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Wearing of multiple Wings/Warfare devices

JTB7

Member
If you earn combat aircrew as an enlisted man, you can wear it as an officer. You can't earn them as an officer. You can't wear both jump wings and scuba bubble with pilot wings, only two breast insignia are authorized at a time.
Thanks.

In my opinion, if you earned them, you should be able to wear them. You earned each and every one. (especially prior enlisted)

If I were in that situation, I'd choose the bubbles. They're a lot more rare in the Corps than jump wings, even the gold ones. Then again, I've never been a snake-eater, anyway.

But, if I had to choose I would definatley choose the bubbles. :icon_smil
 

phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
You earned each and every one. (especially prior enlisted)
I'll go easy on you because you're a high school kid, but we've discussed this ad-naseum before. I don't think you're really suggesting that something you earn prior enlisted is more valuable or means more than what you earn as an officer?!? Tread carefully here...
 

Slammer2

SNFO Advanced, VT-86 T-39G/N
Contributor
Lets pretend that he meant that because you can only earn them as prior enlisted, theres no chance you can ever get them now so wear them with pride - versus something that you could possibly somehow redesignate and earn as an officer. :)

/get out of jail free card
 

JTB7

Member
I'll go easy on you because you're a high school kid, but we've discussed this ad-naseum before. I don't think you're really suggesting that something you earn prior enlisted is more valuable or means more than what you earn as an officer?!? Tread carefully here...

Sorry, that sounded wrong. I dont know if prior enlisted is more valuable because I am not in the military as of yet. In my opinion, if you were a mechanic that would be valuable as a pilot. If you were enlisted as Infantry, you would have more respect for the Marines on the ground.

What I meant to say as a pilot, you get your wings and you are techniaclly 'air crew.' But, they deny you wearing air crew wings with your wings. However, if you enlisted and became a mechanic/got air crew wings for x amount of years, then became a pilot as an officer, thats not right to deny you wearing both aircrew and your wings.
 

phrogdriver

More humble than you would understand
pilot
Super Moderator
Sorry, that sounded wrong. I dont know if prior enlisted is more valuable because I am not in the military as of yet. In my opinion, if you were a mechanic that would be valuable as a pilot. If you were enlisted as Infantry, you would have more respect for the Marines on the ground.

What I meant to say as a pilot, you get your wings and you are techniaclly 'air crew.' But, they deny you wearing air crew wings with your wings. However, if you enlisted and became a mechanic/got air crew wings for three years, then became a pilot as an officer, thats not right to deny you wearing both aircrew and your wings.

1. The whole thing about priors having better understanding of enlisted because they lived the life before is debatable. The only guys I've seen that we're significantly better than their peers because of their enlisted experience were those that had serious, i.e. 5+ years, time in the enlisted ranks. Those guys may have just had an edge in maturity from their age vice any special insight.

If you were a mechanic on the aircraft you ended up flying as a pilot you'd have a significant edge. The chances of that happening are pretty slim, however. I've only personally known one guy who had that happen, and he still ended up in a pretty bad crash (not that those two things are related, just that having the experience doesn't make one golden).

2. Aircrew wings are earned on the basis of having an aircrew primary or secondary MOS. Detach that from the term "aircrew" as used generically for anyone working aboard an aircraft. You might earn any warfare/qualification device as an E and wear it accordingly. That's completely separate from what you earn as an O.
 

JTB7

Member
1. The whole thing about priors having better understanding of enlisted because they lived the life before is debatable. The only guys I've seen that we're significantly better than their peers because of their enlisted experience were those that had serious, i.e. 5+ years, time in the enlisted ranks. Those guys may have just had an edge in maturity from their age vice any special insight.

If you were a mechanic on the aircraft you ended up flying as a pilot you'd have a significant edge. The chances of that happening are pretty slim, however. I've only personally known one guy who had that happen, and he still ended up in a pretty bad crash (not that those two things are related, just that having the experience makes one golden).

2. Aircrew wings are earned on the basis of having an aircrew primary or secondary MOS. Detach that from the term "aircrew" as used generically for anyone working aboard an aircraft. You might earn any warfare/qualification device as an E and wear it accordingly. That's completely separate from what you earn as an O.

Were those officers SNA or NFO? graduate ~18+5years+4years college+training and that would be pushing the age limit to become a pilot.
 

lmnop

Active Member
Were those officers SNA or NFO? graduate ~18+5years+4years college+training and that would be pushing the age limit to become a pilot.
Lots of prior enlisted guys completed their degrees while serving, so knock the 4 years of college out of your equation. My old roommate picked up SNA and had about ten years of service when he arrived at OCS.
 

Flying Low

Yea sure or Yes Sir?
pilot
Contributor
Were those officers SNA or NFO? graduate ~18+5years+4years college+training and that would be pushing the age limit to become a pilot.


