ARMY AVIATION SERVICE INSIGNIA
For officers these insignia are worn on the left breast and are as follows:
Military Aviator—Two wings with a shield between bearing the letters “U. S.” and a star above, embroidered in silver on a blue background except the letters which are in gold thread.
Junior Military Aviator and Reserve Military Aviator—The same, omitting the star.
Military Aeronaut—Two wings with a balloon between bearing the letters “U. S.” and a star above, embroidered in white on a blue background except the letters which are in gold.
Junior Military Aeronaut and Reserve Military Aeronaut—The same, omitting the star.
Observer—A letter “O” with a single wing on the left of it embroidered in white on a blue background.
For enlisted men the insignia are embroidered in white on a blue sleeve cap let in at the shoulder seam and extending down the sleeve 5½ inches:
Enlisted Aviator—Two wings with crossed propellers between them and the number of the squadron above.
Aviation Mechanician—A circle enclosing crossed propellers with the number of the squadron above.
Other Enlisted Men—The same, omitting the circle.
U. S. Army. Noncommissioned officers’ chevrons
| 1. First Class Gunner, Mine Company |
| 2. Second Class Gunner, Mine Company |
| 3. First Class Private, Engineer Corps |
| 4. First Class Private, Hospital Corps |
| 5. Saddler, Cavalry |
| 6. Horseshoer, Cavalry |
| 7. Cook |
| 8. Badge for Excellence in Target Practice, Coast Artillery |
U. S. Army. Enlisted men’s insignia worn on dress coat collars
indicating arm of the Service, Corps or Department
| 1. Infantry, Porto Rico Regiment |
| 2. Infantry |
| 3. Native Philippine Troops |
| 4. Cavalry |
| 5. Artillery |
| 6. Engineer Corps |
| 7. Hospital Corps |
| 8. Ordnance Corps |
| 9. Quartermaster Corps |
| 10. Band Musician, Engineers |
| 11. Electrician |
| 12. Signal Corps |
| 13. Band Musician |
| 14. Band, Philippines |
| 15. Band, Porto Rico |
Brassards are bands of cloth worn on the sleeves to designate officers and men assigned to special duties.
Red Cross Brassard.—In time of war with signatories of the Geneva Convention all persons in the military services who are rendered neutral by the terms of that convention wear upon the left arm above the elbow a brassard of white cloth bearing upon it a Geneva cross in red cloth while on duty in the field of operations. The persons entitled to wear this brassard are surgeons, members of the hospital corps, nurses, chaplains and the personnel engaged exclusively with the removal and transportation of the sick and wounded.
Brassards worn on the right upper arm are of the following distinctive colors: blue for agents and signalmen, green for guides and scouts, red for orderlies and messengers, white for trench cleaners, yellow for members of parties carrying munitions, material, food or water, khaki with the word “Salvage” in red letters for members of salvage parties, and blue with the letters “M. P.” outlined in white thread for members of the Military Police.
Field Clerk’s Brassard.—Field clerks of Engineers wear upon the left arm above the elbow a brassard of maroon colored cloth with white edges.
Service Stripes.—All enlisted men of the Army who have served one or more enlistments in the Army, Navy or Marine Corps wear one stripe for each such enlistment on each sleeve of the dress coat midway between the wrist and the elbow. These service stripes are three-eighths of an inch in width and are placed diagonally across the outside of the sleeve.
The color of the stripe is that of the branch of the service in which the enlistment that it represents was served, as follows:
- Cavalry, yellow.
- Artillery, scarlet.
- Engineers, scarlet piped with white.
- Infantry, white.
- Hospital Corps, maroon piped with white.
- Ordnance, black piped with scarlet.
- Signal Corps, orange piped with white.
- Quartermaster Corps, buff.
- Service School Detachment, green.
- Service Detachment, Military Academy, green piped with white.
- U. S. Navy, scarlet piped with yellow.
- U. S. Marine Corps, yellow piped with scarlet.
Buttons.—The buttons worn by enlisted men of the Army on the dress coat are of gilt metal and bear the coat of arms of the United States in relief; those worn on the service coats are of the same size and design but are made of dull finish bronze metal, and those worn on the overcoat are large bronze flat buttons of the same design.
Identification Tag.—Each officer and enlisted man of the U. S. Army is required to wear two aluminum identification tags about the size of a silver half dollar whenever the field kit is worn, one tag to be suspended from the neck underneath the clothing by a cord or thong of leather passed through a hole in the tag, the second tag being suspended from the first one by a cord or thong. Each tag bears stamped upon it the name, rank, company, regiment and corps of the wearer. This tag is for use in identifying the wearer in case of death or serious wounds. In case of death one tag is buried with the body and the duplicate is kept with the record of the place of burial and the cause and date of death.
U. S. Army. Aviation Corps Insignia
| 1. Aviator (Regular aviators have a silver star above the shield. Junior and Reserve aviators have no star) | |
| 2. Observer | 3. Enlisted Aviator |
| 4. Aviation Mechanic | 5. Other enlisted men |
U. S. Army. Enlisted men’s insignia worn on collars of service coats
| 1. All enlisted men, right side of collar | 2. Cavalry |
| 3. Infantry | 4. Field Artillery |
| 5. Coast Artillery | 6. Engineer Corps |
| 7. Quartermaster Corps | 8. Signal Corps |
U. S. Army. Enlisted men’s insignia worn on collars of service coats
| 1. Hospital Corps | 2. Ordnance Corps |
| 3. Band Musician | 4. Electrician |
| 5. Infantry, Porto Rico Regiment | 6. Infantry, Native Troops, Philippines |
| 7. Recruiting Service | 8. Prison Guard |
Identification Patch.—In order that the men in an advance line of attack upon the battlefield may be recognized by the officers who are controlling their advance and accurately placing the curtain of shrapnel fire ahead of them, it has become necessary to prescribe identification patches upon the backs of the men’s coats between the shoulders. These identification patches are of different designs and colors to mark the different regiments and brigades, circles, triangles, squares and other shapes being used. The shape and color of these patches is not laid down in uniform regulations in the United States Army, but these details are prescribed from time to time in orders from Headquarters of the Field Armies.
United States Guards, National Army, are organized into battalions for guard duty in the United States during the period of the existing emergency. Their prescribed uniform is the blue dress uniform of the regular army with blue overcoats and the customary insignia.
Citizen’s Training Camps.—The uniform for members of these camps consist of olive-drab shirt, breeches and coat, canvas leggings, russet shoes, and field hat with red, white and blue hat cord. The bronze letters “U. S. T. C.” are worn on the collar, and on the left forearm a badge with the same letters.
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.—The uniforms are olive-drab or “Cadet gray.” Insignia of rank are of white metal for cadet officers and gilt for instructors; Colonel, three diamonds; Lieutenant Colonel, two diamonds; Major, one diamond; Captain, three disks; First Lieutenant, two disks, Second Lieutenant, one disk. Sergeants and corporals wear chevrons prescribed for the Regular Army. On the cap is a wreath enclosing the letters “R. O. T. C.” in bronze and the same letters are worn on the collar. On the left arm is a badge with “R. O. T. C.” embroidered in the color of the arm of the service.
SEAL OF THE U. S. NAVY DEPARTMENT
CHAPTER V
UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA OF THE U. S. NAVY
The uniforms of the officers and enlisted men of the United States Navy are made of dark blue cloth for wear in cold or temperate weather and of white duck for wear in hot or tropical weather.