1 Lesson 2 The Military Uniform and Appearance Standards The Military Uniform and Appearance Standards A. Define, Describe, or Identify: 1. Uniform A distinctive mode of dress. The English word uniform comes from a combination of two Latin words, unus and forma, which means "one form." P 17. 2. Bulk The distance that the hair projects from the scalp when groomed (as opposed to the length of hair). P 24. 3. Insignia A badge or mark of office or honor. Grade insignia identify the rank of each member of the Armed Forces. P 24. B. List or Describe: 1. Discuss the history of the uniform. Romans wore different styles of togas, including one worn only by candidates for public office, another worn only by emperors, and a third worn by the lower classes, mourners, and people accused of crimes. P 17. Greek heavy infantrymen wore a helmet, breastplate, and armor covering their legs below the knee; they also carried a shield and sword. The lightfoot Greek soldier wore no armor and carried a lighter shield and a spear. P 18 National armies with standardized uniforms came into being in England during the Great Rebellion (1642 1646). The English uniform was red with different colored facings for different regiments. P 18. 2. List four do s for wearing the AFJROTC uniform. Any four of the following (P 20 21): Wear the standard Air Force service uniform, as prescribed in AFI 36-2903, properly and with pride. Wear the uniform on the day established by the SASI (usually at least one day each week). 1 774
Wear the uniform at other times specified by the SASI. Wear the uniform when you fly on military aircraft. Wear the uniform when you participate in a color guard or on a drill team. Keep your shoes polished and shined, including the heels and edges of soles. Make sure your shoes are appropriate for the activity. For example, wear athletic shoes if you re playing sports or boots if walking through heavy foliage. Safety is the major concern. Ensure that badges, insignia, belt buckles, and other metallic devices are clean and free of scratches and corrosion. Keep ribbons clean and replace them when they become worn, frayed, or faded. If your unit is at a military high school, wear the distinctive uniform required by the institution for special occasions or ceremonies. 3. List four don ts for wearing the uniform. Any four of the following (P 21): Do not wear the Air Force commissioned officer sleeve braid or the officer silver thread on flight caps. Do not wear the uniform with other clothing. Do not lend your uniform to anyone who is not a member of the Air Force Junior ROTC program. Do not allow articles such as wallets, pencils, pens, watch chains, checkbooks, handkerchiefs, and combs to be visible. (You may allow parts of pens and pencils to be exposed when you carry them in the left shirt pocket of the battle dress uniform [BDU].) Do not wear earphones or headphones while in uniform, unless required for duty. Do not carry pagers or cell phones, unless required for duty. (When required for duty, they must be clipped to the waistband or purse or be carried in the left hand when not in use.) 4. List the guidelines that govern how female and male AFJROTC cadets should wear their hair when in uniform. Female cadets: Hair should be no longer that the bottom of the collar edge at the back of the neck. Hairstyles must be conservative no extreme or faddish styles 775
are allowed. Hair should look professional and allow cadets to wear uniform headgear in the proper manner, so hair must not be too full or high on the head. Hairstyles should not need many grooming aids. Pins, combs, barrettes, or similar items must be plain, similar to hair color, and modest in size. Wigs and hairpieces must also conform to these guidelines. P 23. Male cadets: Hair must be kept clean, neat, and trimmed. It must not contain large amounts of grooming aids. When hair is groomed, it should not touch the ears or eyebrows. Only the closely cut or shaved hair on the back of the neck should touch the collar. P 24. 5. Describe the male cadet uniform. The male service dress uniform consists of a dark blue service coat and trousers, a light blue long sleeve shirt, and a dark blue tie. The coat should be form fitted, with the sleeve length extending to one-quarter inch from the heel of the thumb when the arms are hanging naturally at the sides. The bottom of the coat should extend 3 to 3.5 inches from below the top of the thigh. Trousers must be trim-fitted with no bunching at the waist or bagging at the seat. The trousers should rest on top of the shoe with a slight break in the crease. The backs of the trousers should be seveneighths inch longer than the front. The proper length of the trousers can be determined while standing at attention. P 20. 6. Discuss the appearance rules regarding jewelry while in uniform. You may wear a wristwatch and rings, but no more than three rings at any one time. You may wear one bracelet if it is neat and conservative but the bracelet must not be wider than one inch and must not subject anyone to potential injury. You may not wear ornaments on your head or around your neck. Female cadets in uniform may wear earrings if the earrings are conservative and kept within sensible limits. Earrings worn in each earlobe must match. Earrings should fit tightly without extending below the earlobes, unless they are clip earrings. P 22. 776
