surgeon a Fortune though!

Maybe they should issue a badge to go on yer hat....hmm that'd never catch on would it?

Or how about a different coloured uniform. One understands that there is a load of cloth left redundant from the Tsar's proposed palace guard? No?

Well, maybe a neat eagle badge on each shoulder? Nah, too stupid.

Let's go for something that 90+% of the world can't read/understand. Perfect.

Under the new non-swearing edict, one can only remark "Caber Throwers".

In the good old days we had to buy our "regulation" black plastic name tabs in Changi Village, which seemed a good idea at the time because it was easy to forgot who we were!

Great I'll be able to put one on the new RAF rucksack they are going to provide!!! What about something useful like a long coat to keep my legs dry during the Summer?:{

Excellent point, given our new-found expeditionary role!

Of course not forgetting the rank slides with Royal Air Farce written on them. Apparently the powers that be conducted a survey and found that the RAF were not recognised by many people as the uniforms looked too much like those of the RAC and ambulance service. At last I will be able to remember who I am supposed to be working for .... that has been bugging me for years!:uhoh:

And I so hope that everyone is getting excited by the new RAF DZ patch that will be worn on the right arm, along with your first aid, knot tying and helping-old-ladies-across-the-road badges. Of course these are only supposed to be velcroed on as you get rid of them once you have jumped and correctly formed up to preven the enemy knowing which unit is which. However, I'm sure velcro is not condusive to good order and discipline. But the burning question on my mind is, if they give me a DZ flash, are they expecting me to jump out of a plane???????

Is there something I have missed whilst I was on leave????:\

That said, if the powers that be's intention was to make a more united air farce, then it's worked, but not in the way they expected. I saw the original letter, signed off by someone known only as 'Sir' and all the replies and forwarded messages were united in their condemnation of this stupid idea.

And part of the previous post reminds me.....

Once when I was involved with Int & Sy for the RAF in Norn Iron, I had an apopleptic 'phone call from the 1* COS at Lisburn saying (shouting) with disbelief that an airman in uniform had been seen in a Shoopping Centre near Lisburn (unsurprisingly, uniform in puiblic the ultimnate no no).

Fortunately, the brig goes on, covert units were nearby and were able to "snatch" said airman and rush him to safety. Best I similarly rush to Lisburn to deal with him.

What me.... deal with an initially very frightened and subsequently extremely hacked off RAC man........:ok:

I was once involved in a recruitment drive at a large school with a fellow Flt Lt. We were approached by an elderly lady who chatted to us about this and that for a few minutes then she patted my colleague on the arm and said, "Well I must be off dear, I hope you don't get too many casualties today"

teeteringhead

That made my day - what was the response of the Brigadier?

Look on the bright side ?
 

At least this is the first iteration for you guys. Our lot started with RAAF, realised that it was far too unambiguous so they've now changed it to Air Force........Apparently our New Zealand / Canadian / British accents and our rediculously large hats will let any onlooker realise the Royal Australian bit! :confused:

As the Office Commander at RAFCIO Ilford in the late 70s I, and my team, were constantly being mistook for RAF and London Ambulance Service. So what's new?

Trenchard had it right when he put the eagles on the shoulders. And perhaps that's what ought to be brought back. A fine tradition uselessly scrapped by the PC/Fashion Idiots of the day.

Travelling back to Swinderby from the folks' place near London in No1 uniform one Sunday evening several years back - two old dears were most upset that I could not tell them the time of the next train.

"I don't know where London Transport get their staff these days!" :*

Waiting to meet someone at Oxford station years ago in that awful 'Thunderbird' jacket of the time, I was approached by someone who insisted on knowing when the next train for London left.

"Sorry, no idea. I gave up train spotting at the age of 6 when Beeching killed off our local branch line", quoth I.

Endless opportunity...
 

The possibilities are endless - maybe a new stable belt for each branch, some nice red collar flashes for staff officers, tartan squadron trousers - there must be enough there to get me promoted!

It is so nice that they get rid of RAF on your dog tags in line with the big six then put it on your arm instead. Just like the force...one step forwards...a million back.

:suspect: :suspect: :suspect:
I am so intrigued are there any images of said offending articles. Cheers in advance.


ALWAYS assume NEVER check

Even with badges some people would be too stupid to know who we were. Was walking in from a sortie on a Flag exercise when F15E driver asks "where are you guys from". The Royal Air Force I reply (standing in front of grey jet with roundels, wearing green bag with brevet, name, sqn patches etc). "Which Royal Air Force is that?" asks he....doh!

