Want to learn more about a particular Cuban shoulder board? Read on to find out the symbolism and styles of Cuban shoulder boards…
The Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces have their own military insignias and have unique Cuban shoulder boards which were popular and in use till 1999.
Design Of The Cuban Shoulder Boards For Junior Ranks
The private, private first class, corporal and sergeant of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces wear shoulder boards in olive green which carry the title of Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias which is the Cuban translation of the Armed Forces. This is printed in yellowish gold color and absolutely plain for the uniform of the private. There is one stripe for the uniform of the Cuban shoulder board of the private first class followed by two stripes for the Corporal and three for the Sergeant.
The Cuban shoulder board for the staff Sergeant simply bears four stripes in yellow gold. The shoulder boards for master sergeant and sergeant major are more elaborate with a checkerboard of dark and light olive green as the base followed by red stripes on the border. The Master Sgt. rank is denoted by two stars whereas the sergeant major rank is denoted by three stars.
The shoulder boards for the lieutenant ranks are extremely fancy and designed with a central red stripe running through the shoulder board on which the stars are placed. The base of this shoulder board has slanting dark olive green line pattern alternated with the checkerboard pattern. The slanting line pattern forms the four borders of the two checkerboard pattern as well as one red stripe which runs in the center.
For the Junior Lieut. there is one golden star at the base of the red stripe, for the Lieut. there are two stars at the base of the to checkerboard stripes whereas the senior lieutenant has three stars, one each on the checkerboard pattern and one slightly raised in height on the red stripe. Finally this pattern is followed for the captain rank also which has two stripes on the checkerboard pattern and two vertical stars on the red stripe.
Design of The Cuban Shoulder Pads For Senior Ranks
The pattern for the senior ranks includes two rows of slanting lines on the border of the shoulder boards and two red stripes which encase two slanting lines pattern and one checkerboard stripe. For the Major there is one star raised on the checkerboard and for the Lieutenant Colonel there are two yellow gold stars on each of the red stripes whereas the full Colonel has three stars; one each on the red stripes and one on the checkerboard pattern.
The shoulder boards for the brigadier general, Maj. Gen., Lieutenant and general are denoted by a stripy checkerboard pattern in olive green at the base which is bordered by two thin red stripes on each end. The major emblems utilized for these four Cuban shoulder boards are olive branches and stars. Two olive branches crossed at the ends are placed at the base of each of the shoulder boards for these four ranks. The rank of Brigadier General is denoted by one star, two stars for Maj. Gen., three stars for Lieutenant General and finally four stars for the General.
