Posted on by Outlander Anatomist

Fun Fact: Anatomy of Ian’s Uniform!

Hallo, Outlander fans. Welcome to today’s Fun Fact: Anatomy of Ian’s Uniform! 

This Fun Fact is especially appropriate for Americans as May 16th is  also our national Armed Forces Day!  Pretty timely, no?

If you are like me, you are fascinated with Ian’s uniform in Outlander episode 512, Never My Love, the splendid finale of Season five! In Claire’s dissociative dreamscape, Ian arrives in full dress uniform for Thanksgiving dinner at the Fraser home! 🦃

I wanted to know more about Ian’s uniform, so I turned to Edward Maloney, Lieutenant Colonel, US Army (retired) for assistance. Know that LTC Maloney is also a faithful, long-time fan of Outlander books and show and was more than willing to share his decades-long expertise in this matter.

Just so you know, Colonel Maloney’s former unit is the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army. Below is its beautiful and dramatic Distinctive Unit Insignia which reads “Rendezvous With Destiny!”

Addendum: I just learned “Hang Tough and Currahee!” is the Battle Cry of the 101st Airborne!  Hang tough means “in your parachute harness” and “Currahee” is from the Cherokee word meaning “We stand alone together.” (A good thought for soldiers trained to fight surrounded.)

Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel Maloney, for your service!

 

So, grab a cuppa (or your fav beverage) and let’s learn about the anatomy of Ian’s uniform, courtesy of LTC Maloney!

Ian’s uniform indicates he belongs with the Infantry, the oldest branch of the US Army. When was this branch formed? Turns out, very close to the date  depicted in the Outlander S5 finale! 

On 14 June 1775, the Continental Congress authorized ten companies of riflemen, the first infantrymen.  Nine years later, the First American Regiment was constituted on 3 June 1784 and it was the 3rd Infantry. Currently, well over two hundred years old, clearly the Infantry is a distinguished branch of the US Army!

So, follow the colored arrows in the below images to discern the anatomical features of Ian’s uniform. (psst…The following image appears twice so you don’t have to keep moving up and down to follow the arrows and explanations!)

Let’s get on with the dissection! 😉

Blue Arrow:  A branch insignia on Ian’s L lapel displays two gold crossed muskets, overlying a disk of Saxony Blue. This insignia is unique to infantry and no other branch of the US Army is allowed this distinction.

The crossed muskets are vintage 1795 Springfields, the first official US shoulder arm made in a government arsenal:

    • caliber .69
    • flint lock
    • smooth bore
    • muzzle loader

 

 

Yellow Arrow: Above his L breast, Ian wears a Combat Infantryman’s Badge, unique to those who have served in combat. It is a single flint lock musket on a blue background. 

Green Arrow: Just above Ian’s L breast is a line of Decoration & Award Ribbons, also known as “fruit salad” or “Travel Ribbons.” These are worn in lieu of larger full-size or miniature medals which are awarded for service.  Here, the Ribbon is a line of Ian’s Mohawk beads! 

Gold Arrow:  Over Ian’s L breast is The Maltese Cross with a Bull’s-eye surrounded by a wreath, known as the Expert Marksman Badge. This badge is unique to Army and Marine Corps, although the designs differ. The suspended bars underneath the badge are added for each weapon the soldier qualifies as an expert, such as pistol, rifle, etc. 

White Arrow:  Worn on Ian’s L sleeve, the chevrons signify a soldier’s rank. Two chevrons indicate Corporal, the lowest Noncommissioned Officer Rank (NCO) who leads an infantry fire team. 

Violet Arrow: Ian’s service cap bears the US Coat of Arms. It is backed on a brass disk and in the case of infantrymen, backed by a Saxony Blue disk. 

Khaki Arrow: Ian’s Regimental Coat of Arms is worn above his R breast.  This insignia will indicate his permanent regiment not necessarily the one to which he is currently assigned. 

Tan Arrow: Also worn above his R breast, this insignia indicates a Unit award such as Presidential Unit Citation, Distinguished Unit Citation, etc. 

Next image,  we see Ian’s left shoulder!

Aqua arrow:  Indicates the Distinctive Unit Insignia which is usually a variation of the regiment’s coats of arms but unique to each regiment. This one looks like the 2nd Infantry Regiment but the colors are altered. 

Red Arrow:  L shoulder – Shoulder Sleeve Insignia  indicates the current unit of assignment – Ian serves with a Native American unit, the Mohawk. this insignia was created by Outlander.

And finally, Ian’s infantry blue cord or fourragere (below) is a military decoration worn over the right shoulder of all infantry-qualified US Army soldiers. 

