Cadet saber cost
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$135 
That answers that question! Thanks!$135
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AF friends - please educate me in the interests of general joint knowledge.
Is a sword a required item for Air Force officers? At what rank? Is it a sword or saber?
I admit this thread actually made me look up AF uniform regs, but I decided to do the classic SAF thing - ask someone.
In the Navy, officers wear swords, enlisted, cutlasses. Though swords can be prescribed wear for any officer rank at appropriate ceremonial occasions, the sword is not a required part of a Navy officer's gear until the rank of 0-4, lieutenant commander.
Typically only the principals (the big guns) at an official ceremony will wear them, and the officer in charge of the formation. I wore one for the first time as a LCDR in charge of a formation at a ceremony, then later as a principal. I have never seen an enlisted cutlass, which I am fairly sure would be optional.
We often find ourselves explaining to USNA mids and parents that there is no rush to get a sword for commissioning and spend $$$, as it's not required for several years. A well-known secret, since it's such a total PITA to do air travel with a sword, is that swords get borrowed at the destination. Travel with sword belt; pre-arrange the loan of a sword from a local. Since I worked on several admirals' staffs, and we are local in Annapolis, mine has done duty at several changes of command, commissionings, decommissionings, Navy birthday cake cuttings (keep an eagle eye out for the helpful person who does not clean the blade before re-sheathing in scabbard), wedding sword arches, wedding cake cuttings (be very vigilant about frosting cleaning there), and a USNA parade or two.
Marine officers have the elegant Mameluke sword, which, being Marines, I believe is required from Day One of commissioned service.
The swords you see USNA midshipman wear at formations and parades are issue swords, "loaner gear," not personally owned by them.
Is a sword a required item for Air Force officers? At what rank? Is it a sword or saber?
I admit this thread actually made me look up AF uniform regs, but I decided to do the classic SAF thing - ask someone.
In the Navy, officers wear swords, enlisted, cutlasses. Though swords can be prescribed wear for any officer rank at appropriate ceremonial occasions, the sword is not a required part of a Navy officer's gear until the rank of 0-4, lieutenant commander.
Typically only the principals (the big guns) at an official ceremony will wear them, and the officer in charge of the formation. I wore one for the first time as a LCDR in charge of a formation at a ceremony, then later as a principal. I have never seen an enlisted cutlass, which I am fairly sure would be optional.
We often find ourselves explaining to USNA mids and parents that there is no rush to get a sword for commissioning and spend $$$, as it's not required for several years. A well-known secret, since it's such a total PITA to do air travel with a sword, is that swords get borrowed at the destination. Travel with sword belt; pre-arrange the loan of a sword from a local. Since I worked on several admirals' staffs, and we are local in Annapolis, mine has done duty at several changes of command, commissionings, decommissionings, Navy birthday cake cuttings (keep an eagle eye out for the helpful person who does not clean the blade before re-sheathing in scabbard), wedding sword arches, wedding cake cuttings (be very vigilant about frosting cleaning there), and a USNA parade or two.
Marine officers have the elegant Mameluke sword, which, being Marines, I believe is required from Day One of commissioned service.
The swords you see USNA midshipman wear at formations and parades are issue swords, "loaner gear," not personally owned by them.
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Don't know what the regs say but DS didn't wear one at commissioning (no one did), nor has he worn one since, including TBS graduation. He still carts it around in the original box. I'm confident one day he will need it, but not yet.
Marines won't wear them unless in parades, sword arches, some change of commands. Since I was a USNA grad, and we drilled with swords, I did a lot of change of commands, sword arches and parades as a Lt. It is required on day 1 as a Marine and at TBS we had a sword manual test. For USNA grads who carried swords, it could of been done in our sleep. For those who didn't have a sword positions or those unfamiliar with it, not hard to pick up.