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Traditions when leaving a squadron


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My Dad recently told me that it was tradition to to turn you squadron patch upside down the week you leave for a PCS, PCA, etc. He never could tell me where or why this got started just that it was "What was done". (Much like party suits) I have seen it done in a couple of places, but was wondering if anyone knew where this tradition got started and what the significance of it is? Maybe some of the old-heads on here can help me out so I can justify bringing it back. Anyone else out there do this the last week?

Edit: Spell'in

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My Dad recently told me that it was tradition to to turn you squadron patch upside down the week you leave for a PCS, PCA, etc. He never could tell me where or why this got started just that it was "What was done". (Much like party suits) I have seen it done in a couple of places, but was wondering if anyone knew where this tradition got started and what the significance of it is? Maybe some of the old-heads on here can help me out so I can justify bringing it back. Anyone else out there do this the last week?

Edit: Spell'in

People did it with their flight patches when they were done with T-6s or T-1s/ T-38s in UPT.

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I have not seen the tradition in active squadrons, but we did something similar at XL. Once you finished your last ride in T6s, you turned your Flight patch upside down and when you finished your last flight in pilot training, you flipped your class patch.

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The only patches I've seen flipped were guys who have died. Everybody else just leaves a patch behind.

More specifically, I believe he's referring to nametags, not squadron patches.

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3rd ... upside down nametag is bad karma if you're still alive.

+1

In the squadrons I've been in, you add your nametag to the collection of nametags in the squadron (at the bar) when you leave/PCS.

Guys who have morted have their nametags inverted.

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+1

In the squadrons I've been in, you add your nametag to the collection of nametags in the squadron (at the bar) when you leave/PCS.

Guys who have morted have their nametags inverted.

+2 (or is it 5?)

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