Ian’s fourragere from afar.

And, a closeup. This is Ian’s fourragere in light blue, (dubbed “Infantry Blue” by the US Army), worn under the right shoulder and under the right epaulette of a US Army infantry soldier’s dress uniform jacket.

The cord is composed of a series of alternating left and right half knots that are tied around a leader cord to form a “Solomon bar”.

Fitting that Ian should wear his dress uniform for Thanksgiving, even if that bird is just an illusion!

In summary, Ian’s uniform tells us he is:

    • Infantryman
    • Decorated soldier
    • Served in combat
    • Expert marksman
    • Corporal of an infantry fire team
    • Bears US Coat of Arms for infantrymen on his service cap
    • Wears his permanent regiment’s Coat of Arms
    • Decorated infantryman
    • Member of a distinct infantry unit
    • Member of Native American unit
    • Qualified infantryman

Whew! I don’t know about you, but I am thoroughly impressed with warrior Ian!

And, I am deeply grateful for the men and women who serve in the US Armed Forces.

I could not have done this fun Fact without the aid of LTC Edward Maloney, US Army. Thanks to his expertise for this brief lesson exploring the anatomy of Ian’s US Army insignia!

I hope all Outlander fans, worldwide, will express their gratitude for the warriors who daily protect them, their families, and their homelands. Please take a quiet moment to honor them!

Disclaimer:  If there are any glitches in the insignia descriptions or attributions in this Fun Fact, the fault is entirely my own for not expressing the information with precision.

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

Follow me on:

Photo and Video Credits: Sony/Starz; Lt. Col. Edward Maloney; www.wikipedia.com; www.amazon.com

42 Replies to “Fun Fact: Anatomy of Ian’s Uniform!”

  1. What a fabulous post! We here in Atlanta are addicted to Outlander!
    Not to mention Sam! But I digress!
    My family are all military except me and I never knew what all the emblems, buttons, pins, badges, etc meant! They might know them all either. My family is Army, Navy and Air Force! Thanks for a wonderful article. Thanks too to the Lt. Col! Now at Thanksgiving, I can “slay them” with my “Jeopardy” knowledge!🙂👄♥️ get me the buzzer!

    1. Hi Illona! Thanks so much for your comment and Thank for the service rendered by your family members. Amazing! I really am grateful fo LTC Mahoney b/c I did not Know the meanings either. Let me know how it goes at your T day dinner!

  2. When I heard you talk about Ian’s uniform in your OL BTS discussion of episode 512, I had to visit your blog to read about this in more detail! Thanks so much for posting! Very interesting and informative!

    1. Good morning, Patty. Thank you so much for your comment, I appreciate it. I am glad you enjoyed Ian’s uniform Fun Fact. I enjoyed learning about it myself as I knew he was in US Army gear but nothing else. I had a terrific assistant to help me. 😉

  3. Loved all the details ❣️ Thank you so much. This is the gravy. This pulls together ,warrior wise, what Ian is at this point. So many eggs on one character !

    1. Hi Wendy! Hope all is well with you and yours. Thank you for the comment. I really appreciate it and I am glad you loved the details of Ian’s uniform. I agree about Ian. He has turned into a compelling character in the series which pleases me as I am very fond of him in the books, as well. Take care!

  4. Excellent! Thanks for asking an expert and getting it right! My husband a retired Army Colonel always picks apart TV uniforms! He is also a book and TV Outlander fan and agrees that this uniform was spot on!

    1. Good morning Betsy. Thank you for commenting! So agree about expert info. At first, I tried to do on my own and got something wrong right from the get go. So, decided to ask LTC Maloney. He has been on my Twitter feed since 2014 so I already knew him. Another person wrote earlier that her Army career hubby also comments on wrongness of uniforms on TV. I am glad yours is also an Outlander fan! So wonderful to hear. Please thank him for his service. Have a wonderful day!

  5. Thanks for the analysis! I had done a partial one for Patricia Schroeder of the Heartland Sassenachs. You thankfully got the ones I couldn’t figure out explained lol! The Native American patch is made up. The only Army NA patch I am aware of is the 9th US Cavalry Regt., air cavalry (they do helicopters) part of the 1st Cavalry Division. The 9th owes it’s ancestry to the original 9th US Cavalry, one of the Buffalo Soldiers regiments of the Indian Wars. They were all black units that fought out west in the post Civil War era. The 9th patch shows an Indian on a mounted horse. Love Ian’s patch as it signifies his connection with his Mohawk family. My father and his two brothers all served in WWII. Dad was a drill instructor at Camp Lee, VA in 1943-44 then he was the head clerk in a quartermaster battalion in the Philippines from 1944-46.

