View Full Version : Wearing of SF insignia before qualification?
Red Finch
05-30-2009, 17:24
The following video is a news segment documenting the Times Square Recruiting Station.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWvBDHmC3j8
At 3:11 minutes a Pvt. Gomez is interviewed and he states, that after 10 months in the Army he has completed: "Basic, AIT which is Advanced Individual Training, where they teach you your job and also Airborne School". And yet he is wearing what I believe is the SF shoulder sleeve insignia on his ACUs. If he were an 18x candidate, as his record may suggest, would he be permitted to wear this before qualifying in the 18 series? I do not mean to catch anyone out, I am simply curious.
Kyobanim
05-30-2009, 18:04
Yes, it's part of his uniform. The patch means he is slated to go to, or is a member of a SF group. It doesn't mean is is SF qualed. That is the Tab that goes above the patch.
mark46th
05-30-2009, 21:10
I made it through basic, AIT, Jump School, Phase I, II & III of SF training between July 11, 1970 and June 1, 1971, making E-5 in the process. I was very lucky, hitting all my training with little or no wait between classes. The big key was, as a commo man, I already knew IMC, so it saved me weeks of training...The day I graduated from SWC with an assignment to the 5th SFG(A) as an 05B4S was the proudest day of my life....
FrankCastle18b
05-30-2009, 22:23
The SWCS patch is what they are supposed to wear until they completely finish and move out to group.
Support personnel wear the patch that he is wearing and are currently assigned to a Special Forces Group. All students Wear the SWCS patch.
The SWCS patch is what they are supposed to wear until they completely finish and move out to group. Support personnel wear the patch that he is wearing and are currently assigned to a Special Forces Group. All students Wear the SWCS patch.
We wore the SF SSI going through SFTG and - upon completion of Phase 1 - the beret w/SF DUI and w/o flash. I can understand the reasoning behind the current wearing of the SWCS SSI when attending SFQC - but we were glad to have avoided the flaming piss-pot (:p) in my day.
Question: Do those 18s already in a Group wear the SWCS SSI when attending another MOS producing course - e.g., an 18B from the 7th returning to go through the D course?
Just curious.
Richard's $.02 :munchin
....Question: Do those 18s already in a Group wear the SWCS SSI when attending another MOS producing course - e.g., an 18B from the 7th returning to go through the D course?...
Assigned vs TDY
Depends on what the orders say. Almost all students going through the basic course are assigned and wear the SWC patch. A very few who are not assigned elect to wear the SWC patch as it raises less questions while in formation.
Just about everything else is some form of TDY and the students wear their unit flash and patch.
Team Sergeant
05-31-2009, 08:31
One very cool idea is to get a Special Forces tattoo "before" you go to the Q-Course and show it off to all your friends and to the SF cadre when you arrive.;)
Team Sergeant
One very cool idea is to get a Special Forces tattoo "before" you go to the Q-Course and show it off to all your friends and to the SF cadre when you arrive.;)
Team Sergeant
You're EVIL !!!! :D :munchin
The Reaper
05-31-2009, 09:47
Pete hit it on the head.
There is nothing wrong with assigned soldiers wearing the SF SSI any more than soldiers in PCS to the 82nd or the 1st ID wearing their respective patches.
If you are TDY for schooling but are assigned to an SF unit, you wear the SF patch (NOT Tab!). En route to an SF unit from OSUT would, I believe, qualify you to wear the SF SSI.
If you are en route to SWCS on a PCS, even if you are going as an SFQC student, you should be wearing the SWCS patch.
A support soldier headed to an SF unit should be wearing the SF SSI.
Do you not understand the difference between the SF SSI and an SF Tab?
TR
In the early 80's, REP 63 students from the Guard/Reserves, (i.g., 11th, 12th, 19th and 20th) wore the unit patch of their home unit upon graduation from Basic Training. All through AIT, Airborne and SFTG it was easy to identify who was AD SWC and who was Guard or Reserve.
"Death before Division"
Red Finch
05-31-2009, 11:34
Do you not understand the difference between the SF SSI and an SF Tab?
TR
I had no doubt that the Tab can only be worn by qualified SF soldiers (18 series MOS), however I had not adequately informed myself about the SSI leading me to make an incorrect evaluation of who the soldier used as example was (I now understand that the SSI worn is dependent on a formation's chain of command).
Therefore if I have read your posts correctly, it is unlikely that Pvt Gomez is an 18x candidate (as he would be on route to SWCS thus mandating the SWCS patch), but rather he would be an airborne qualified support soldier assigned to an SFG (and therefore his formation would fall under SF chain of command).
Ref the question about 18 series guys going back to SWC for an additional MOS: If they are in SWC on a TDY status, they wear the SF SSI. If they are PCS'd there, they wear the SWC SSI. Due to the overall length of the MOS portions nowadays, this rarely happens anyway but is found mostly with guys that return for the med coure, which is almost always a PCS even for guys stationed at Bragg (due to the length of the Course). I recall in days past when the MOS portions were as short as 8 weeks (early 80s), you could send guys back to get additional MOSs all the time, but those days are long gone....unfortunately...and the SF guy with a secondary SF MOS is a rare guy indeed unless he's been to the 18F course.
zfm7th
One very cool idea is to get a Special Forces tattoo "before" you go to the Q-Course and show it off to all your friends and to the SF cadre when you arrive.;)
Team Sergeant
Or while in training group, walk around the barracks posing with / wearing your "Green Beret". Making sure it is fitted properly.
Or while in training group, walk around the barracks posing with / wearing your "Green Beret". Making sure it is fitted properly.
He is this kind of guy right ?
Q: Where did you hear about Special Forces ?
A: TV.
Q: What do you think Special Forces does ?
A: They help people.
Q: What do you offer Special Forces?
A: Pause ------:rolleyes:-------- MYSELF !
arumor_ofwar
06-04-2009, 15:36
One very cool idea is to get a Special Forces tattoo "before" you go to the Q-Course and show it off to all your friends and to the SF cadre when you arrive.;)
Team Sergeant
I wish id known that useful piece of information prior to SERE school...i felt completely left out when my buddies with 75th Batt tattoo's received more one on one time training that i did
arumor ofwar
No exceptions - first post goes into the intro thread.
Also, your profile is a little thin.