Obsolete badges of the United States military

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"Hap" Arnold wearing (above ribbons) conventional "wings" design and (below ribbons) Military Aviator Badge

Obsolete badges of the United States military are a number of U.S. military insignia which were issued in the 20th and early 21st centuries. After World War II many badges were phased out of the United States Armed Forces in favor of more modern military badges which are used today.

A limited number of badges were also issued in the 19th century. The oldest military badge on record dates to the time of the American Revolutionary War. The following is a listing of obsolete U.S. military badges and the period, or branch of service, to which such badges were specific.

A unique obsolete badge situation occurred with General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold, who in 1913 was among the 24 Army pilots to receive the first Military Aviator badge, an eagle bearing Signal Corps flags suspended from a bar. Replaced in 1917 by the more conventional "wings" embroidered design (authorized as an oxidized silver badge in 1921), Arnold displayed both types on his uniform throughout his career. The original Military Aviator design can be seen in pictures of him in uniform.

Revolutionary War

Badge of Military Merit MeritBadge.jpg
Fidelity Medallion 95px

Army Aviation Section/Air Service

Signal Corps Military Aviator Badge USA - Aviator Wings - 1913.png
Air Service Airplane Pilot Badge USA - Aviator Wings WWI era.png
Bombing Aviator Badge 145px
Aeronaut Badge 145px
Enlisted Aviator Badge 145px
Observer Badge USA - Balloon Observer WWI.png
Wound Chevron 75px

Army Air Forces

Aerial Gunner Badge AerialGunnerBadge.jpg
Army Air Forces Aircrew Badge 145px
Airship Pilot Badge AirshipPilot.jpg
Balloon Pilot Badge 145px
Balloon Observer Badge 145px
Bombardier Badge 145px
Flight Engineer Badge 145px
Flight Nurse Badge USAAF Flight Nurse Wings.png
Flight Surgeon Badge USAAF Flight Surgeon Wings.png
Flight Surgeon Dentist Badge 145px
Glider Pilot Badge 145px
Instructor Badge 145px
Liaison Pilot Badge 145px
Navigator Badge NavigatorBadge-old.jpg
Observer Badge ObserverBadge.jpg
Pilot Badge 145px
Service Pilot Badge 145px
Technical Observer Badge TechnicalObserverWings.jpg
Women Airforce Service Pilots Badge WASPbadge.jpg
WASP Pilot Badge, Older Version 150px
Army Air Forces Technician Badge 100px
Distinguished Aerial Badges[1][2] Former US Army Distinguished Aerial Badges.png

Air Force

Air Force Command Flight Surgeon Badge 175px Replaced by Chief Flight Surgeon Badge on 1 June 1959[3]
Air Force Parachutist Badges USAF Parachutist Badge-Historical.pngUSAF Senior Parachutist Badge-Historical.pngUSAF Master Parachutist Badge-Historical.png Replaced by Army & Air Force Parachutist Badges in 1963[3]
Air Police Badge 130px Replaced by Security Police Badge in November 1966[4]
Air Force Training Instructor Badges 175px175px Replaced by Air Education and Training Command Instructor Badges[3]
Gold National Excellence-In-Competition Badges Former USAF Gold National EIC Badges.png
Gold & Silver Elementary Excellence-In-Competition Badges Former USAF Gold and Silver Elementary EIC Badges.png
Air Force Aide-de-camp Insignias[3] Example of an insignia for an Air Force aide to a three-star flag officer
Air Force Combat Crew Badge CombatCrewBadge.jpg Retired in August 1993[5]
Space and Missile Badges USAF - Occupational Badge - Space and Missile.svg Replaced by Space Operations Badges on 1 Nov 2005 [6][7]
Air Force Communications and Information Badges 100px Replaced by Cyberspace Support Badges on 1 Jun 2010 [8]
Air Force Special Operations Weather Technician Crest 100px Replaced by Special Operations Weather Team Flash
Air Force Honor Guard Badge 145px Replaced with new design

