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USAF "Ropes" and Alguillettes etc


Bluehawk
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I was authorized a "Blue Rope" during USAF Tech School, or at least I think I was, because I have a photo of myself wearing one at home on leave.

 

Problem is, I have no memory of being told to wear it, where I got it, nor of what it meant to have one... and, there were other guys wearing "Red Ropes", about which I remember nothing either... 45 years turns out to be a LOT longer time than I once thought it would be. :rolleyes:

 

Anyhow, I have a curiosity about those ropes and other similar devices worn by USAF, Army and other branches. I have seen them worn by Aides and Honor Guard.

 

Are there any links, books, references, photo albums and the like that I could see to educate myself about this?

 

Any guidance would be appreciated.

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DutchInfid3l
I was authorized a "Blue Rope" during USAF Tech School, or at least I think I was, because I have a photo of myself wearing one at home on leave.

 

Problem is, I have no memory of being told to wear it, where I got it, nor of what it meant to have one... and, there were other guys wearing "Red Ropes", about which I remember nothing either... 45 years turns out to be a LOT longer time than I once thought it would be. :rolleyes:

 

Anyhow, I have a curiosity about those ropes and other similar devices worn by USAF, Army and other branches. I have seen them worn by Aides and Honor Guard.

 

Are there any links, books, references, photo albums and the like that I could see to educate myself about this?

 

Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

I went through AF Security Forces tech school in 2000, the only information I know pertaining to ropes at all, besides Active USAF honor guard and USAF aides that you stated previously are the following:

 

Special Duty Ropes

 

Military Training Leaders (MTLs)are not students. They are regular Air Force enlisted members who are on a special duty assignment. At most Air Force technical schools, MTLs wear a blue rope (aiguillette) over their left shoulder.

 

There are three special duty positions for "student ropes:"

 

White Rope - Chapel Guide

Black Rope - Student Drill Teams and Special Activities Teams

 

Airman Leaders

 

The purpose of an Airman leader is to assist MTLs, improve Airman morale, and enhance personal leadership skills. Airmen leaders supervise or monitor students assigned to their squadron or placed under their charge.

 

Green Rope - A "Green Rope" is a "Bay Chief" or "Element Leader." Motivated students volunteer for this position. They are typically responsible for all Airmen assigned to a dormitory bay and/or element, and, and are generally the ones who march the students to and from class.

 

Yellow Rope - The Yellow Rope is a "Floor Rope" or "Flight Leader." They are typically responsible for all Airmen assigned to a dormitory floor and/or flight. It's one step up from the Green Rope. They generally have greater responsibility, and supervision authority. They are usually responsibile to ensure the dormitories are maintained up to standards. Green Ropes who show exceptional leadership skills can be selected for this position.

 

Red Rope - This is the "top" student supervisor (shift leader). He/she is selected from Yellow Ropes who show exceptional leadership qualities. The "Red Ropes" usually work directly for the Chief and Senior MTL, and provides general supervision and guidance to the other student ropes. Red ropes are responsible for all Airmen assigned to a shift or squadron.This is the highest leadership position a student can obtain in technical school.

 

Here's a pic of my "ropes" and guidon bearer during my tech school... I have a picture somewhere of my dad wearing a green one at his gunner tech school in 1979... so it's not a new thing.

scan0005.jpg

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From my short stay at Chanute AFB, Illinois in the summer of 1966, I remember green and red ropes being worn. There was I believe two green ropes to each barracks. A "Barracks Chief" and "Assistant Barracks Chief". (They might have used the term "Dorm", instead of barracks... I don't really remember.) Then there was a red rope who was the head rope for each squadron and I believe there was only one per squadron. Or there may have been one Red Rope per shift as many student squadrons had two shifts. Seems like the green ropes had been yellow, but the color changed to green for some reason.

For those who weren't Air Force types, this system was like the old "Acting Jack" temporary Corporals in the Army. Ropes were Airmen 3rd Class (later just Airman), who were students but chosen to be low level leaders and assist the TI's in the student squadrons.

At other training bases such as Lowery and Keesler, there may have been different colors used and different systems used to designate "ropes".

My recollections of how this was set up is a mite fuzzy with the passage of years, so any of you guys who have more accurate information, please chime in here and correct anything I might have wrong.

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Very instructive, Dutch.

 

Since I did some marching of the flight to and from classes, maybe the Blue Rope was then the equivalent of today's Green Rope? Although, I don't recall "volunteering" for that duty... maybe I was volunteered for it because I had been the flight's Right Guide in BMT.

 

I do remember that the Red Rope was regarded as being a higher status than Blue... there were a lot fewer of those.

