gary wrote:
remember, someday you will be old like me and perhaps look back fondly on your years serving the taxpayers, perhaps you want to save a few of these that have special meaning and I will frame them up for you to put on your "I Love Me" wall.
If Brad is anything like me, this stuff in the photo are things he has many duplicates of. I have a big board that has on it one of every patch I've ever officially worn on my flight suit...and I also have three huge bags of additional copies of many of the same patches, as well as other ones I've collected over the years.
Like Brad, I also have extra uniform insignia I've picked up along the way, as well as "outdated" racks of ribbons; racks that become outdated whenever you are awarded a new one or whenever you go for those great ribbon sets by UltraThin!
So, bottom line is that these are probably all "extras". I'm sure he is keeping at least one of the things he cares to keep.
gary wrote:
don't these items fall under the heading U.S. GOVT. PROPERTY, in other words taxpayer property on loan to you?
In general, no.
For the most part all of the items in Brad's photo fall into one of three other categories:
1) Purchased with government money, but in the category "XB3" which means "expendable". The USAF issues them and never expects to get them back or even wants them back. In the fighter world, this generally accouts for the MAJCOM patches and the medals. When these have been issued to you, once you are done with them as an end user you are essentially free to do what you want with them.
2) Purchased with private money at AAFES military clothing sales. This is where the stripes, ribbons, metal insignia, name tapes came from. Your money, your stuff.
3) Ordered by the squadron using private money. Every squadron I've been in has a "slush fund" (in the fighter world we call it the "Snacko" account) made up of non-government money. When you first get assigned to the squadron, you have to pay a "landing fee" (usually on the order of $50-$100) that gets you your squadron patch, your appropriately-colored name patch, your "friday patches" (in the fighter world), and pays for your going-away gift. So, while this is quasi-official, this is purchased with non-government dollars (it's actually purchased with YOUR money, just ordered by someone else) and you are free to do what you want with the merchandise purchased.
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