Post your military armbands.

[Salvage Sailor]

Nice, Acting Sergeant armband

[Cobra 6 Actual]

To expand on what Salvage Sailor wrote, these  were used in the Army during Basic and Advanced training to designate Privates in Acting Sergeant positions. There’s also an Acting Corporal armband version with two stripes. 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

On 9/1/2022 at 5:49 PM, jmd62 said:

 

Very cool Cobra 6, I wasn't aware they had their own AWOL Apprehension armbands. Nice!

Yep, jmd62. And sometimes those MP’s had to stop chasing AWOL’s so they could have a quick smoke break:

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Well, there’s always something new to learn with collecting. I have sort of a sub-collection of civil defense pins, patches, badges, armbands, signs, and documents. In over 50 years of collecting all of that I had never seen the term “Wardenette” … until now:

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Better picture:

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Civil Defense Auxiliary Police armband with an unknown set of bars (perhaps a Captain?):

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

That’s a curious set of rank bars as the official version of ranks is composed of small triangles (black or silver) and gold stars:

 

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Curiously this LA County armband does use the above rank triangles as shown at the top of the chart. But the armband “flips” the middle triangle upside down:

 

[jmd62]

Very interesting one Cobra 6!

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thanks, jmd62. Here’s another mystery one, civil defense of some sort:

 

[General Apathy]

.

Hi Cobra 6.

 

Thank you for continuing this topic originally started by ' Sabrejet ' ( Ian Phillips ),  here's a photograph I found in my files today a photo of Ian when he visited me here in Normandy 2016, and he's wearing a USMF forum cap. . . . . . .  ( Ian died September 2021 )

 

.

 

 

regards lewis.

 

...

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Great photo of Ian, Lewis. Thank you for posting! Here’s an armband I recently got that briefly sent me down a “rabbit hole”:

 

 

Now in the USA the letters “VA” to military people always connotes “Veterans Administration” or “Veterans Affairs” (I would guess that in the UK you would perhaps think of the “Victoria and Albert Museum”). So then I tried to parse out the “RCMP” part and I came up with “Reserve Commissioned Military Police”. But suddenly the proverbial lightbulb came on that the acronym was for “Royal Canadian Mounted Police”. And the “VA”? It turns out that is for “Veterans Association”. I’m sure that Ian would have appreciated the fun of determining what organization an armband is for.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Naval Support Activity Pacific Office, Japan, Security Guard:

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Ft. Lewis, Washington, Reception Center “Cadre” with Installation Command (IMCO) patch:

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

And here’s a similar armband, atill qith the Installation Command patch, but after Ft. Lewis and McChord AFB were consolidated in 2010:

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Oops, my internal “spell check” clearly failed me yesterday. That first sentence, above, should have began “And here’s a similar armband, still with the Installation Command patch …”

 

And here’s one for the 64th Reception Center, US Army Europe (USAEUR):

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

 

This armband has the appearance of being made from Army blanket material. It is for the Virginia National Guard’s 78th Maneuver Training Center. Unfortunately, I don’t know what the ARR II is for.

[Salvage Sailor]

32 minutes ago, Cobra 6 Actual said:

 

This armband has the appearance of being made from Army blanket material. It is for the Virginia National Guard’s 78th Maneuver Training Center. Unfortunately, I don’t know what the ARR II is for.

 

"COL William R. Kelley, a representative of Army Readiness Region II (ARR II) encompassing Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia..."

 

Reference see page 39 here -->  https://tradocfcoeccafcoepfwprod.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/fires-bulletin-archive/1980/JAN_FEB_1980/JAN_FEB_1980_FULL_EDITION.pdf

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thank you, Salvage Sailor,  for de-mystifying the acronym. And, it should also be “Maneuver Training Command”, not “Center”. Much appreciated!

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Haven’t been able to track down which Marine Corps base this was used at yet. A friend of mine who worked many years at Quantico is pretty sure it is NOT from there. Ideas?
 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Haven’t posted in awhile, but here’s a cool armband:

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Here’s a Marine Corps armband that is so faded that the red background cloth almost looks pink:

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Marine Corps “Charge of Quarters”, late 1940’s to mid 1950’s:

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

WWII Marine Corps “P.M.” (Provost Marshal) armband: