"ARMED FORCES POLICE" Armband Assist

[Edelweisse]

Hi Folks: I've never seen this armband before and I was wondering when these were worn and my whom? Thanks,

[Edelweisse]

No comments?? I noticed that there is an Army Reg (AR) 670-1 an example is listed but has a unit patch...so is this recent? I really don't know. I've never seen one before....I guess ROOKIE!!

[Teamski]

Definitely not recent. I have had the same armband since I was a kid and that was some 35 years ago. It was a really common item to get along with the AAF Ground Observer armband. It is getting old!

 

-Ski

[Survival]

Watch the movie The Day The Earth Stood Still the 1950s version.

[Edelweisse]

OK...Thanks aa lot....to me it looked "old" vs. new.....I appreciate your comments. I just wasn't sure. I've seen MP and SP...but this was the 1st for me.

[QED4]

I can't quote a source for this so I may be off but what I understand is that these were worn in the 1950s and 60s. They were worn by Army, Navy and AF personnel that were detailed to large city transportation centers, like the New York Port Authority for example, with large numbers of military personnel passing through. They wore these arm bands to show they had authority over all branches of the military not just their own.

[Edelweisse]

That would make sense....since we know how some soldiers/sailors/airmen/Marines would argue or even "think"..."These folks can't touch me....they have no authority over me!!" (smile)

[Cobra 6 Actual]

I recall them being worn in Washington, DC in the 1960's, too.

[patches]

These guys were still around in the 70s, remember seeing these guys twice, both Army, once in a NYC (Manhattan) subway station, by the token booths around 1976, and around a couple of years later in 78, this time incredibly right across the street from where I lived in Glendale Queens, on a a main avenue, I lived on the corner side street, in this case he was getting out of a parked GI sedan, have no idea what he was doing here, he was a Black Sergeant E-5 that I do remember. In both insistence's, can't remember if it was just the armband or one with the patch, probably the one with patch, the shoulder type, if they had the shoulder type brassard,that this being NYC that the patch was 1st Army.

 

Also don't think they where under arms either, the one in the subway maybe, maybe not, maybe he just had a billy club?

[Edelweisse]

Thanks everyone....I appreciate your help...I don't them but I was in the USAF 1972-76 ,,,,but worked around the USN at Norfolk and then worked in Germany for the US Army in USAREUR. I saw "SP", "MP" and "Customs"...but not this one.. The AR shows unit patch on the larger shoulder type vs. just the armband. Again...Thank you

[buff086]

I saw arm bands like this worn in 1968 during in the VN war at Chicago O'Hare, and again in downtown Naha & Koza City Okinawa (Kadina AB) and in Bangkok in 1969.