How to Wear a Captain's Insignia
Members of the U.S. Armed Forces wear insignia that let people know what rank they have earned. Captains in the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps wear two bars that resemble a vertical "equals" symbol. Navy and Coast Guard captains wear insignia that bears an image of a bald eagle with its head turned. All military insignia is worn in the same manner, regardless of branch affiliation.
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Instructions
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Duty Uniform
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1
Orient the hook-and-pile insignia patch so the two bars are vertical or the eagle's head is upright.
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2
Place your uniform jacket face up on a flat surface. Locate the empty hook-and-pile patch in the center of the chest area.
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3
Affix the insignia patch to the empty hook-and-pile patch. The back of the insignia patch is made of firm pile fasteners that grip the coarse hook fasteners attached to the jacket. Adjust the insignia patch so the edges are flush with the patch on the jacket.
Beret
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4
Place your beret on a flat surface with the flash facing up. The flash is the blue patch surrounded by stars.
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5
Orient your rank insignia pin so the bars are vertical.
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6
Hold the rank insignia pin above the flash. Center the rank insignia on the flash and gently touch the pin prongs to the flash.
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7
Press the rank insignia pin into the flash after you center it. If it does not appear centered once the pin has been attached, remove it and start again. Army Regulation 670-1 states that the rank insignia must be well-centered.
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8
Affix the pin backings to each prong on the inside of the beret.
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1
Tips & Warnings
It is usually difficult to force the pin prongs into flash. If you have difficulty, place a towel over the rank insignia, put your beret on the floor and step on the rank with your boot to force it through.
If you lose your pin backings, break a pencil eraser from the top of an ordinary pencil. Press the eraser onto the sharp point of the prong.
References
- Photo Credit Joe Raedle/Getty Images News/Getty Images
