Houston, Not on duty. I think that what we are having here is a �failure to communicate� and you�re not following what I am saying. Junior grade NCO�s were not issued the government owned Officer�s model saber. But senior NCO grades were. And a lower rank wearing a non authorized sword on duty was going to have some unpleasant consequences. Some of those studio posed pictures mean zip because the blades depicted in a number of them were very likely props. But I would agree that like in many armies the Generals could do what they wanted to do.
PS: Mounted lower ranks could carry the traditional plain �P� guard because of their service branch. Regards, FP