 

This has helped, Dutch.

 

Thanks.

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From my short stay at Chanute AFB, Illinois in the summer of 1966, I remember green and red ropes being worn. There was I believe two green ropes to each barracks. A "Barracks Chief" and "Assistant Barracks Chief". (They might have used the term "Dorm", instead of barracks... I don't really remember.) Then there was a red rope who was the head rope for each squadron and I believe there was only one per squadron. Or there may have been one Red Rope per shift as many student squadrons had two shifts. Seems like the green ropes had been yellow, but the color changed to green for some reason.

For those who weren't Air Force types, this system was like the old "Acting Jack" temporary Corporals in the Army. Ropes were Airmen 3rd Class (later just Airman), who were students but chosen to be low level leaders and assist the TI's in the student squadrons.

At other training bases such as Lowery and Keesler, there may have been different colors used and different systems used to designate "ropes".

My recollections of how this was set up is a mite fuzzy with the passage of years, so any of you guys who have more accurate information, please chime in here and correct anything I might have wrong.

Lee,

 

I was discharged from Chanute in 1966... but, obviously, that was my permanent party assignment. It was an Air Training Command base, we know. I did Tech School at Shepherd... don't know if they used a different rope system or not.

 

Sounds like you attended Tech School there?

 

Thanks, for the memories.

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DutchInfid3l
Very instructive, Dutch.

 

Since I did some marching of the flight to and from classes, maybe the Blue Rope was then the equivalent of today's Green Rope? Although, I don't recall "volunteering" for that duty... maybe I was volunteered for it because I had been the flight's Right Guide in BMT.

 

I do remember that the Red Rope was regarded as being a higher status than Blue... there were a lot fewer of those.

 

This has helped, Dutch.

 

Thanks.

 

Not a problem, was my pleasure... I've always been interested in what ropes and other distinctive insignia mean as well.

Though, I never found out myself how they got to be student leaders in the first place either, I never heard a shout out for volun-tolds. :D

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Not a problem, was my pleasure... I've always been interested in what ropes and other distinctive insignia mean as well.

Though, I never found out myself how they got to be student leaders in the first place either, I never heard a shout out for volun-tolds. :D

Yup... :D

 

I am a sick man... but I actually LOVED drill! Other than getting to wrench on airplanes, drill was the highlight of my dinky service career.

 

"I don't know but I've been told!"... etc.

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  • 1 year later...
I was authorized a "Blue Rope" during USAF Tech School, or at least I think I was, because I have a photo of myself wearing one at home on leave.

 

Problem is, I have no memory of being told to wear it, where I got it, nor of what it meant to have one... and, there were other guys wearing "Red Ropes", about which I remember nothing either... 45 years turns out to be a LOT longer time than I once thought it would be. :rolleyes:

 

Anyhow, I have a curiosity about those ropes and other similar devices worn by USAF, Army and other branches. I have seen them worn by Aides and Honor Guard.

 

Are there any links, books, references, photo albums and the like that I could see to educate myself about this?

 

Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

I agree, there was not much information available concerning the use of ropes to designate student leadership roles at USAF tech school (I too do not know if the other services had similar positions for students at their various schools). I too was a "Blue Rope" when attending my Tech School at Lowry AFB in 1965. At time there were only two rope colors/roles. The Red Ropes were incharge of daily movements of the students from their barrack to various functions, e.g., meals, classes, etc. The Blue Ropes were essentially Barracks chiefs similar to those I rememberd at Basic (Lackland AFB). The Barracks chief was the CQ (Charge of Quarters) and primarily for the studnets while in the barracks including safety, security and physical appearences (I have heard that there is a similar position for cadets at the USAF Academy). I also remember that there were "Class Leaders" who had some responsibilities in funneling course related information from the class to the insstructors, but instead of a rope they had a badge to wear on the left side of their uniform. I have attached a photo of me in uniform with my Blue Rope.

I would like to hear from others who experienced any of the leadership roles given to military personnel while that were in a studneet status at a tech school.

post-14661-1283232915.jpg

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Air Force Collector

When I joined the USAF, I went to Lackland for basic and to Chanute AFB for tech school. In tech school they used a rope system for student leaders. This was during Vietnam and there was a shortage of NCOs so they allowed the students to take care of themselves if you went to rope school to become a student leader. The Red rope was the head of the entire squadron, yellow ropes were in charge of a flight and the green ropes were basically "pushers" used by the red and yellow ropes. One did not have to go to rope school to be a green rope. You just had to look big and threatening. :mad: However, I do not know about the color blue.

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