USAF "Friday Patches"?!

[Sabrejet]

Gentlemen..I've often heard tell of so called "Friday Patches" being worn in the USAF, but it's an area of patch collecting I know relatively little about. So, would anyone out there in Forum-Land care to post an example or two in the hope that it'll start the proverbial ball rolling? Thanks in advance!

 

Sabrejet :thumbsup:

[all-bull]

Sabre,

Check this out:

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...=friday+patches

 

Not any pictures, but explains them pretty good.

[Sabrejet]

Thanks all-bull...that explains it. It'd be good to see some examples though!

 

Sabrejet :thumbsup:

[PATCHRAT]

here is one for the 128th ACCS. The CAT in Lime green Shirt is the Party patch

[Sabrejet]

Thanks Patchrat. So what makes this a "Party Patch"? Is it a jokey version of the regular patch?

 

Sabrejet

[Randy]

Another aspect about Friday patches. Usually there will be a requirement for a certain patch to be worn after the duty day on Friday. This could be an aircraft patch, a recent TDY one, or a heritage patch (a design based on what the unit may have used in the past, but no longer). To be found with the wrong patch will usually cost the offender a penalty, meaning he'll be drinking a shot of whatever is deemed by the ranking individual in the bar. His flight commander may also be assessed for his subordinate's foul. Such is the action at the squadron bar on Friday evenings. Nametags with plays on words are also in the mix. Pocket tab patches seem to be a normal part of the uniform even though they are in violation of AF instructions. But you can't tell a fighter pilot that!

Randy

[BEAST]

Sabrejet, here is a Desert Flight suit worn in theatre in 2004. The pilot and I served together in the Air National Guard and we deployed together to "an undisclosed airbase in SW Asia." This uniform has the Friday patches (F-16 C+ and the eyes) that he wore. He gave it to me after we came back and all the patches are original. Not sure if the 163rd Fighter Squadron patch counts as a Friday patch or not.

 

[Sabrejet]

Thanks Beast and Randy for your input. So, among the 100s of USAF patches I have in my collection, some of the "humorous" ones could be so-called Friday Patches then?

 

Sabrejet

[Randy]

Thanks Beast and Randy for your input. So, among the 100s of USAF patches I have in my collection, some of the "humorous" ones could be so-called Friday Patches then?

 

Sabrejet

 

Most certainly. Again, it's up to each unit as to what would be a Friday patch. When I was in the 27 FS at Langley I saw the 27 FIS version remade and used as a Friday patch. Remakes of past insignia are also known as heritage patches, and differ from other Friday patches as they have history behind them. I saw the SWA deployment patch used as a Friday patch well after the unit returned from SWA. Most often used in the 27th was the F-15 Eagle Driver. Again, these patches are not always non-pc, they are however usually unofficial and generally not worn in regulation uniform.

Randy

[PATCHRAT]

I am not an AF guy but having just spent 3 years with the AF on flight status I noticed a lot of unofficial patches being worn. Not sure how the break down what patch is considered a party patch, a Friday patch, or a crew / moral patch.

Our crews almost always created a patch or two during our deployment which were worn by the crew on the aircraft only. Here are a few examples. In addition to these there are also any number of small pen tabs worn. There are tons of these crew patches and most are very difficult to figure out unless you were there.

[Sabrejet]

Thanks Patchrat and Randy. I'll go through my collection with a different eye now and see if I can't pick out those patches which would be likely to fall into that broad category.

 

Sabrejet :thumbsup:

[J_Andrews]

PARTY patches are from the pre-velcro era, when --especially overseas, mostly in Asia -- flyers had separate flight suits, or maybe a camouflage blazer, for wear at social events. In SEA, Snoopy items were common, often with profane/obscene refs.

 

FRIDAY patches began maybe in the late 80s, but were well-established by the conclusion of ODS in 1991. On Fridays, the Silly Factor rises and it is the day set aside for pranks and hail and farewell parties. The Friday patches are sometimes narrowly focused, such as joking mementos for/about a departing commander...."Robinson's Rebel Rammers", "Smith's Smurfs", etc.

 

My NCANG son has several silly patches for Friday wear, including desert tone Charlotte Panthers logo and North Carolina State University monogram ones.