In September 1974, the senior leadership of the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School decided it wanted more professional-looking shoulder boards for the cadet candidates’ (i.e., preppies) uniforms. Up until that point, preppies in previous years had been wearing cheap, plastic shoulder boards. Prep School senior leadership also wanted to let the current class of preppies (Class of 1975) come up with a design for the new shoulder boards. As such, each of the three preppie squadrons were asked to select a representative to serve on the new design committee. 

I was fortunate to be one of the three preppies tasked with serving on the shoulder board committee. However, note that this project occurred over 51 years ago at the time of this writing. Although I can still clearly remember the design process and the decisions we made, I must confess my memory is not perfect recalling these events from over half a century ago. 

At our first meeting, after some discussion, all three squadron representatives agreed we should retain the heritage of the Prep School’s shoulder boards. As such, the new boards should use the same color scheme and design (royal blue background with white lines and bird image) as the original shoulder boards in use at that time. It was also decided that the shoulder boards would be the same size and use the same texture as the Cadet Wing’s. However, all representatives were also in agreement that the falcon-in-flight image being used on the old shoulder boards was primitive at best. (The original falcon in flight was essentially a stick figure with triangular lines.) It was not a good look. So, each of the three squadron representatives set about coming up with an idea for a more professional-looking design. 

I went to the base community center’s library (located adjacent to the Prep School) and searched through several books to come up with a better image of a falcon in flight. I found a fantastic photo from an issue of the National Geographic magazine. Using this photo, the three squadron representatives drew a silhouette image of a falcon in flight. This white image was placed between the two white lines on the royal blue shoulder boards to produce the final design. The design was submitted to the Prep School’s senior leadership, who approved it and then placed an order with the manufacturer for the new shoulder boards. Much to the pleasant surprise of all the preppies, the new shoulder boards arrived in time for our Christmas vacation break. 

Today it has been over 50 years since this new design was adopted by the Prep School. And much to our amazement, this design has continued to be used ever since. It is also fitting that the shoulder boards (and now epaulettes) were designed by preppies themselves and not by some outside organization. Our design has stood the test of time. If per chance, the now famous and very recognizable preppie should boards/epaulettes should continue to be used for another 50 years, you now have the story of how they first came into being.