    1. Hi Anita. TY for writing. And, thanks for the information and reading the Fun Fact. I do realize Ian’s NA patch was made up. There is at least one other insignia that is not quite right, but costuming did a great job. The uniform doesnt have to be exact, imo, because it is part of Claire’s dreamscape and would not necessarily adhere to perfect form. Have a great day!

  6. My Daddy, Clarence E. Hart, Jr, died Friday, May 15. He was 96, served in WW11 . He was the ETO as an officer in an Engineer Combat Battalion. He was a hero and good man.

    1. Hello, Nancy. I am so sorry for the loss of your father. But, what a long and fruitful life he led and what an example to all. So amazing that he passed one day before Armed Forced Day. I will remember him in my thoughts this day. Clearly, he was a hero and a good man. Thank you for writing.

  7. That was super interesting . My husband would have dissected Ian‘s Uniform as well , had he seen the episode . He is a retired US Army Colonel and always comments on the uniforms and how Hollywood got it wrong 🙂 He is such a stickler when it comes to authenticity when the US army is portrayed in movies . I am so glad that Outlander did the proper research and got it right . Love the thoroughness for their research . Thanks for going to the trouble and posting this . Super interesting .

    1. Hi Martina. Thank you for writing. Please thank you husband for his service to our country! I understand about being annoyed when costumers are not careful with such details. These are symbols of service and sacrifice and should be displayed properly. I so think the NA insignia was devised by the costume department but it was in the right place on the sleeve and would be where a NA patch would appear. I checked the different types of NA insignia on line and could not find that specific one. If your husband is still with us, you might consider showing him a photo of Ian’s uniform and see what he thinks. Thank you for writing!

  8. Thank you for your time to research this for us. After reading I was so impressed with the producers of Outlander trying to get every detail right even down to Ian’s uniform! My son served 2 tours in Afghanistan as a Navy Corpsman with the Marines (2/5). Thanks to all who have and are currently serving🇺🇸

    1. Hello Maria! Thank you for your comment. You are most welcome. As the FF indicates, it was only possible because of LTC Maloney’s expertise. Please express my thanks to your son for two tours in Afghanistan! I am deeply grateful to him and all who have and continue to serve.

  9. I just looked at a picture of my dad in his uniform. He served in the infantry in WWII and from what I can tell (with a magnifying glass) is it looks like he has the crossed muskets pin. Never knew that before. Thanks for the info!

    1. Hi Gail. What a wonderful gift your father gave to all of us. WWII was really tough on infantrymen and I am grateful to him. On the chance that he might still be with us, will you thank him for his service. And, if he is not, please do so anyway. I am pretty sure after learning the insignia from LTC Maloney, your father was wearing the crossed musket pin! What a treasure to have his photo. have a splendid day!

  10. That is fabulous, and of course a Dr. Would be the one doing an Anatomy of this spectacular uniform. Thank you, I’ve always known the Production Team of Outlander ..always!! Sticks to details and truth whether its the script or the costumes or the sets. Love Outlander and the History it brings us …besides the love story and story of family.

    1. Thanks, Patrice! I know it is a bit weird that I would be willing to dissect Ian’s uniform, but I figured others might be as curious as me. The directing, acting, history, sets, costuming, makeup, editing has been fabulous. Hope it gets some Emmy noms. I agree, the Outlander team is fabulous and this has been one of if not the best season of all. I loved it.

  11. Awesome information. Not only do I appreciate it, but I am very grateful for your talent as a writer. Unfortunately I have not read any of the books. The series on tv indicates what a great writer you are. Be safe and thank you for doing the research. God Bless!

    1. Hi Casey. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I truly appreciate it. Thank you for the compliment. I am not sure if I misunderstood, but I am not the writer of the books. The author is Diana Gabaldon. I am a fan of the show and the books. I always encourage non-book readers to consider reading them. If you love the Outlander story, I think you will find the books compelling. So much more story that cannot be put into the show. Have a wonderful day!

  12. I am eternally great full for all who have served and are serving in the Armed Forces My daughter and son-in-law currently serve in the Army and have for almost 20 years. They have both seen combat and still remain faithful.

    1. Hello, Regilean. Thank you so much for sharing your family’s service. Twenty years for your daughter and SIL is so impressive. Please tell them I, too, am eternally grateful for their courage and sacrifice and for the rest of your family who support them in their commitment. Thank you!

  13. Extremely interesting to learn the background of the uniform. Personally I was aware that each part of the uniform had meaning but never took the initiative to investimate. Thank you

    1. Hi Jeanne. I understand. Like you, I knew there was intent and purpose in each insignia but it was a black box to me. I was just so blown away by Ian’s uniform, I decided to investigate. Thanks for LTC Maloney who made my task doable. Have a great day!