Army

Marksman Buttons Former US Army Marksman Button.png Replaced by Rifle Marksmanship Badges in 1897[9]
Marksmanship Prize Badges Example-Former US Army Marksmanship Prizes-Division 1st Prize.png Replaced by Team Marksmanship Badges in 1903[10]
Tank Service Insignia First-Tank-Corps-Branch-Insignia.png Replaced by Tank Corps Insignia on 7 May 1918[11]
Artillery Qualification Badges Former US Army Artillery Qualification Badge.png Retired in 1913 and reintroduced as a qualification clasp for the Marksmanship Qualification Badges in 1921[12][13]
Tank Corps Insignia 2nd-Tank-Corps-Branch-Insig.png Replaced by Infantry (Tanks) Insignia on 16 Mar 1921[11]
Rifle Marksmanship Badges Former USMC Rifle Marksmanship Badges.png Replaced by Marksmanship Qualification Badges in 1921[14]
Pistol Marksmanship Badges Former US Army Pistol Marksmanship Badges.png In 1915, the expert version of the badge was replaced with a new design, which lives on in today's U.S. Marine Corps Expert Pistol Badge. All pistol badges were replaced by the Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Pistol Clasp in 1921.[14]
Infantry (Tanks) Insignia 3rd-Tank-Corps-Branch-Insig.png Replaced with a new design on 21 March 1922[11]
Team Marksmanship Badges Former Army Cavalry Team Marksmanship Badge.png Replaced with new three piece design between 1922 and 1924[15]
Bureau of Insular Affairs Insignia BureauInsularAffairsBC.gif Retired in 1939[16]
Corps of Intelligence Police Identification Badge 125px Replaced by Counterintelligence Special Agent Identification Badge on 13 December 1941
Infantry (Tanks) Insignia 4th-Tank-Corps-Branch-Insig.png Replaced by Armor Force Branch Insignia on 25 February 1942[11]
Tank Destroyer Corps Insignia Tank-Destroyer-Branch-Insig.png Retired on 28 November 1944[11]
Counterintelligence Special Agent Identification Badge 130px Replaced with a different design between 1947 and 1948
Distinguished Automatic Rifleman Badge Former US Army Distinguished Automatic Rifleman Badge.png Retired in the late 1940s or early 1950s[15][17][18]
Coast Artillery Corps Insignia Coast Artilliary Insignia.png Retired on 19 December 1950[19][20]
Armor Force Branch Insignia Armored-Force-Branch-Insign.png Replaced by Armor Branch Insignia in February 1951[11]
Team Marksmanship Badges 200px Replaced by Army Excellence-in-Competition Badges in 1958[15][21][22][23]
Glider Badge USAAF - Glider Pilot 4.png Retired on 3 May 1961[24]
Military Intelligence (USAR) Insignia Historical US Army Reserve Military Intelligence Insignia.png Replaced by Military Intelligence Corps Insignia on 1 July 1962[25]
Army Security Branch (USAR) Insignia Historical US Army Reserve Security Branch Insignia.png Replaced by Military Intelligence Corps Insignia on 1 July 1967[26]
Women's Army Corps Insignia 40px Retired on 20 October 1978[27]
Indian Scouts Insignia / 1st Special Service Force Insignia USA - Special Forces Branch Insignia.png The Indian Scouts Insignia was retired in 1926, brought back into service in 1942 as the 1st Special Service Force Insignia until 1944, then reintroduced as the Special Forces Branch Insignia in 1984.[28]
Counterintelligence Special Agent Identification Badge 130px Replaced with a different design
Nuclear Reactor Operator Badges 350px Retired on 1 October 1990[29]
Reserve Recruiter Identification Badge 130px Replaced with the Army Recruiter Identification Badges in April 2001[30][31][32]
Medical Department Recruiter Identification Badge 130px Replaced with the Army Recruiter Identification Badges in June 2001[33]
Scuba Diver Badge Diver Badge (USN).jpg Replaced by the Special Operations Diver Badge on 17 September 2004[34][35][36]
National Guard Recruiter & Retention Identification Badges 350px Replaced with new designs on 12 May 2008[37]
Gold Recruiter Identification Badge 115px Replaced by the Master Recruiter Identification Badge on 1 September 2011[38][39][40]

