CENTCOM Major's DCU: theatre-made patches?

[BDU_Burger_Lover]

Howdy everyone. I recently came across this DCU and the patches really caught my eye. It seemed to me that the Aviation BOS insignia, the Aviator Wings, the Parachutist Wings and the Ranger Tab were all theatre-made, but I am no expert. Are they? Also I quite liked the CENTCOM patch without a brown border. Is that a common variation? Thank you!

 

[BDU_Burger_Lover]

Close-up of insignia:

 

[BDU_Burger_Lover]

Yet another close-up. Thank you for looking!

 

[Tonomachi]

I don't know about the CENTCOM SSI but I agree that the qualification insignia are all theater made. You have got a keeper there as this is what collectors are going to be looking for years from now. it is just too bad that there isn't a name tape.

[all-bull]

That's a nice early model 3 color Dcu too. What's the date on it? I'm thinking it could be early nineties. Ranger tab looks theater too

[ScottG]

A good rule of thumb on "theater made" items is the regulations, for army its AR670-1. It states for bdu/dcu that rank, branch, qualification badges etc... will be black. So, when you see brown, you know its not "issue". The brown border on the CENTCOM ssi is correct and it does not appear theater made. The Ranger tab is cool and it is a great looking top! Scott.

[rd12]

A good rule of thumb on "theater made" items is the regulations, for army its AR670-1. It states for bdu/dcu that rank, branch, qualification badges etc... will be black. So, when you see brown, you know its not "issue". The brown border on the CENTCOM ssi is correct and it does not appear theater made. The Ranger tab is cool and it is a great looking top! Scott.

 

I think you are looking at and older edition of the regs.

 

In 2003 when I was issued DCUs for Iraq we were also issued US Army tapes and Name tapes in brown, along with US flag and SSI. Badges we sewed on at Ft Drum before deployment were also in brown. Nobody in my BN worn pin-on badges. I don't recall ever seeing badges embroidered in black worn on DCUs during 2003-2005 when I was wearing them.

 

AR670-1 dated May 2000 actually forbids the wear of sew-on badges and rank insignia on the Desert Uniform (even though I know the practice occured). Page 19, paragraph 5-4 h.

 

AR670-1 dated Sep 2003 allows for the wear of both pin-on and embroidered sew-on badges. Page 30, paragraph 5-4 a (1). With regards to subdued embroidered insignia, it states " For desert camouflage uniforms, it is spice-brown block lettering, or appropriate design, on khaki cloth backing." Paragraph 28-2.

 

So we cannot say that brown embroidered badges are non-issue.

[B229]

Prior to Desert Storm the Desert Battle Dress Uniform was organizational issue only and the regs stated only pin-on insignia was to be worn on it. During Desert Shield/Storm individuals sewed on insignia, including locally made desert subdued insignia that usually replicated the subdued insignia used on BDU's: black embroidery on tan cloth. This was adopted as standard, but some time after that it was changed to Spice Brown on tan. I'd have to dig through my old AR 670-1's to find the specifics.

 

I should also add that the OP's CENTCOM DCU may very well be from Desert Storm.

[BDU_Burger_Lover]

Here are the labels:

 

 

 

Does the -91 on the first label signify a 1991 contract?

 

Thank you all for your input!

[B229]

Does the -91 on the first label signify a 1991 contract?

 

Yes, it does. The 3-Color DCU's were adopted late in 1990 and since this contract was procured directly through the DPSC in Philadelphia it is probably one of the first contracts for them.

[rd12]

Good thread. You see so many variations of insignia on DBDU/DCUs.

Here is picture of GEN Schwarzkopf with black subdue pin-on insignia and black embroidered tapes during ODS.

 

 

[rd12]

Here is another pic, unknown date, where he now has spice-brown tapes and sew on badges. Since he retired shortly after the war this is surely from same ODS time frame as previous pic.

 

 

[ehrentitle]

In the second photo that rd12 provided of GEN Schwarzkopf, the general appears to be wearing cloth insignia produced by a sew shop that was located just outside the gates of CENTCOM HQ at MacDill AFB, Florida. Note the distinctive master parachute wings that are nearly identical to those on the uniform below from my collection. This is a 1990 contract date DCU worn by a command sergeant major assigned to CENTCOM HQ. I have other DCUs worn in the 1990s that show this distinctive rank and qualificaiton insignia mostly worn by CENTCOM and Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE) personnel. This sew shop also made very distinctive heavy weave unit patches for CENTCOM and JCSE.

 

Sew on desert rank and qualification badges were really not standardized until 1998 when the Army officially recognized them and the US Army Institute of Heraldry provided standards for their production to manufacturers. Fellow forum member CW4AFB and I have recently completed writing a book on desert uniforms and insignia that will provide some good background on the wear of badges on the DBDU and DCU uniforms.

 

 

 

[1SG_1st_Cav]

This is a very interesting discussion!

[rd12]

Here is the only black embroidered on tan badge that I have been able to find for my CIB collection. This is a theater-made CIB embroidered on the reverse side of 6-color material. Unfortunately I don't have much info one when/where it was made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rd12]

In the second photo that rd12 provided of GEN Schwarzkopf, the general appears to be wearing cloth insignia produced by a sew shop that was located just outside the gates of CENTCOM HQ at MacDill AFB, Florida. Note the distinctive master parachute wings that are nearly identical to those on the uniform below from my collection. This is a 1990 contract date DCU worn by a command sergeant major assigned to CENTCOM HQ. I have other DCUs worn in the 1990s that show this distinctive rank and qualificaiton insignia mostly worn by CENTCOM and Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE) personnel. This sew shop also made very distinctive heavy weave unit patches for CENTCOM and JCSE.

 

 

Here is another DCU that has CIB and Aviator Wings made on same heavy backing, looks identical to what the "US ARMY" is embroidered on. I don't have any info on the DCU shirt, I clipped this picture somewhere because I don't have a CIB like this.

 

 

[ehrentitle]

 

Here is another DCU that has CIB and Aviator Wings made on same heavy backing, looks identical to what the "US ARMY" is embroidered on. I don't have any info on the DCU shirt, I clipped this picture somewhere because I don't have a CIB like this.

 

 

 

The distinctive weave of the material in the badges and name tapes are a signature of insignia made by this particular sew show outside MacDill AFB. They even made desert patches and tabs with this distinctive weave.

 

 

[BDU_Burger_Lover]

Talking about that particular kind of insignia: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/260099-advice-on-dcu-top-sf-combat-medic-possible-socom-custom-made-insignia/

[ehrentitle]

Talking about that particular kind of insignia: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/260099-advice-on-dcu-top-sf-combat-medic-possible-socom-custom-made-insignia/

 

Yes. There is also a discussion thread about this on the Desert Uniform Book FB page at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/DesertUniform

[BDU_Burger_Lover]

 

Yes. There is also a discussion thread about this on the Desert Uniform Book FB page at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/DesertUniform

 

Wasn't aware of that, thank you!

[ehrentitle]

[rd12]

I was finally able to find this style of badge for my CIB collection. This is on a DCU from a Warrant Officer. Unfortunately the rank and name have been removed.

 

[ehrentitle]

I was finally able to find this style of badge for my CIB collection. This is on a DCU from a Warrant Officer. Unfortunately the rank and name have been removed.

 

 

Great insignia, it a match to the badges made by the sew show outside MacDill AFB. Kevin