Expert: Rod Powers - 12/6/2007

Question
I will be attending OTS in the summer and my parents have offered to buy me a Saber for a graduation present. I had for years been under the impression that the one and only saber for officers and enlisted in the USAF was the USAF Sword. Recently as a member of the LRAFB HG, I discovered that the Honor Guard training manual (available from honorguard.af.mil) calls for officers to carry what is actually the Army Officer Saber. This manual is the only written guidance within the AF on the use of swords/sabers so it would seem that this is the appropriate saber to purchase and hang on the wall, despite the contradictory information that I have found from other sources. Although, I actually prefer the appearance of this saber, I still feel odd about owning something that seems as though it is reserved for Army Officers. Can you shed some light on this subject or at least give me your opinion?  

Thanks,

SSgt Adam G Baker
A very confused Airman

Answer
Hi Adam,

The Air Force Dress and Appearance Regulation contains absolutely not authority for Air Force members (either officer or enlisted) to wear swords in any uniform combination (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/afreg/p/afi362903.htm).

The Air Force itself, does not have their own tradition for swords and sabers. Any tradition that the Air Force has, is a derivative from the Army, as the Air Force only separated from the Army in 1947.

As the Air Force uniform regulation does not authorize swords, any authority to do so, is obviously based on local uniform supplements, and each locality may have different requirements.

For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my U.S. Military Information Site at http://usmilitary.about.com Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http:usmilitary.about.com