Slip-on
Encyclopedia
Epaulette
Epaulette is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations.Epaulettes are fastened to the shoulder by a shoulder strap or "passant", a small strap parallel to the shoulder seam, and the button near the collar, or by laces on the...
, is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap
Shoulder strap
A shoulder strap is a strap over a shoulder. They are often affixed to women's dresses to support its weight or as part of its style. The term is also applied to carrying bags and to epaulettes.-Carrier shoulder strap:...
of a uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
. It may bear rank
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
or other insignia. Sources disagree as to whether a shoulder board and an epaulette are the same thing.
Australia
The newer Auscam uniform design lacks shoulder epaulettes, instead opting for a sleeve on the front of the chest region of the uniform. Rank insignia tags are slipped onto this sleeve. Unlike the older uniform designs, there are slip-ons for every rank in the Australian Defence ForceAustralian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
.
The older Auscam uniform designs featured shoulder straps, upon which slip-on rank insignia of Commissioned Officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
could be affixed, and non-commissioned officers in the Air Force and Navy only. No shoulder-strap slip-ons are available for enlisted members of the army whereas the other two services had appropriate slip ons, who have rank patches sewed onto the uniform arms. This older design is no longer issued, but may still be seen on personnel whose most recent uniform issue pre-dates the use of the new design.
Canada
In the Canadian ForcesCanadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
, slip-ons are worn on the shoulder straps of the Service Dress
Service dress
Service Dress may refer to any of several military uniforms:*Service Dress *Service Dress, a uniform of the United States Navy*Service Dress, a uniform of the United States Air Force...
shirt, overcoat, raincoat, and sweater; CANEX parka and windbreaker; Naval Combat Dress jacket and shirt; Military Police Operational Patrol Dress shirt and jacket; and the old olive-drab Combat Uniform jacket and shirt. The slip-ons are worn on a similar-style strap located in the centre of the chest (and sometimes centre of the back as well) of the CADPAT
CADPAT
Canadian Disruptive Pattern is the computer-generated digital camouflage pattern currently used by the Canadian Forces . CADPAT is designed to reduce the likelihood of detection by night vision devices. The basic uniform consists of a wide brim combat hat, helmet cover, shirt, jacket, trousers,...
shirt, jacket, parka, and raincoat. Slip-ons are not worn on the Service Dress jacket, or with Mess Dress
Mess dress
Mess dress is the military term for the formal evening dress worn in the mess or at other formal occasions. It is also known as mess uniform and mess kit...
.
Canadian Forces slip-ons include:
- Army Service Dress: rifle green slip-on with a regimental or branch title, or the word "CANADA", in gold cotton thread, called "CF gold", at the bottom (shoulder) edge. OfficerOfficer (armed forces)An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
s also wear their rank insignia in CF gold braid; non-commissioned memberNon-commissioned memberA non-commissioned member , in the Canadian Forces, is defined in the Queen's Regulations and Orders as:"… any person, other than an officer, who is enrolled in, or who pursuant to law is attached or seconded otherwise than as an officer to, the Canadian Forces…" Thus, an NCM is any member who is...
s' slip-ons are plain. - Air Force Service Dress: Air Force blue slip-on with "CANADA" in a darker shade of gold thread called "old gold" at the bottom. Officers' ranks are in CF gold braid, non-commissioned members' in old gold.
- Navy Service Dress and Naval Combat Dress: black slip-ons with "CANADA" and rank insignia (all ranks) in CF gold.
- CADPAT: Slip-ons are either in CADPAT Temperate Woodland (TW) or Arid Region (AR) disruptive pattern, as determined by the uniform. The word "CANADA" or an applicable branch, regimental, or air unit title is stitched near the bottom, with rank insignia (all ranks) above; thread is light green for Army personnel. For Air force and Navy personnel it is Olive Drab with dark blue thread for Air Force personnel and Black for Navy personnel.
- Combat uniform: olive drab slip-on with "CANADA" or regimental title on the bottom edge in a lighter olive thread. Rank insignia was embroidered on for officers, and sometimes for non-commissioned members; more often, the non-commissioned member's rank was issued in the form of a patch that was either stitched onto the epaulet (preferred Air Force and Navy practice) or directly onto the upper shirt or jacket sleeve with the slip-on left blank (preferred Army practice).
Military
Based on the shoulder boards used by the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
developed the shoulder mark, a cloth tube with embroidered or pinned rank insignia. Army officer shoulder marks are black with a 1/8-inch gold stripe below the embroidered grade insignia (the end far from the collar). In the Air Force, a similar stripe is limited to senior officers
Field officer
A field officer is an army, marine, or air force commissioned officer senior in rank to a company officer but junior to a general officer; in some navies, it is an officer who is a Lieutenant Commander, Commander, or Captain....
(majors and above). Air Force general officers have an additional stripe at the near end. Enlisted
Enlisted rank
An enlisted rank is, in most Militaries, any rank below a commissioned officer or warrant officer. The term can also be inclusive of non-commissioned officers...
and Air Force junior officer
Company-grade officer
In US military usage, a company-grade officer is a Second Lieutenant, First Lieutenant, or Captain.In the Army, company-grade officers are typically assigned to a company as a platoon leader or executive officer or as a commander . They may also be assigned as staff officers. They may preside...
shoulder marks lack these distinctions. These are worn on all class B uniform shirts. US Navy officers wear shoulder boards on Summer White and Service Dress White uniforms, and wool overcoats and reefers. "Soft shoulder boards" (shoulder marks) are worn on long sleeve white shirts and on black sweaters worn with Service Khaki or Service Dress Blue uniforms. The Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
wears Naval style shoulderboards on all class B uniform shirts.
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
uses colored shoulder loops worn on the shoulder straps to indicate the program level. Webelos Scouts wearing tan uniforms and all Cub Scout leaders wear blue loops, Boy Scouts and leaders wear forest green loops (changed from red in 2008), Varsity Scouts and leaders wear blaze (orange) loops, and Venturers
Venturing (Boy Scouts of America)
Venturing is part of the program of the Boy Scouts of America for young adults, men and women, from the age of 14 years old or 13 years old and completed eighth grade through 21....
and leaders wear green loops. Adults or youth who hold a district, council, or section position wear silver loops; those with area, regional, or national positions wear gold loops.
United Kingdom
Rank slides are used by all of the UK Armed Forces, primarily in working dress uniforms.Royal Navy
Shoulder straps are worn by officers on working uniform and tropical dress uniform, bearing the same insignia carried on the cuffs of the dress uniform.Army
In the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, shoulder straps are worn with dress and service uniforms, however, in combat dress rank insignia is displayed on 'rank slides' worn on the chest.
RAF
In the RAF, rank slides are worn by all ranks (except ACAircraftman
Aircraftman , or Aircraftwoman , is the lowest rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of several other Commonwealth countries....
, which has no insignia) on the shoulders of working dress uniforms, and also on flying clothing and coveralls. Similar rank slides are also worn on a single tab on the chest of operational (CS95) clothing.