Wear of Decorations, Service Medals, Badges, Unit Awards, and Appurtenances

Badges authorized for wear on Army uniforms

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A badge is awarded to an individual for identification purposes, or for attaining a special skill or proficiency. The criteria for the award of Army badges are contained in AR 600–8–22, and in NGR 601–1 for Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention identification badges. Most combat and special skill badges are available in full, miniature, and dress miniature sizes. The following badges are authorized for wear on the Army uniform.

a. Military badges awarded by the Department of Army, U.S. Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and the Director of Civilian Marksmanship. (See para g, below, for additional information.)

b. Badges awarded by the Regular Army and Navy Union, and by the Army and Navy Union of the United States.

c. Marksmanship badges pertaining to national matches and approved by HQDA. Marksmanship badges from other U.S. Services are not authorized for wear on the Army uniform.

d. Badges of civic and quasi-military societies of the United States, and international organizations of a military nature. These include badges of organizations originally composed of members who served in a U.S. force during the Revolutionary War; the War of 1812; the Mexican War; the Civil War; the Spanish-American War; the Philippine Insurrection; and the Chinese Relief Expedition of 1900. The badges are worn only while the wearer is actually attending meetings or functions of such organizations, or on occasions of ceremony. Personnel will not wear these badges to and from such meetings or events.

e. Badges awarded by friendly foreign nations in recognition of military activities, and as authorized by AR 600–8–22.

f. Tabs indicating marksmanship or special skill. The Sapper, Ranger, Special Forces and President’s Hundred tabs are the only tabs authorized for permanent wear. Tabs such as Airborne, Honor Guard, Mountain, and Pershing are authorized for temporary wear only. These tabs are considered an integral part of the shoulder sleeve insignia and soldiers are not authorized to wear them when they are reassigned from the organization that prescribed wear of the shoulder sleeve insignia with tab.

g. In accordance with AR 600–8–22, personnel must obtain authority from HQDA before wearing badges on the uniform that were awarded by other U.S. Services, or by the Director of Civilian Marksmanship. The following rules apply when wearing badges from other U.S. Services.

(1) Military combat or special skill badges awarded by other U.S. Services that are similar to U.S. Army combat or special skill badges are worn on the Army uniform in the same manner as U.S. Army combat or special skill badges, only if no Army badges are authorized for wear in the same group. For example, a soldier who had no group 3 badges could wear aviation badges awarded by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) as group 3 badges (as Army Aviation and Aviator badges are worn). However, if the individual was authorized to wear an Army badge in group 3, the soldier would not be authorized to wear the group 3 badge from the USAF.

(2) Skill badges awarded by other U.S. Services that are not similar to Army skill badges are worn as group 4 badges.

(3) Badges from other U.S. Services that indicate career fields are not authorized for wear, such as USAF medical insignia, or badges used to identify the duty, function, or classification of the wearer. Some examples are USAF fire protection, air training command instructor, security police, or the Naval aviation warfare specialist.

(4) Personnel will not wear badges awarded by other U.S. Services which, because of size or configuration, cannot be worn as group 4 badges. Subdued embroidered or metal skill badges authorized for wear by another U.S. Service, and that are authorized for wear on the Army uniform, may be worn on utility uniforms in the same manner as prescribed for Army badges.