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#1
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Head of Armed Forces - Insignia
Being of the old school I am somewhat confused by elements in the photograph in todays Daily Telegraph Page 20,which depicts the current Head of UK Armed Forces,Gen Sir David Richards displaying a variety of insignia.
On chest tab, Badge of Rank - OK so far On Right epaulette - four stars On Left epaulette - four stars surmounting an unknown device Modernists please explain. 1314 |
#2
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He was in Afghanistan with the US and so they understood he was a General he wore the US 4 stars on his uniform in addition to the British General rank. It also happened quite a lot in Iraq at all ranks because the US found it difficult to identify British officers' ranks.
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#3
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I would have thought the general air of superior quality would have tipped them off to being a British Officer.....
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#5
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No offence to American members of the Forum, but isn't it about time the US Armed Forces started learning about the rank insignia of other nations, particularly their NATO allies? How long have they been serving together?
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#6
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As I said David, I would have thought when a British officer walks in the room, one could tell he's in charge. But there again, they aren't inclined to defer to experience and professionalism. You would as you say think by now it would be a detail required to know, especially working so close not only since NATO, but in the two present war's.
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#7
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I'm assuming that particular photo was taken back here in the UK - so, he should really have removed (or got his missus to do it) the totally inappropriate stars from his uniform. Lets face it, had a 'junior rank' or even an 'other rank' been seen wearing 'foreign' insgnia' he would have been deep in it!
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#8
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Well, it would be a good start if US ebay sellers learn that an item with a crown is not necessarily British because there are more monarchies around this planet.
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#9
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Can anyone post a link to the image. The current combat clothing worn in Afghanistan does not have shoulder straps (epaulettes). Most senior officers in a NATO environment or in theatre wear the US rank insignia on their collar and there own rank on the chest strap, some when working with the NAA also wear the corresponding NAA rank badge (somewhere I have the US rank insignia worn by a British Army Major on his collar).
Last edited by 54Bty; 10-02-11 at 02:28 PM. |
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#11
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Jo http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ac-M0_bqRH...d+Richards.jpg http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...nal-force.html
__________________
"There truly exists but one perfect order: that of cemeteries. The dead never complain and they enjoy their equality in silence." - “There are things we know that we know,” “There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don't know.” Donald Rumsfeld, before the Iraqi Invasion,2003. Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese. Last edited by Voltigeur; 09-02-11 at 10:43 PM. |
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Tom |
#13
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David, Tom, et al:
It would help a lot if you Brits would go back to wearing red uniforms. We Americans never seemed to have a problem knowing who you were when you did. One of my favorite stories was about an American captain stationed in Turkey who discovered after several months in country that all the 3 star Turkish generals he was saluting were privates! True story. We yanks have no excuse for not saluting this general, after we figure out where to look on his uniform to find insignia we recognize. As far as being expected to know all the various rank insignia, if I were a young troop on my first deployment, that would not be my first concern. British army rank insignia isn't that hard. The RAF, on the other hand, remains a mystery. Don
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Last year we said, 'Things can't go on like this', and they didn't, they got worse. |
#14
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I was sent on a tasking at Central Command HQ in Tampa at the beginning of the Afghanistan War. Most coalition officers wore US rank insignia in addition to their own.
US officer insignia is easily identified, and the clutch pin fasteners make them easy to put up/down with no damage to the uniform. In a coalition HQ environment, soldiers have more important tasks than trying to remember every countries' rank insignia. Phil |
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