  14. Ian’s fourragere reminds me of the discussion that of Jamie’s red coat uniform. Didn’t it have a single epaulet? Now Ian’s uniform has a distinctive piece also on one shoulder only.

    1. Hi Julie. Thank you for your comment. As I recall, Jamie’s redcoat had only one epaulette I think on the right. I found this in case you are interested: “Epaulettes first appeared on British uniforms in the second half of the 18th century. The epaulette was officially incorporated into Royal Navy uniform regulations in 1795, although some officers wore them before this date. Under this system Flag Officers wore silver stars on their epaulettes to distinguish their ranks. A Captain with at least three years seniority had two plain epaulettes, while a Junior Captain wore one on the right shoulder, and a Commander one on the left.” https://historipediaofficial.wikia.org/wiki/Epaulette

  15. Thank you for the detailed explanation of Ian uniform, I knew it wasn’t a Marine Uniform as it was described in another Outlander story, my brother was with 101 st Airborne in Vietnam, and my husband a career Marine! Happy Armed Forces Day !

    1. Hi Joyce. Thank you for writing. What a wonderful legacy of military service in your family. A career Marine and a paratrooper with the 101st – wonderful! If they are still with us, I hope you will express my thanks for their service and to you for the support I know you gave them.I was so grateful to LTC Maloney for all the sage information he shared with me. It has provoked a lot of interest!

  16. My sister & I were wondering. Our Dad served in the Infantry during WW II. Thank you.

    1. Hi Linda! I am glad that you and your sister were wondering. I wondered, too, so I asked for help. How wonderful that your father was an infantryman in WWII. How lucky we are as a country to have men like that who went to war on our behalf, and still do. Please express my thanks to him if his is still with us. OA

  17. Nice job, Doc!
    Hang Tough (in your parachute harness) and Currahee!
    (Battle Cry of the 101st Airborne. From the Cherokee word meaning “We stand alone together.” A good thought for soldiers trained to fight surrounded.)
    My privilege and honor to have served.

    Ed

    1. Hello LTC Ed! Thanks goes to you for pointing me in the faithful direction and for all the detailed information. This FF has drawn more comments than any other I have posted. Thanks for your help, thanks for your service, thanks for being a friend.

      K

  18. The HH group spent a l..o…t of time on this! Thank you Professor for doing our homework for us!

    1. Hi Susan! Oh, wish I could have shared that with your group…. but you understand why I couldn’t.

      You are most welcome. Only possible because of my learned “assistant,” Ed.

      Hope to catch your group next week, although I may not be able to stay the entire time.

      Karmen

  19. I knew quite a bit of it my brother served in the Army in Desert Storm and I lost my sister in law in Iraq (his wife). Still fascinating to listen to how a uniform tells a story of their careers. Thank Lt. Maloney
    To everyone who served and serves Thank You for the pillow of Freedom I lay my head on every night. God Bless America 🇺🇸

    1. Hi TRK. Thank you so much for your comment. Glad that you learned about the uniform from your brother and his wife. I am deeply sorry for her loss, though. The uniform does tell the story of their military life and so important to honor this. I also thank LTC Maloney for his invaluable assistance. Please thank you brother for his service to our country!

  20. Wow, thank you and Lt. Col. Maloney for lending his expertise and for your wonderfully identified pictures.
    I have always enjoyed your anatomy lessons as a nurse myself, and appreciate the time you take to present all of the factual information in such an entertaining way.

    1. Hi Cherie. Thank you for taking the time to write. You are most welcome and I also thank LTC Maloney for his invaluable help. I am sure I would have messed up royally had I tried to write this on my own. The subject is quite detailed. Thanks for reading my lessons and FFs. A fellow traveler. I should also thank you for your service to others. I am always deeply touched by people who chose a life of service. Have a blessed day!

  21. I was wondering about his uniform, so thank you for the detailed and very interesting information about it and the infantry. My husband, George, joined the Army when a lot of guys were dodging, and George volunteered to go to Vietnam Nam. He’s asleep now, but I’ll ask him in the morning if he knows these fun facts. I too am forever grateful for everyone who has ever served our nation.

    1. Hi Suzie. Please tell George I am grateful for his service. My own hubby was a Major in the Army Reserves during the Vietnam War. Was finishing his residency in Pathology. Hope your hubby approves. Outlander did some modifications of the uniform as there isnt a NA patch like the one Ian wears. But, this was likely intended as Claire was in a dissociative stare. Thanks for your comment!

Comments are closed.