I enlisted when I was 20 and did 8.5 years before I got commissioned. Lots of guys go to night school, Clep and take classes on the ship. At one point the campus on NAS JAX had 4 week semesters during the summer so you could knock out 2 semesters of crap in just 8 weeks. Plus you just need the age for commissioning which was 31 a while back for pilots. Even with your math above that puts a guy right at 27 not counting any extra classes that you get for boot camp or "A" school.
 

phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
I've only personally known one guy who had that happen, and he still ended up in a pretty bad crash (not that those two things are related, just that having the experience makes one golden).
It sounds a lot like you're talking about Chatty. Great dude, and he's the type of guy to tell you that crewchief experience does not translate directly into pilot experience.
 

JTB7

Member
I enlisted when I was 20 and did 8.5 years before I got commissioned. Lots of guys go to night school, Clep and take classes on the ship. At one point the campus on NAS JAX had 4 week semesters during the summer so you could knock out 2 semesters of crap in just 8 weeks. Plus you just need the age for commissioning which was 31 a while back for pilots. Even with your math above that puts a guy right at 27 not counting any extra classes that you get for boot camp or "A" school.

Very cool. I didnt know that you could get your degree while serving. I thought you could only get some credits for college. Are you pretty limited to the degrees you can get?
 

Flying Low

Yea sure or Yes Sir?
pilot
Contributor
Very cool. I didnt know that you could get your degree while serving. I thought you could only get some credits for college. Are you pretty limited to the degrees you can get?


The classes are limited on the ship but you can earn pretty much any degree that the college offers. I got my associates from Central Texas College when I was on the JFK. Got my BA from Columbia College of Missouri. The classes however were on NAS JAX at Navy Campus. There were several colleges there at the time (Embry Riddle and SIU). You could also take classes at a local college (work permitting)
 

VTFlyer

Active Member
has the uniform requirement changed for "same category." rehacking this thread. I'm looking at the regs now and its looks like they removed the line ....

3) Personnel with multiple qualifications may wear two insignia, placing one in the primary position and the second in the secondary position, within the following guideline:

(a) Warfare qualification insignia take precedence over other qualification insignia and are placed in the primary position.

(b) Two warfare insignia are authorized following these rules:

(1) The warfare insignia of the specialty in which currently serving will be worn in the primary position.

(2) If not currently serving in a warfare specialty, or have not earned the warfare insignia of the specialty in which currently serving: officers will wear the insignia corresponding to their designator, otherwise the warfare insignia earned first in the primary position; all other personnel will wear the warfare insignia earned first in the primary position.

(4) If no longer designated as a warfare specialist, continue wearing the earned warfare insignia, following the guidelines of this chapter, unless prohibited from doing so by administrative action.

(5) When insignia has both gold and silver versions, enlisted personnel wear silver, officers wear gold, within the following rules:

(a) Enlisted personnel who qualify for insignia, and are subsequently advanced to officer status continue wearing the enlisted insignia until qualified for a corresponding officer insignia; then replace the enlisted insignia with the officer insignia.

(b) Enlisted personnel who have been awarded the Small Craft insignia and are subsequently advanced to officer status wear the gold Small Craft Insignia.

(c) Enlisted personnel, who qualified in a warfare specialty as officers and were subsequently reverted to enlisted status, may continue to wear the officer insignia.

(6) Enlisted personnel awarded the Craftmaster insignia and subsequently advanced to officer status may continue to wear the Craftmaster Insignia.


http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/uniforms/uniformregulations/chapter5/Pages/5201.aspx
 

VTFlyer

Active Member
Well I guess I just answered my own question....FYI for those who comes across this thread out there wanting to wear insignia in the same category, have at it. Current as of SEPT09

B. REMOVAL OF THE RESTRICTION THAT LIMITS THE WEARING OF ONE
INSIGNIA FROM ANY SINGLE CATEGORY OF INSIGNIA: EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY,
REF B, CHAPTER 5, SECTION 2, ARTICLE 5201.2 THAT PERMITS THE WEARING OF
ONLY ONE WARFARE/QUALIFICATION DEVICE WITHIN A SINGLE CATEGORY IS
RESCINDED. SAILORS QUALIFIED TO WEAR MULTIPLE WARFARE/QUALIFICATION
DEVICES WITHIN A SINGLE CATEGORY ARE AUTHORIZED TO DO SO (E.G.,
ENLISTED AVIATION WARFARE SPECIALIST (EAWS), AND NAC WARFARE
SPECIALIST). SAILORS ARE AUTHORIZED TO WEAR A MAXIMUM OF TWO INSIGNIAS.
WARFARE INSIGNIA WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER QUALIFICATION
INSIGNIA AND WILL BE WORN IN THE PRIMARY POSITION PER REF B, CHAPTER 5,
SECTION 2, ARTICLE 5201.2.C.(3).(C).1.

http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/NAVADMINS/NAV2009/NAV09271.txt
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
has the uniform requirement changed for "same category." rehacking this thread. I'm looking at the regs now and its looks like they removed the line ....

What exactly are you asking? If it is whether or not you can now wear two of the 'same category' of warfare device now then it is now authorized as you have found out, so rock the EAWS and Aviator and/or NFO wings if you got 'em now.
 

nittany03

Recovering NFO. Herder of Programmers.
pilot
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
has the uniform requirement changed for "same category." rehacking this thread. I'm looking at the regs now and its looks like they removed the line ....
That's because they did in 2009.

*Looks down at uniform* Yep, still authorized. :D
 
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