Marine Corps

Marksmanship Competition Badges Former USMC Gold Rifle Marksmanship Competition Badge.png Replaced with new designs between 1910 and 1930.[41]
Rifle Marksmanship Badges Former USMC Rifle Marksmanship Badges.png Replaced by the Army's Marksmanship Qualification Badges in 1924, reinstituted in 1937, and replaced by the Marine Corps's current Rifle Qualification Badges in 1958[42][43]
Marksmanship Qualification Badges Armyqual.jpg Replaced by Rifle Marksmanship Badges and Basic Badge in 1937[42][43]
Adjutant and Inspector's Department Insignia[18][44] 100px
Paymaster's Department Insignia[18][44] 100px
Quartermaster's Department Insignia[18] 100px
Aide-de-Camp Insignias[18][44] Army or Marine Corps aide to a one-star flag officerArmy or Marine Corps aide to a two-star flag officerArmy or Marine Corps aide to a three-star flag officer
Expert Team Rifleman Badge[18] Former US Navy Expert Team Rifleman Badge.png
Basic Badge Former USMC Basic Badge.png Retired in December 1968[42][43]
Military Police Badge 130px Replaced with a new design

Coast Guard

Coast Guard Flight Officer Badge CGFO.jpg Discontinued on 22 November 1991[45]
Office of the Secretary of Transportation Badge Office of DoT ID Badge.png Discontinued in 2003
Sector Command Identification Badges 100px Removed from Uniform Regulations in March 2012[46][47]

Navy

Sharpshooter's Badge Former US Navy Sharpshooters Badge.png Replaced with Marksmanship Ribbons in 1920.[18][21][48][49]
Naval Aviation Observer Insignia NavyEnlistedPilot.jpg Replaced with new design in October 1929[50]
Expert Team Rifleman Badge[18] Former US Navy Expert Team Rifleman Badge.png
Naval Aviation Observer (Tactical) Insignia 200px Replaced with Naval Aviation Observer Insignia in 1947[50]
Naval Aviation Observer (Radar) Insignia 200px Replaced with Naval Aviation Observer Insignia in 1947[50]
Naval Aviation Observer (Navigator) Insignia 200px Replaced with the Naval Aviation Observer Insignia in 1947;[50] this badge is still in use by the U.S. Marine Corps as the Marine Aerial Navigator insignia.
Naval Flight Surgeon Insignia 200px Replaced with new design in 1952[50]
Naval Flight Nurse Insignia 200px Replaced with new design in 1952[50]
Dirigible Pilot Insignia 125px Retired in 1978[50]
Enlisted Special Warfare Insignia 175px Replaced with Special Warfare Insignia
Underwater Demolition Officer Insignia USN - UDT Officer.png Replaced with Special Warfare Insignia in 1975
Underwater Demolition Enlisted Insignia USN - UDTBadge.png Replaced with Special Warfare Insignia in 1975
Scuba Officer Insignia 70px
Navy Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia 175px Replaced by Strategic Sealift Officer Warfare Insignia in June 2011[51][52]
MAA/Law Enforcement Badges 400px Some replaced and some discontinued in June 2011[52]

Joint Service

The National Match Team ("Dogs of War") Badge Dogs of War Trophy Badge.png Replaced with gold, silver, and bronze medals in 1919.[15]
White House Service Badge 130px Replaced by the Presidential Service Badge on 1 September 1964[53]
Vice Presidential Service Badge 130px Replaced with new design on 19 July 1976[43][54]

See also

References

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  2. U.S. Army Air Corps - Between The Wars, Aviation Wings and Badges of World War II, last accessed 25 January 2013
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 U.S. Air Force Obsolete Insignia, last accessed 24 August 2012
  4. History of the Air Force Security Badge„ 25th Infantry Division Shotgun Program website, last accessed 1 April 2014
  5. History of Combat Service Insignia; Air Force Enlisted Heritage Research Institute; by CMSgt Malcolm W. McVicar JR., TSgt Sharee A. Hileman, and William I. Chivalette; dated 29 August 2006; last accessed 20 January 2013
  6. New space badge wear begins today, Air Force Space Command, dated 1 November 2005, last accessed 20 January 2013
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