C. Multiple Choice: Circle the letter that correctly completes the statement. 1. The grade insignia for a Cadet Staff Sergeant is. P 29. a. A pointed chevron of two stripes, with a torch in the middle b. A chevron of three inverted stripes c. A chevron of one double-wide inverted stripe d. A pointed chevron of four stripes, with a torch in the middle 2. The grade insignia for a Brigadier General is a. P 26. a. Silver star b. Silver eagle c. Gold leaf d. Silver bar 3. A Cadet Airman s grade insignia is a _. P 29. a. Silver star b. Chevron of one inverted stripe c. Pointed chevron of one stripe, with a torch in the middle d. Chevron of one double-wide inverted stripe 4. The grade insignia for a Major General is. P 26. a. A silver star b. Two silver stars in a line c. Three silver stars in a line d. Four silver stars in a line 777
5. An Airman First Class (A1C) grade insignia is a chevron of. P 27 28. a. Two silver stripes with a silver star in the middle b. Five silver stripes with three stripes in inverted position above a silver star c. Five silver stripes d. Two silver stripes 6. An Airman s grade insignia is a chevron of. P 27. a. Four silver stripes with a silver star in the middle b. One silver stripe with a silver star in the middle c. Three silver stripes d. One silver stripe 7. The grade insignia for a Chief Master Sergeant is a chevron of. P 27. a. Five stripes b. Four stripes with one stripe in inverted position above the star c. Six stripes d. Five stripes with three stripes in inverted position above the star 8. The grade insignia for a Senior Airman is a chevron of. P 28. a. Two stripes b. Five stripes c. Four stripes with a silver star in the middle d. Three stripes with a silver star in the middle 778
D. Matching: Match the term in Column A with the description in Column B. Write the letter of your answer on the line before the term. You may use each item from Column B only once, but you won t use all of them. Column A Column B 1. Gold bar P 26. a. Grade insignia for Cadet Senior Airman 2. Pointed chevron of three stripes, with torch in the middle P 29. 3. Two connected silver bars P 26. 4. Pointed chevron of two stripes, with torch in the middle P 29. b. Grade insignia for Cadet Captain c. Grade insignia for Cadet Airman First Class d. Grade insignia for Second Lieutenant 5. Silver leaf P 26. e. Grade insignia for Cadet Second Lieutenant 6. Chevron of one inverted stripe P 29. 7. Pointed chevron of eight stripes, with three stripes inverted above the torch in the middle P 29. f. Grade insignia for Cadet Technical Sergeant g. Grade insignia for Captain h. Grade insignia for Cadet Senior Master Sergeant i. Grade insignia for Lieutenant Colonel j. Grade insignia for Cadet Chief Master Sergeant E. Fill in the Blanks: Fill in the blank with the word or words needed to complete the statement. 1. A Staff Sergeant's grade insignia is a chevron of. P 27. 2. A has a chevron of five stripes with one stripe in inverted position above the star. P 27. 779
3. The grade insignia for a Cadet Master Sergeant is a pointed chevron of six stripes with a in the middle. P 29. 4. A chevron of is the grade insignia for a Technical Sergeant. P 27. 5. The grade insignia with a chevron of five stripes with two stripes in inverted position above the star is for a. P 27. F. True/False: Place a T in the blank if the statement is true and an F in the blank if the statement is false. 1. A Cadet First Lieutenant wears a chevron of two inverted stripes. P 29. 2. The insignia of a Cadet Major is a chevron of three inverted stripes. P 29. 3. A Cadet Lieutenant Colonel wears a chevron of two double-wide inverted stripes. P 29. 4. A chevron of one double-wide inverted stripe and two regular inverted stripes belongs to a Cadet Colonel. P 29. 5. If a cadet officer s insignia contains a double-wide stripe, the officer must be above the rank of Cadet Captain. P 29. G. Short Answer (Things to Think About): Write a short answer to each question. 1. Why are cadets prohibited from wearing AFJROTC uniforms at student demonstrations and other political events? Air Force Instruction (AFI) 36-2903 forbids those in military uniform to participate in public speeches, rallies, interviews, picket lines, marches, or any other public demonstration where it might be implied that the Air Force supports a particular cause. Engaging in an activity might imply Air Force support of one political cause, candidate, or party over another. P 18 19. 780
2. What are the four elements of the standards for wearing the uniform and why are they important? The four elements for wearing the uniform are neatness, cleanliness, safety, and military image. Neatness, cleanliness, and safety are important for the efficiency, health, and well-being of the force. Military image is an important aspect of military appearance. People draw conclusions as to the military effectiveness of the Air Force by how they perceive those in uniform. P 22. 781