Armband
An armband is a piece of cloth or other material worn around the upper arm to mark the wearer as belonging to a group, or as a symbol of rank, status, or position, or in a particular situation.
The term usually refers to an item of uniform worn as part of a military uniform or by police or other uniformed personnel. Unit, position, rank insignia, or other insignia are worn on it rather than sewn onto the actual garment.
The armband, when unfolded, may be rectangular in shape, when worn only around the arm; it may also be triangular in shape, in which case the armband is also attached to a shoulder strap.
Armbands are also used with the uniforms of non-military organizations, but which are influenced by the military and styled similarly to the military, such as the police, emergency services, volunteer services or militaristic societies and political parties.
Armbands are often used:
To temporarily attach insignia, such as rank, to clothing that does not normally carry insignia (such as civilian clothing or a military mechanic’s overalls); for example, when police officers in the 1960s and 1970s were working in civilian clothing or off-duty, they were required to wear a police or civil guard armband.
Armbands are also used to temporarily attach insignia to uniforms for a limited time, such as the “duty officer” insignia; or for uniforms that are expected to have a high turnover of wearers or insignia, such as those of cadets or other youth organizations. Armbands are often used in this manner by military police, where the armband is both a badge of authority and identification.
Armbands are also used in civil service to denote certain ranks or positions. An armband may identify a group leader, a team captain, or a person in charge of controlling or organizing an event.