12A54 Posted June 29, 2017 Share #1 Posted June 29, 2017 I came across this during an unrelated internet search. It was such a unique array I thought I'd share it here - worn by a USAF Colonel who spent time on exchange with the US Navy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted June 29, 2017 Share #2 Posted June 29, 2017 Quite interesting! A Navy and Marine Corps Medal and a Navy Commendation...not bad for not being in the Navy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quack Posted June 30, 2017 Share #3 Posted June 30, 2017 And an AF Expert Marksman ribbon (third in next to bottom row)?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeclown Posted June 30, 2017 Share #4 Posted June 30, 2017 Is that also pilots wings from both the AF and the Navy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sapper23 Posted June 30, 2017 Share #5 Posted June 30, 2017 Who was this? I am listing all Navy and Marine Corps Medal recipients for a book about the medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted June 30, 2017 Share #6 Posted June 30, 2017 That is cool. Prior Navy or MC then AF. But not completely unusual.There are a lot of people that switch branches. I was Af then Army. I have seen MC then AF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 1, 2017 Author Share #7 Posted July 1, 2017 That is cool. Prior Navy or MC then AF. But not completely unusual.There are a lot of people that switch branches. I was Af then Army. I have seen MC then AF. Not prior service. He was an Air Force pilot who served an exchange with the Navy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 1, 2017 Author Share #8 Posted July 1, 2017 That is cool. Prior Navy or MC then AF. But not completely unusual.There are a lot of people that switch branches. I was Af then Army. I have seen MC then AF. Not prior service. He was an Air Force pilot who served an (apparently remarkable) exchange with the Navy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted July 1, 2017 Share #9 Posted July 1, 2017 Not prior service. He was an Air Force pilot who served an (apparently remarkable) exchange with the Navy. Well that is cool. Do you know what he did to receive the Navy-MC Medal? I never knew they had an 'exchange' program where you could wear the other branches wings. I knew AF medics that went to through the Expert Field Medical course and earned the EFMB, but that wasn't an exchange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decwriter Posted July 1, 2017 Share #10 Posted July 1, 2017 The AF will allow wings that were earned when serving in a prior branch to be worn on the blues. We had three of those guys (prior Navy) in my unit and two of the three wore the AF command pilot wings over the Navy wings. Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 1, 2017 Author Share #11 Posted July 1, 2017 Well that is cool. Do you know what he did to receive the Navy-MC Medal? I never knew they had an 'exchange' program where you could wear the other branches wings. I knew AF medics that went to through the Expert Field Medical course and earned the EFMB, but that wasn't an exchange. Sorry, no. I just ran across the photo and his bio but how he earned the NMCM wasn't mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garth Thompson Posted July 1, 2017 Share #12 Posted July 1, 2017 I believe this is a dual service guy, USN then AF. There is only one way to earn the right to wear Navy wings of gold and that is to be a graduate of the naval aviator training program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted July 1, 2017 Share #13 Posted July 1, 2017 I believe this is a dual service guy, USN then AF. There is only one way to earn the right to wear Navy wings of gold and that is to be a graduate of the naval aviator training program. That is what I was thinking, but according to the thread he just in an exchange program with the Navy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted July 1, 2017 Author Share #14 Posted July 1, 2017 http://www.aetc.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/600613/colonel-dean-w-lee/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted July 2, 2017 Share #15 Posted July 2, 2017 Interesting. I found some pics of home in his flight suit with only the command pilot wings. I'm think the Navy wings are honorary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garth Thompson Posted July 2, 2017 Share #16 Posted July 2, 2017 There have only been 29 Honorary Naval Aviators. There is only one Air Force officer on the list. If your man isn't Lt Col Butler you have the uniform of a dual service pilot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quack Posted July 3, 2017 Share #17 Posted July 3, 2017 I believe this is a dual service guy, USN then AF. There is only one way to earn the right to wear Navy wings of gold and that is to be a graduate of the naval aviator training program. I am not familiar with USN regs, but other services' wings can be authorized for some people not assigned to that service in select situations (e.g. exchange programs). I was formally awarded USAF Flight Surgeon wings, even though I was Army and only with the USAF for training (1 year program)-- somewhere, I have the formal USAF documentation which stated they were legal for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hink441 Posted July 3, 2017 Share #18 Posted July 3, 2017 Here is a link that shows a USAF pilot receiving USN Aviator wings. http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=854 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted July 3, 2017 Share #19 Posted July 3, 2017 Here is a link that shows a USAF pilot receiving USN Aviator wings.http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=854 image.jpeg That is very interesting. Thank you for the article, I tried googling it and came up with nothing. The pilot shown, according to his write up, also flew from a carrier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboy53 Posted July 3, 2017 Share #20 Posted July 3, 2017 The good colonel served as an instructor pilot for the Navy during his exchange duty. Earning the wings may very well have related to that period because he would have had to have met that standard, and obviously he as evidenced by the Navy decorations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted July 3, 2017 Share #21 Posted July 3, 2017 His earning of the naval aviator wings may or may not have been "officially" sanctioned, but like that news article above, things like that do happen. There's been a bad issue over the years with surface warfare COs awarding the SWO pin to naval aviators who qualify as officer of the deck on surface ships. In fact, the SWO community came out with a new qualification policy (2006 or so, IIRC) that clarified it and said that (basically) no naval aviator could earn a SWO pin. Wouldn't you know it though? Sure enough, my own CO started handing them out to the aviators...even though I complained to him and pointed out the line in the qualification policy! Sometimes things just make your head spin... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted July 3, 2017 Share #22 Posted July 3, 2017 His earning of the naval aviator wings may or may not have been "officially" sanctioned, but like that news article above, things like that do happen. There's been a bad issue over the years with surface warfare COs awarding the SWO pin to naval aviators who qualify as officer of the deck on surface ships. In fact, the SWO community came out with a new qualification policy (2006 or so, IIRC) that clarified it and said that (basically) no naval aviator could earn a SWO pin. Wouldn't you know it though? Sure enough, my own CO started handing them out to the aviators...even though I complained to him and pointed out the line in the qualification policy! Sometimes things just make your head spin... Regs are like laws, open to interpretation. LoL!!! Wouldlove to know what he did to receive the Navy/MC medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeclown Posted July 3, 2017 Share #23 Posted July 3, 2017 Dave it's the military golden rule "he who wears the most gold on his sleeve or shoulder makes the rules" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hink441 Posted July 3, 2017 Share #24 Posted July 3, 2017 His earning of the naval aviator wings may or may not have been "officially" sanctioned, but like that news article above, things like that do happen. There's been a bad issue over the years with surface warfare COs awarding the SWO pin to naval aviators who qualify as officer of the deck on surface ships. In fact, the SWO community came out with a new qualification policy (2006 or so, IIRC) that clarified it and said that (basically) no naval aviator could earn a SWO pin. Wouldn't you know it though? Sure enough, my own CO started handing them out to the aviators...even though I complained to him and pointed out the line in the qualification policy! Sometimes things just make your head spin... Dave, Just curious as to why would a Naval Aviator would be excluded from earning a SWO pin? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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