5 ms·

I could swear there was a discussion here or on Reddit about a year ago that talked about military insignias and how some of them were intended to be lightheart

I could swear there was a discussion here or on Reddit about a year ago that talked about military insignias and how some of them were intended to be lighthearted and poke fun. Does anyone remember that thread?

etrautmann 4y ago
There was the NRO badge discussion, can’t find the main thread but see: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20646853 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20646853
- janee 4y ago
  I think it's this one https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21202600 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21202600 The nuclear command badges are also pretty good https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21214730 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21214730
acdanger 4y ago
The artist Trevor Paglen did a project where he collected these. There’s a book: https://www.phaidon.com/agenda/art/articles/2018/may/22/trevor-paglen-subverts-classified-military-insignia/ https://www.phaidon.com/agenda/art/articles/2018/may/22/trev... Edit: fixed typo
- maxbond 4y ago
  This talk of theirs is worth watching, they mention the military patches: https://youtu.be/lvEMSRKniWk https://youtu.be/lvEMSRKniWk
brabarossa 4y ago
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29631682 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29631682 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NRO_launches https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NRO_launches
throwaway743 4y ago
DEA has some crazy ones https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0217/0182/products/dangerous_drugs_2_1080x.jpg https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0217/0182/products/dangero... https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/files/2015/03/dea_cocaine.jpg https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/files/2015/03/... https://dangerousminds.net/content/uploads/images/made/content/uploads/images/drug2finalsdfsdfsdf_465_413_int.jpg https://dangerousminds.net/content/uploads/images/made/conte...
- SturgeonsLaw 4y ago
  Surely whoever designed those was tripping balls
  - ch4s3 4y ago
    Power is a hell of a drug
- quickthrower2 4y ago
  They could easily be graffiti insignia for an illegal rave.
pigbearpig 4y ago
The morale (semi-official) or unofficial ones certainly usually have an element of humor or ridiculousness. The official ones must follow guidelines and must be approved, so that has taken a bit of the fun out of it. Some info on the official process. AFI 84-105 CH 3 https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_ho/publication/dafi84-105/dafi84-105.pdf https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_ho/public... Guide to AF Heraldry https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Organizational-Records/AFD-130506-005.pdf https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Organizational... Edit: Just to be clear - this example, National Intelligence Manager for Aviation (NIM-A) is part of the cabinet and not the DoD / USAF and wouldn't have to follow those examples.
- ethbr0 4y ago
  Can also add that the weather unit out of Dobbins has a good sense of humor. Saw their convoy coming back from running post-hurricane weather radar on the Florida pan-handle -- a long line of Humvees and all-black trailers festooned with antennas. And most of them had alien head stickers on their trailers.
jdiennbn 4y ago
Referring to this article? https://thedebrief.org/mysterious-insignias-and-symbols-from-the-classified-world/ https://thedebrief.org/mysterious-insignias-and-symbols-from...

etrautmann 4y ago

There was the NRO badge discussion, can’t find the main thread but see: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20646853 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20646853

janee 4y ago
I think it's this one https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21202600 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21202600 The nuclear command badges are also pretty good https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21214730 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21214730

acdanger 4y ago

The artist Trevor Paglen did a project where he collected these. There’s a book: https://www.phaidon.com/agenda/art/articles/2018/may/22/trevor-paglen-subverts-classified-military-insignia/ https://www.phaidon.com/agenda/art/articles/2018/may/22/trev... Edit: fixed typo

maxbond 4y ago
This talk of theirs is worth watching, they mention the military patches: https://youtu.be/lvEMSRKniWk https://youtu.be/lvEMSRKniWk

brabarossa 4y ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29631682 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29631682 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NRO_launches https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NRO_launches

throwaway743 4y ago

DEA has some crazy ones https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0217/0182/products/dangerous_drugs_2_1080x.jpg https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0217/0182/products/dangero... https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/files/2015/03/dea_cocaine.jpg https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/files/2015/03/... https://dangerousminds.net/content/uploads/images/made/content/uploads/images/drug2finalsdfsdfsdf_465_413_int.jpg https://dangerousminds.net/content/uploads/images/made/conte...

SturgeonsLaw 4y ago
Surely whoever designed those was tripping balls
- ch4s3 4y ago
  Power is a hell of a drug
quickthrower2 4y ago
They could easily be graffiti insignia for an illegal rave.

pigbearpig 4y ago

The morale (semi-official) or unofficial ones certainly usually have an element of humor or ridiculousness. The official ones must follow guidelines and must be approved, so that has taken a bit of the fun out of it. Some info on the official process. AFI 84-105 CH 3 https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_ho/publication/dafi84-105/dafi84-105.pdf https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_ho/public... Guide to AF Heraldry https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Organizational-Records/AFD-130506-005.pdf https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Organizational... Edit: Just to be clear - this example, National Intelligence Manager for Aviation (NIM-A) is part of the cabinet and not the DoD / USAF and wouldn't have to follow those examples.

ethbr0 4y ago
Can also add that the weather unit out of Dobbins has a good sense of humor. Saw their convoy coming back from running post-hurricane weather radar on the Florida pan-handle -- a long line of Humvees and all-black trailers festooned with antennas. And most of them had alien head stickers on their trailers.

jdiennbn 4y ago

Referring to this article? https://thedebrief.org/mysterious-insignias-and-symbols-from-the-classified-world/ https://thedebrief.org/mysterious-insignias-and-symbols-from...