Shoulder mark
The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the English-speaking world and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (July 2015) |
A shoulder mark, also called rank slide, or slip-on, is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the
Australia
The newer
The older Auscam uniform designs featured shoulder straps, upon which slip-on rank insignia of Commissioned Officers could be affixed, and non-commissioned officers in the Air Force and Navy only. No shoulder-strap slip-ons are available for enlisted members of the army, whereas the other two services had appropriate slip ons, who have rank patches sewed onto the uniform arms. This older design is no longer issued, but may still be seen on personnel whose most recent uniform issue pre-dates the use of the new design.[citation needed]
Canada
In the
Uniform | Base fabric | Officers' rank insignia | Non-commissioned members' rank insignia | Shoulder titles |
---|---|---|---|---|
Navy Service Dress and Naval Combat Dress | Navy Blue (which is a tone of black) [3]
|
Rows of gold rank braid | Embroidered in "CF Gold" thread | "CANADA", embroidered in "CF Gold" thread |
Army Service Dress | Rifle green
|
Embroidered in full colour, including branch-specific backing colour | None (rank insignia are worn on enameled pins on lapels or collar points) | Regimental or branch title, or the word "CANADA", in "CF gold" cotton thread |
Air Force Service Dress | Air Force blue | Rows of "pearl grey" (silver) and black rank braid | Embroidered in "pearl grey" (silver) thread | "CANADA", embroidered in "pearl grey" (silver) thread |
Navy CADPAT TW (Temperate Woodland) | Olive green | Embroidered in black thread | Embroidered in black thread | "CANADA", embroidered in black thread |
Army CADPAT TW | CADPAT TW | Embroidered in "high visibility" silver thread | Embroidered in "high visibility" silver thread | "CANADA" or an applicable branch, regimental, or air unit title embroidered in "high visibility" silver thread |
Air Force CADPAT TW and flying suit | Olive green | Embroidered in blue thread | Embroidered in blue thread | "CANADA" or an applicable branch, regimental, or air unit title embroidered in blue thread |
Navy, Army, and Air Force CADPAT AR (Arid Region) | CADPAT AR | Embroidered in tan thread | Embroidered in tan thread | "CANADA" or an applicable branch, regimental, or air unit title embroidered in tan thread |
Former uniforms | ||||
Olive green combat uniform (replaced by CADPAT in the early 2000s) | Olive green | Embroidered in light olive green thread | Embroidered in light olive green thread[a] | "CANADA" or an applicable branch, regimental, or air unit title embroidered in light olive green thread |
Air Force Service Dress prior to 2015 | Air Force blue | Rows of gold rank braid | Embroidered in "Old Gold" thread (darker in colour than "CF Gold") | "CANADA", embroidered in "CF Gold" thread |
United States
Military
Based on the shoulder boards used by the
On the United States Army Blue Service Uniform, officers wear embroidered rank insignia "shoulder straps" (attentes[citation needed]) mounted lengthwise on the outside shoulder seams. These are 1+5⁄8 inches (41 mm) wide by 4 inches (100 mm)/3+1⁄2 inches (89 mm) (large size/small size) long, and are sewn, snapped, or clipped onto each shoulder.[4]
Boy Scouts of America
The
United Kingdom
Military
Rank slides are used by all of the UK Armed Forces, primarily on working dress uniforms. Similar rank slides are also worn on a single tab/strap on the chest of operational (Multi-Terrain Pattern) clothing.
Shoulder boards are worn by officers on tropical dress uniform, bearing the same insignia carried on the cuffs of the dress uniform. A slide worn on the chest indicates rank for all RN personnel in Action Working Dress (No.4 dress).[7]
Army
In the British Army, shoulder straps are worn with dress and service uniforms. In combat dress, however, rank insignia is displayed on 'rank slides' worn on the chest.
Royal Air Force
In the Royal Air Force, rank slides are worn by all ranks (except Aircraftman, which has no insignia) on the shoulders of working dress uniforms, and also on flying clothing and overalls.
St. John Ambulance
As a ranked organisation, members of
Police
The uniforms of most police forces in the United Kingdom feature rank slides. At ranks below Inspector, the collar number is also displayed on the shoulder, although some Inspectors and above are starting to display their collar number alongside their rank insignia. The most notable exception to this is Kent Police, whose officers display their collar number on the stab vest instead of the rank slides.
Public order officers' shoulder slides are often colour-coded according to their role:
- Silver commander – Grey
- Bronze commander – Yellow
- PSU commander – Red
- PSU sergeant – White
- Medic – Green
- Tactical advisor – Royal blue
- Evidence gatherer – Orange[8]
HM Prison Service
The uniform of public sector prison officers and OSG's[clarification needed] in England & Wales feature shoulder slides on their uniform indicating rank, unique identification number and specialist role.
Specialist role identifiers include:
- DH – Dog Handler
- W – Works Officer
- H – Healthcare Officer
Lords-lieutenant
The uniform of lord-lieutenant as the head of a lieutenancy area shows many military features. Their ranks, and those of their deputies (vice lord-lieutenant, deputy lieutenant) are indicated by braided shoulder boards resp. shoulder knots.
References
- ^ "Uniform Dress Guidelines". Canadian Coast Guard. ver 26 06/27/08, p. 7
- ^ Directorate of History and Heritage (12 July 2016). A-DH-265-000/AG-001 CANADIAN ARMED FORCES DRESS INSTRUCTIONS. pp. 3A-1 to 3A-8.
- ^ "Canadian Forces Dress Instructions" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2009.
- ^ "Chapter 28: Wear of Insignia and Accouterments". Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia (Army Regulation 670-1) (PDF). Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army. 2012 [2005].
- ^ "Boy Scout Essentials" (PDF). Scoutstuff. Boy Scouts of America. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2012.
- ^ "Venturing Scout Essentials" (PDF). Scoutstuff. Boy Scouts of America. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2012.
- ^ "Royal Navy unveils 'modern' uniform". BBC News. 19 March 2015.
- ^ "Public order procedure". North Yorkshire Police. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
Notes
- ^ More often, the non-commissioned member's rank was issued in the form of a patch that was either stitched onto the epaulet (preferred Air Force and Navy practice) or directly onto the upper shirt or jacket sleeve with the slip-on left blank (preferred Army practice).