June 11, 200817 yr Officials bring back missile badges, wings I don't know much about the badges of other AFSCs, but is this the badge that the spwings replaced or were there two different pocket rockets once upon a time? Does this mean the spwings are dead, are is space now a separate entity from missiles?
June 11, 200817 yr Officials bring back missile badges, wings I don't know much about the badges of other AFSCs, but is this the badge that the spwings replaced or were there two different pocket rockets once upon a time? Does this mean the spwings are dead, are is space now a separate entity from missiles? The latest I've heard is that we'll continue wearing the spings as well as the pocket rocket. The rocket denotes a missile tour and the spings denote a "space professional"...whatever that means.
June 11, 200817 yr Once upon a time, before even dinosaurs, there was the missile badge, i.e., 'pocket rocket' without the laurels along the sides. If you worked in the business, ops, maintenance, scientist, et al, you qualified for the badge. Even B-52 crews who carried Hound Dog, and later ALCMs, qualified for the badge (I thought it was douche-y to do so, but I digress). Then in an effort to boost morale and the 'operationalness' of missiles, crew dogs gained the badge with the ops identifier - the laurel wreaths running vertically along both sides of the original pocket rocket. Non-ops missile folks kept the old badge. Space guys had their 'Star Trek Next Generation" badges. After combining the two, there was angst about the differentiation since they were all one happy family - not, but again, I digress. Gen Lance Lord (ret) pushed the spwings through to give that fashion statement to the space and missile force. Despite the fact that heritage and morale would suffer at those forced to give up their pocket rockets. Scoff if you will, but once one escaped that duty, it was a point of pride to wear the missile badge. Kind of like prison cred in the 'hood. Notice that pilot/nav wings havent' been screwed with for a long while, so why mess with the missile badge? But Lance wanted it and it was so. Three-four years ago, I was sitting fat/dumb/happy at my liaison job with the FAA HQ when I got an e-mail from Space Command notifying me that I had been awarded basic spwings. I almost shat myself as I thought I was long gone from the reach of SAC/Space Command, but their ability to find you is almost KGB-like. I was scared that somehow I was gonna be put back in the ground like the undead. And have to wear spwings. Fortunately, neither happened. They grandfathered in those who were awarded the pocket rocket and weren't in Space Command. There are further historical lessons if desired about the blue shirt/pants (aka the old base ops Transient Alert uniform) missile uniform with the 'dashing' ascot being replaced by the non-childproofed blue 'flight suit' and the lovely blue missile jacket, then on to the age of green bags for everyone. But that would be boring and a huge waste of time.
June 11, 200817 yr Once upon a time, before even dinosaurs, there was the missile badge, i.e., 'pocket rocket' without the laurels along the sides. If you worked in the business, ops, maintenance, scientist, et al, you qualified for the badge. Even B-52 crews who carried Hound Dog, and later ALCMs, qualified for the badge (I thought it was douche-y to do so, but I digress). Then in an effort to boost morale and the 'operationalness' of missiles, crew dogs gained the badge with the ops identifier - the laurel wreaths running vertically along both sides of the original pocket rocket. Non-ops missile folks kept the old badge. Space guys had their 'Star Trek Next Generation" badges. After combining the two, there was angst about the differentiation since they were all one happy family - not, but again, I digress. Gen Lance Lord (ret) pushed the spwings through to give that fashion statement to the space and missile force. Despite the fact that heritage and morale would suffer at those forced to give up their pocket rockets. Scoff if you will, but once one escaped that duty, it was a point of pride to wear the missile badge. Kind of like prison cred in the 'hood. Notice that pilot/nav wings havent' been screwed with for a long while, so why mess with the missile badge? But Lance wanted it and it was so. Three-four years ago, I was sitting fat/dumb/happy at my liaison job with the FAA HQ when I got an e-mail from Space Command notifying me that I had been awarded basic spwings. I almost shat myself as I thought I was long gone from the reach of SAC/Space Command, but their ability to find you is almost KGB-like. I was scared that somehow I was gonna be put back in the ground like the undead. And have to wear spwings. Fortunately, neither happened. They grandfathered in those who were awarded the pocket rocket and weren't in Space Command. There are further historical lessons if desired about the blue shirt/pants (aka the old base ops Transient Alert uniform) missile uniform with the 'dashing' ascot being replaced by the non-childproofed blue 'flight suit' and the lovely blue missile jacket, then on to the age of green bags for everyone. But that would be boring and a huge waste of time. I've heard a space Gen and other space people alike saying they want pilot's to get rid of their wings because it creates a "dichotomy" and separations within the AF.........
June 11, 200817 yr I've heard a space Gen and other space people alike saying they want pilot's to get rid of their wings because it creates a "dichotomy" and separations within the AF......... Screw 'em. I've earned my wings and no one will take them away because they think it seperates us pilots from the rest of the Air Force. They're probably jealous that they're stuck with those gay spwings or whatever they are. Tough luck if they couldn't/didn't become pilots.
June 12, 200817 yr And in case some have forgotten: "The space badge is equal in precedence to aeronautical badges and is worn above all other occupational badges and the parachutist badge,..." and if you are a pilot working in a space command job, you're supposed to wear the spwings ABOVE the pilot wings....yeah.
June 13, 200817 yr And in case some have forgotten: "The space badge is equal in precedence to aeronautical badges and is worn above all other occupational badges and the parachutist badge,..." and if you are a pilot working in a space command job, you're supposed to wear the spwings ABOVE the pilot wings....yeah. General Chilton does this since he was Space Command/CC and now STRATCOM/CC.
June 14, 200817 yr And in case some have forgotten: "The space badge is equal in precedence to aeronautical badges and is worn above all other occupational badges and the parachutist badge,..." and if you are a pilot working in a space command job, you're supposed to wear the spwings ABOVE the pilot wings....yeah. General Chilton does this since he was Space Command/CC and now STRATCOM/CC. Not according to his af.mil bio pic: After looking thru 36-2903, it states: "Air Force Aeronautical and Space badges (Mandatory).....if more than one aeronautical or space badge is worn, wear the badge that reflects current job in the highest position." So it appears he is wearing them IAW the reg given his current position of Stratcom CC. Cap-10
June 14, 200817 yr You would think Astronaut wings would ALWAYS trump spwings - regardless of his job.
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