HELP WANTED - The Most Interesting Scarf in the World... (UPDATE - 48th TFW Stan/Eval scarf)

Once upon a time, there were three scarves, they looked similar, but they were different. They were part of a series made by P&M Embroidery of Huntingdon, UK, for the units at RAF Lakenheath. Their colors and presumed identities are presented below:

48th TFW Stan/Eval (Black/White)

48th TFW (Dark Navy Blue/White)

48th OG (Black/Light Gray)

There isn't any doubt that the dark navy blue one is the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing scarf. It would also follow that the black and white scarf would be the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing Stan/Eval scarf. But, what about the black and light gray one? I was told it was the 48th Operations Group scarf.

While there are three similar scarves, things get interesting in a hurry.

1) Several times, I have been told that the black/white scarf was (or also was) the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing scarf at Upper Heyford. That contradicts that I have also been repeatedly told that the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing did not have a wing scarf, per se. The wing staff would periodically rotate through the squadron scarves. Can anybody elaborate on this?

2) Photographs of the aircrew preparing to deploy for Desert Shield in 1990 seem to show a black scarf with white (or light gray) F-111 silhouettes being universally worn. Perhaps it was meant to match the disk of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing patch which was very dark blue or black. Regardless, it seems to be a black scarf and not the standard dark blue wing scarf. So, it looks like the stan/eval scarf. [UPDATE... confirmed that the 48 TFW Stan/Eval scarf was the scarf worn on the initial crew deployment for Operation Desert Shield since it was a mixed "rainbow" deployment.]



3) The black and white scarf is also fairly common. I was told that piles of them were available for sale at the stalls at airshows during the F-111 phaseout. This contrasts to the much rarer dark blue/white and black/gray versions.

So, this black/white scarf is an interesting little scarf. Could it be the scarf worn by the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing while deploying for Desert Shield, also used as the wing stan/eval scarf, and also the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing scarf at Upper Heyford? Please, dear reader, help me!

HELP WANTED - Elmendorf AFB Scarves

For my scarf identification project, I am needing some very specific assistance for certain places and times. Perhaps you can help?

Scarves with this repeating pattern in two colors were manufactured for Elmendorf AFB.  The blue and silver scarf was ordered in October 1991. The green and gray scarf was ordered in April 1992.  Which unit(s) were they ordered for? Could they be two version of the 3rd Wing scarf?

Please comment below or contact me at usafscarfcollector@gmail.com.

Thank you!

HELP WANTED - Do you recognize this Davis-Monthan AFB scarf? (UPDATE - 23rd TASS)

For my scarf identification project, I am needing some very specific assistance for certain places and times. Perhaps you can help?

Do you recognize this A-10 unit scarf? It is believed to be from Davis-Monthan AFB. The timeframe would be early-mid 1990s.

Please comment below or contact me at usafscarfcollector@gmail.com.

Thank you!

UPDATE: I've had someone write in and say it was 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron at Davis-Monthan. 

HELP WANTED - 7th Air Force, Osan AB, South Korea (late-1980s)

For my scarf identification project, I am needing some very specific assistance for certain places and times. Perhaps you can help?

The original owner of these four scarves is deceased, but served with the 7th AF at Osan AB from 1987 - 1989, and with the 13th AF at Clark AB from 1989 - 1991. 

He was Chief, Tactical Deception, with the 7th AF.  I'm thinking the yellow scarf with the trojan horse would be from that time. 

7th AF Tactical Deception???

Joint Forces Air Component Command

7th Air Force

13th Air Force

Is that correct?  I just want to make sure that being yellow, it isn't from the 13th Air Force at Clark.

Please comment below or contact me at usafscarfcollector@gmail.com.

Thank you!

HELP WANTED - Shaw AFB Scarves

For my scarf identification project, I am needing some very specific assistance for certain places and times. Perhaps you can help?

These two scarves I am pretty sure are from Shaw AFB. They have some "DNA" in them that makes me think they are either Wing or OSS scarves. The problem is... are they from the 363rd Fighter Wing or 20th Fighter Wing (both or neither)?  Can you identify them?

Please comment below or contact me at usafscarfcollector@gmail.com.

Thank you!

HELP WANTED - Which Company Made These Scarves?

For my scarf identification project, I am needing some very specific assistance for certain places and times. Perhaps you can help?

Did you ever order scarves for your unit? 

I need to know more about the companies that manufactured scarves for the following bases. In each instance, there is a distinctive series that were not manufactured by Rama World:

• Castle - I'm looking for who made the series of scarves with the Castle AFB castle for most units. They look like this. 
• Davis-Monthan - There is a series of embroidered scarves for the A-10 units like this.
• George - In the mid-to-late 1980s, George AFB ordered scarves with this non-symmetrical F-4 pattern for most units. They look like this and are not manufactured by Rama World.
• Mountain Home - The 366th TFW ordered a series of scarves that looked like this.
• Vance - Embroidered scarves were ordered at Vance that looked like this.

Please comment below or contact me at usafscarfcollector@gmail.com.

Thank you!

HELP WANTED - Luke AFB and Homestead AFB F-4 era (late-1970s - early 1980s)

For my scarf identification project, I am needing some very specific assistance for certain places and times. Perhaps you can help?


Recently, I was able to acquire the scarves of an individual who was in a command position at both Homestead and Luke during the F-4 era (late 1970s – early 1980s). Unfortunately, they were all unidentified.



At first glance, it is pretty daunting. But, I have been chipping away at it. He had a Pentagon position in the early 1980s, so he must have gone down to Barksdale and acquired the KC-10A scarf (top) and 596th BMS scarf (blue with white stars) then. One of the scarves has a F-104 on it. That would be a 69th TFTS from his time at Luke. The pale blue/blue scarf belongs to the 309th TFTS at Homestead.

That still leaves a bunch more. So, I just wanted to appeal to anyone who was at Homestead or Luke in the late 1970s – early 1980s. I’ve separated out the ones that have some type of unique characteristic (not solid color). Do any of these look familiar?

Were any of these scarves used at Luke or Homestead during that time period?






Scarf 1 is two sided.

Scarf 2 is sewn with two panels.

Scarf 5 has a houndstooth pattern.

Were any solid colored scarves used?

Please comment below or contact me at usafscarfcollector@gmail.com.

Thank you!