Aiguillette
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An aiguillette is an ornamental braided cord worn on uniforms. It is French in origin and goes back to the use of horses in battle. A general's aide-de-camp carried a loop of cord to tie up the general's horse during dismount. As a practical approach, the aides would loop the cord around the epaulette flap on the shoulder of their tunic.
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[edit] Canada
Aiguillettes with shoulder boards are worn by military Aides-de-Camp to the Governor General. The aiguillette is gold with brass tags and worn on the right shoulder. Aides-de-Camp to the provincial Lieutenant Governors wear the same gold pattern aiguilette on the right shoulder, but do not wear shoulder boards. Obsolete style gold braid aiguilettes mixed with army green, navy blue, or air force blue may also still be worn by Aides-de-Camp to Lieutenant Governors by those officers who still have them. Aiguillettes are worn on the left shoulder by Aides-de-Camp to general or flag officers.
[edit] France
The aiguillettes are worn only with the dress uniform. There are several types of aiguillettes in the French military:
- Aiguilettes on the right shoulder are worn by officers filling certain duties.
- Staff officers in the President's Staff, the Prime Minister's Staff, the Defence Minister's Staff and the Maréchaux's Staff. The aiguillette is always in gold wire.
- the aides-de-camp to the President, the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Légion d'honneur, the Chiefs of Staff and the DGA. The aiguillette can be silver or gold, depending on the Officer's Corps. The AdC to the generals in the Army and the Air Force and all the staff officers in the Navy can also wear this aiguillette.
- the military attachés of an embassy. The aiguillette is always in gold wire.
- Aiguillettes on the left shoulder are worn by all members of some units :
- The Gendarmes. The aiguillette is white for the Gendarmerie départementale and gold for the Gendarmerie mobile, including the Garde Républicaine.
- The Bands. This aiguillette can be blue, red, or gold.
[edit] United Kingdom
There are four types of aiguillette worn in the British Army.
- Aiguillettes (1st Class) are of gold wire cord and are worn on the right shoulder by, among others, Field Marshals, Aides-de-Camp to the Sovereign, equerries to members of the Royal Family, and commissioned officers of the Household Cavalry (in full dress only). They are worn on the left shoulder in full dress by Warrant Officers of the Household Cavalry.
- Aiguillettes (2nd Class) are of gold and crimson and are worn on the right shoulder by, among others, military members of the Army Board and the personal staff of Governors. A simplified version with no coils is worn on the left shoulder by Staff Corporals, Corporals of Horse and Lance Corporals of Horse of the Household Cavalry in full dress.
- Aiguillettes (3rd Class) are of gold and crimson and are worn on the left shoulder by, among others, military attachés and aides-de-camp.
- Simple aiguillettes are worn by Lance Corporals of the Household Cavalry and by bandsmen of Dragoon Guards and Dragoon regiments in full dress.
[edit] United States
The aiguillette is worn on the right shoulder by military aides to the President of the United States. It is worn on the left shoulder by aides to flag officers, military attachés, General Staff Corps officers, and United States Navy boot camp Recruit Division Commanders. Navy Aides wear blue and gold cords, while Recruit Division Commanders wear red. A blue aiguillette is worn on the left shoulder by Cadets in Charge of Quarters at the United States Air Force Academy. In the United States Air Force as well as in the Civil Air Patrol, Honor Guard members wear a silver aiguillette on the left shoulder. CAP cadets acting as Cadet Advisory Council Representatives at the national level wear a gold aiguillette, at the regional level a blue aiguillette, and at the wing level a red aiguillette.
[edit] Ireland
Aiguillettes are only worn by the Aides-De-Camp to the President and Taoiseach. The President's ADC wears it on the right shoulder, the Taoiseach's ADC on the left.
[edit] Russian Federation
Aiguillettes are worn by honor guard personnel. A single silver aiguillette is worn on enlisted cut uniforms of minor detachments. A single gold aiguillette is worn on officer cut uniforms of minor detachments. A double gold aiguillette is worn on officer cut uniforms of major detachments. All personnel of major detachments wear officer cut uniforms.
