Aiguillette

For the decorative tip to a lace or cord worn as jewellery in the sixteenth century, see Aiguillette (ornament)

Members of the Household Cavalry in full dress wearing aiguillettes

An aiguillette is an ornamental braided cord most often worn on uniforms but may also be observed on other costumes such as academic dress, where it will denote an honor. 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.

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.

France

Gendarmes of the Garde Républicaine wearing a gold wire aiguillette on the left shoulder

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.

Aiguillettes should not be confused with fourragères, which can be worn in the same way on the left shoulder in parade dress.

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.

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, as well as by Military Training Leaders at technical training bases. Student Airmen leaders at technical training bases (sometimes called "ropes" in reference to the aguillette) also wear aguillettes, with green representing the lowest level of student leadership, yellow representing the intermediate level of student leadership, and red representing the highest level of student leadership. 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.

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.

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.

Singapore

Aiguillettes are worn on the right shoulder by officers of certain appointments only. They include:

• Chief of Defence Force in the Singapore Armed Forces
• Commanding Officers in the Singapore Police Force
• Aides-de-Camp to the President
• Honorary Aides-de-Camp to the President

In Singapore, ADCs who are officers of the Singapore Armed Forces wear gold aiguillettes and Police officers wear silver aiguillettes.

Ghana

In Ghana, aiguillettes form part of the uniform of certain branches of the police, including the customs police, and immigration police. Ordinary police officers wear white aiguillettes with dark-blue uniforms, while customs and immigration officials wear red aigullettes with olive-green outfits. When worn, the aigullettes denote "on-duty" status.

See also

• Fourragère