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USASOC Aviation BDU


AKC123
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Just got this USASOC BDU with jump and senior aviation wings. No name tape unfortunately. Interestingly the combat patch looks to be of a different type than the SSI on the left sleeve. Different color and the dagger looks a bit more crude and slightly off center if the arrow head. Theater made? Not sure. Also it look like there was another badge previously located where the jump wings are now. Possibly the standard aviation badge that was replaced with the senior then moved up to place the jump wings? Any thoughts would be appreciated thanks.  

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Patches look like manufacturers variants to me.  My guess is they were purchased at different times so not exactly the same.  Nothing about either one says theater made.  Just one guys opinion though.  Thanks

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55 minutes ago, ekclete said:

Patches look like manufacturers variants to me.  My guess is they were purchased at different times so not exactly the same.  Nothing about either one says theater made.  Just one guys opinion though.  Thanks

Hey nothing wrong with opinions. That’s why we are here. Thanks for the reply. 

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Martinjmpr

I concur with the above.  Even among "factory made" patches there were variations between different manufacturers and some of the patches "evolved" over time.   Theater made patches are usually quite distinctive and often made of different material than issued patches.  

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15 minutes ago, Martinjmpr said:

I concur with the above.  Even among "factory made" patches there were variations between different manufacturers and some of the patches "evolved" over time.   Theater made patches are usually quite distinctive and often made of different material than issued patches.  

I see. Yea I have a copy of Kevin born’s Desert Uniforms, patches and insignia of us armed forces and he covers the USASOC SSI with a couple pages but I wasn’t sure if it translates over to the green BDU patches as well. I haven’t quite become familiar enough to be able to spot the difference easily without going back and referencing. 

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The jump wings are definitely off center. I think they were moved from way left to a little too far right.

 

Back when I was a private it was $1 per patch for sewing and it wasn’t a big deal, but it was probably closer to $4 or $5 when this troop was in. Sewing would have been about $40 for this shirt. That’s good beer money. This is “close enough”, since the soldier would have been in a flight suit about 95% of the time. He’s probably angry he had to sew on the senior wings. I never bothered with mine.

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54 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

The jump wings are definitely off center. I think they were moved from way left to a little too far right.

 

Back when I was a private it was $1 per patch for sewing and it wasn’t a big deal, but it was probably closer to $4 or $5 when this troop was in. Sewing would have been about $40 for this shirt. That’s good beer money. This is “close enough”, since the soldier would have been in a flight suit about 95% of the time. He’s probably angry he had to sew on the senior wings. I never bothered with mine.

I hadn’t considered that the jump wings were moved. If you look closely at the the area either side other you can seen what looks to be holes from stitching that closely approximate the size of the aviation wings so I was thinking the standard aviation badge was removed from that location. But what you say makes sense also. Guess we will never know 

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He could have added the jump wings later, as airborne qualification used to be required in 160th. Many people went to Jump school after selection to SOAR.

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Also, let me throw this out there....

There is a difference in color between subdued unit patches intended for wear on the BDU vs the ACU. Since the BDU and ACU were both authorized for serveral years, the soldier might have been given the ACU version. I have some of both and the ACU patch has more grey to it.

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1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

Also, let me throw this out there....

There is a difference in color between subdued unit patches intended for wear on the BDU vs the ACU. Since the BDU and ACU were both authorized for serveral years, the soldier might have been given the ACU version. I have some of both and the ACU patch has more grey to it.

Ah I didn’t think about that. Aren’t they all hook. Back tho? 

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