Hmmmm, exmil, are you suggesting that our colonial cousins have problems with their recognition skills? I can't believe it!

I didn't pay this thread any attention but I've just read about it in SROs! The badge IS TO be worn by all personnel on CS95. So let's get this straight: as well as some complete :mad: about to disband half of my airforce tomorrow lunchtime they're also making me wear a great big nugget badge that will just give the Army and RN a golden opportunity to rip the pi$$ out of me, for ever. Last time I checked there were several other badges on my uniform that show which service I belonged to, and if someone is too ignorant to recognise them they are too ignorant for me to care about.

If the AFBLT monitor this site (and God knows, they should) then for pete's sake: leave us alone. Morale isn't exactly sky-high at the moment, in case you hadn't noticed.

Must be so we have them all stitched on for Fresco 2!:mad:

Sadly found out about our brave new badges courtesy of orders. Straw polled my staff and not one had a good word to say about the idea. None of us have an identity crisis. None of us saw it coming and none of us can see how spending all the thousands it will take to supply as being anything but crass - the day before our defence re-alignments !!

I have formally registered my discontent with the grown ups at PTC and asked for the RAF Dress Ctte to share with me the rationale behind the decision in order that I can properly justify their decision to my intelligent but now bemused staff.

For the sake of recognition avoidance I will not state how but I can assure fellow ppruners I am probably in the best position to advise if identity is or has been a problem. In sum there is no problem, that I am aware of and this thoroughly unnecessary expenditure and tinkering will serve to irritate more than motivate.

If I get mine in the near future I'm putting my greens into the tailors to get them stitched on! And, if everybody else does the same, I won't be seeing either greens or offending badges for some time!!!:D

Wandering (moving smartly and with purpose) around a town near a base full of single-engined death traps in Cambs , I was berated for not doing more to catch shoplifters. So gob-smacked was I that I couldn't even point out the old dear's error!

Why should we have these things on our uniforms? The pongos don't have their regiment name on theirs, you either have to recognise it or plead ignorance and ask, and they've got more colours of beret than Frank Spencer. Besides, they'd never get 'First Batallion the Mercian Regiment (The Staffordshire Regiment)' on a badge 15x3cm.

Since when did wearing the right badges, as opposed to (m)any badges, get enforced? I'll do my best to avoid wearing the badge as described just so some Yankee doesn't think 'Royal Air Force' is my name!

Remember, the Duke of Wellington said 'uniformity is a sign of mediocrity'.

First time I've heard of this. What an utter load of b0!!0x :mad:

I really despair at some (nae, most) of those idiots in HQ's that come up with $#!t like this! They really are out of touch with reality. About time some of these chimps came back to the coal face for a few months to remind them what the real RAF is like and how low morale is.

"Let's introduce stringent cuts (sorry, restructuring) whilst spending money on a complete farce like this, that will get me promoted and knighted!" To$$ers! Maybe they should save the money to help compensate house owners that are posted when their base closes and local house prices tumble!

I am really sick of this Mickey Mouse outfit, counting the days to IPP!!!

Mad Mark!!! :mad:

At the risk of fuelling the debate rather than just letting it stale out perhaps a little balance is called for.

First a disclaimer - it wasn't my idea, I have never had anything to do with the Dress Regs Committee.

But I have had lots to do with promoting the good name of the RAF in the public eye and one of the constant bugbears has been getting them to realise that not everybody in combat kit is a soldier. The evidence is compelling: Foot & Mouth was clearly only dealt with by the Army; During FRESCO we went to extra lengths to paint Royal Air Force on the Green Goddess so that we could take our share of the public's grateful pride in their Armed Forces. This initiative isn't about being recognised by Rupert from the Wegiment or by Abdullah or, heaven forbid, by some baccy chewing red-neck Spam. Its all about promoting an image of a Service and reminding the folk out there that not only the Army are involved in operations and assistance to the community.

I too have been mistaken for an RAC man - an illusion instantly dispelled when my own car failed to start having been turned off during a refuelling stop at a Service area on the way back from a meeting with ........... you guessed - the Army. (nice chaps but I wouldn't want to breed from them) :E

Of course if you'd done the sensible thing and joined the Navy you wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place.

Ducks to avoid incoming....

Of course Id much rather have to wear a badge, than join the navy and have to indulge in up hill gardening:ooh: