Subdued Army Specialist Ranks

[seanmc1114]

I found this strip of Specialist ranks at a flea market last Saturday. They are embroidered on what looks like the same cotton webbing that used to be used for name and branch tapes on BDU's. However, all of the subdued Specialist insignia I have ever seen for wear on collars have been a solid black shield with no eagle. Does anyone know if this is an official insignia?

[seanmc1114]

Close up view.

[Linedoggie]

Can't answer on Official Issue, but I do remember seeing Some being worn at Ft. Hood in 1982 in my company. And the surplus stores there used to have these and a SP/5 version cut from collars on the counters in bowls with assorted other insignia.

[oldfireguy]

When I was in (long time ago) the only official issued rank was pin on metal for the working uniform. Anything else was made off post. I wore pin on my 107's and BDU's. When I got tired of pinning them on I went off post and had them sewn on but the Sp4 at that time would have been solid. I've not seen sew on in that style but I like it.

 

Now days with everything being velcro I don't even know if pin on rank is produced for the Army.

[craig_pickrall]

A friend of mine had a OD jungle shirt that had open face SPEC rank but instead of an eagle there was a red heart. That was theater made stuff.

[MattS]

Those are probably Vietnam era before they went to solid black. I have seen them on jungle fatigues:

[ASMIC2971]

Now days with everything being velcro I don't even know if pin on rank is produced for the Army.

 

I was pinned Specialist back in Aug 2010 and received pin on rank for my patrol cap. I was also issued gold pin on rank in full color for my dress uniform while I was a private at Ft. Benning in late 2008.

 

D

[PATCHRAT]

These remind me of German made pieces.

[seanmc1114]

These remind me of German made pieces.

I agree they look a little too professionally done for most Vietnam made stuff I have seen. Would these be from the 70's or do you know if this style was ever worn even after the official subdued version for Specialist became a solid black shield? I imagine that was considered more cost effective than embroidering the eagle.

[PATCHRAT]

I think they were used into the 80's. A friend who was stationed in the Hanau area remembers seeing them in the early 80's. I was there in the late 88 but dont recall seeing them in my unit.

[Martinjmpr]

Close up view.

 

 

Can't answer on Official Issue, but I do remember seeing Some being worn at Ft. Hood in 1982 in my company. And the surplus stores there used to have these and a SP/5 version cut from collars on the counters in bowls with assorted other insignia.

 

 

These remind me of German made pieces.

 

 

I think they were used into the 80's. A friend who was stationed in the Hanau area remembers seeing them in the early 80's. I was there in the late 88 but dont recall seeing them in my unit.

 

OK, I know this is an old thread so if it's not permitted to dredge up a thread like this, I apologize.

 

To answer the OP's question, I had rank insignia exactly like this when I was promoted to SP/4 in March of 1988 at Hindenburg Kaserne, HHC 1st Armored Division, in Ansbach, Germany.

 

Those who guessed that these are locally made are correct - the "official" insignia sold in the MCSS (military clothing sales store) had the same solid "Sham shield" that they use today, but at the tailor shop, you could get these. I thought they looked sharper than the boring shield so I got them on all my uniforms and even my helmet cover.

 

The funny thing is, from a distance, they almost look like a LTC oak leaf cluster! Since I was a bit older than the average Speedy 4 (I was 26 when I got promoted) I got more than a few salutes thrown at me!

 

Sadly, I don't think I kept mine, now I wish I had. I was so happy to make E-5 in 1989 that I immediately cut all my SP/4 insignia off my uniform and most likely either gave them away to another SP/4 or trashed them.

 

I don't think I ever saw any other SP/4 with this style of rank insignia.