Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

United States Army

Second World War

Air Force Command Arcs

SSIw/arc

Air Transport Command
ITCC ATSC proving ground
I Troop Carrier Command Air Technical Service Command Proving Ground Command
training
Training Command

In 1942 the Army was reorganized into three basic commands: Ground Forces, Service Forces and Air Forces. Prior to that time the term Air Corps was in use. At the same time a blue circular shoulder sleeve insignia with a white star having a red circle in the center and flanked by orange wings was adopted as the insignia for Army Air Force personnel. With the tremendous expansion of the Air Force the Air Forces patch became one of the most widely worn shoulder sleeve insignia of the war. Within the Air Force there was dissatisfaction that the Air Forces patch did not allow an observer to determine, which of the many commands the wearer belonged. The addition of a tab indicating the command was suggested. However, the Quartermaster Corps, which was responsible for the design and supply of new insignia, resisted the adoption of the additional insignia. After a long process of recommendation, rejection and consultation, the many strenuous objections of the Quartermaster were overruled and the concept of arc tabs were approved for Air Forces Commands on July 28, 1945 (Change 4 to AR 600-40). Some of these specific arcs were approved prior to the end of hostilities, but the vast majority were approved after September 2, 1945.

Those approved on May 31, 1945 included:


Those approved after September 2, 1945 included (among others): Others exist for which I have been unable to find a specific date of adoption.

Thanks to Patricia A. Lanham of the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry for her assistance with this page.

Back to Miscellaneous Air Force Insignia
Back to Home Page