Obsolete badges of the United States military

Obsolete badges of the United States military are a number of U.S. military insignia which were issued in the 20th and 21st centuries that are no longer used today. After World War II, many badges were phased out of the United States Armed Forces in favor of more modern military badges used today.

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.[1] 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 Badge design can be seen in pictures of him in uniform.

The following is a listing of obsolete U.S. military badges and insignia organized by branch of service.

U.S. Army

Army Aviation Section/Air Service

Badge/Insignia Example
Signal Corps Military Aviator Badge[1]
Air Service Airplane Pilot Badge[1]
Bombing Aviator Badge[1]
Aeronaut Badge[1]
Enlisted Aviator Badge[1]
Observer Badge[1]
Wound Chevron[1]

Army Air Forces

Badge Example
Aerial Gunner Badge[1]
Airship Pilot Badge[1]
Balloon Pilot Badge[1]
Balloon Observer Badge[1]
Bombardier Badge[1]
Flight Engineer Badge[1]
Flight Nurse Badge[1]
Flight Surgeon Badge[1]
Flight Surgeon Dentist Badge[1]
Glider Pilot Badge[1]
Instructor Badge[1]
Liaison Pilot Badge[1]
Navigator Badge[1]
Observer Badge[1]
Service Pilot Badge[1]
Technical Observer Badge[1]
Women Airforce Service Pilots Badge[1]
Women Airforce Service Pilots Badge (early version)[1]
Army Air Forces Technician Badge[1]
Distinguished Aerial Badges[2][3]

Regular Army

Badge/Insignia Example Notes
Marksman Buttons Replaced by Rifle Marksmanship Badges in 1897[4]
Marksmanship Prize Badges Replaced by Team Marksmanship Badges in 1903[5]
Tank Service Insignia Replaced by Tank Corps Insignia on 7 May 1918[6]
Artillery Qualification Badges Retired in 1913 and reintroduced as a qualification clasp for the Marksmanship Qualification Badges in 1921[7][8]
Tank Corps Insignia Replaced by Infantry (Tanks) Insignia on 16 Mar 1921[6]
Rifle Marksmanship Badges Replaced by Marksmanship Qualification Badges in 1921 and adopted by the Marine Corps.[9]
Pistol Marksmanship Badges 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 and adopted by the Marine Corps.[9]
Infantry (Tanks) Insignia Replaced with a new design on 21 March 1922[6]
Team Marksmanship Badges Replaced with new three piece design between 1922 and 1924[10]
Corps of Intelligence Police Identification Badge Replaced by Counterintelligence Special Agent Identification Badge on 13 December 1941
Infantry (Tanks) Insignia Replaced by Armor Force Branch Insignia on 25 February 1942[6]
Tank Destroyer Corps Insignia Retired on 28 November 1944[6]
Counterintelligence Special Agent Identification Badge Replaced with a different design between 1947 and 1948
Distinguished Automatic Rifleman Badge Retired in the late 1940s or early 1950s[10][11][12]
Coast Artillery Corps Insignia Retired on 19 December 1950[13][14]
Armor Force Branch Insignia Replaced by Armor Branch Insignia in February 1951[6]
Team Marksmanship Badges Replaced by Army Excellence-in-Competition Badges in 1958[10][15][16][17]
Glider Badge Retired on 3 May 1961[18]
Military Intelligence (USAR) Insignia Replaced by Military Intelligence Corps Insignia on 1 July 1962[19]
Army Security Branch (USAR) Insignia Replaced by Military Intelligence Corps Insignia on 1 July 1967[20]
Women's Army Corps Insignia Retired on 20 October 1978[21]
Indian Scouts Insignia / 1st Special Service Force Insignia 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.[22]
Counterintelligence Special Agent Identification Badge Replaced with a different design
Driver and Mechanic Badge–Aviation Mechanic and Crew Chief Replaced with Army Aviation Badges in January 1966[23]
Air Assault Badge (11th Air Assault Division–Test) Replaced with Airmobile Badge in April 1974 which was renamed the Air Assault Badge in January 1978[24][25][26]
Recondo Badges (various designs) Discontinued in the 1980s but a different version of it continues to be issued as a special skills badge in the U.S. Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps[27]
Nuclear Reactor Operator Badges Retired on 1 October 1990[28]
Jungle Expert Badge (ARSOUTH) Retired in 1999 and reinvented in 2014 as the Jungle Expert Tab for USARPAC
Reserve Recruiter Identification Badge Replaced with the Army Recruiter Identification Badges in April 2001[29][30][31]
Medical Department Recruiter Identification Badge Replaced with the Army Recruiter Identification Badges in June 2001[32]
Scuba Diver Badge Replaced by the Special Operations Diver Badge on 17 September 2004[33][34][35]
National Guard Recruiter and Retention Identification Badges Replaced with new designs on 12 May 2008[36]
Electronic Warfare Corps Replaced with Cyber Branch insignia on 1 October 2018[37]
Jungle Expert Tab (USARPAC) Replaced with new design
Arctic Tab (USARAK) Replaced with new design, later redesignated as a unit tab for USARPAC units assigned to Alaska[38]
Physical Fitness Badge Rescinded February 2024.[39]
Counterintelligence Special Agent Badge Replaced with Army Counterintelligence Special Agent Badge on 27 May 2025[40]

U.S. Air Force

Badge/Insignia Example Notes
Air Force Command Flight Surgeon Badge Replaced by Chief Flight Surgeon Badge on 1 June 1959[41]
Air Force Parachutist Badges Replaced by Army & Air Force Parachutist Badges in 1963[41]
Air Police Badge Replaced by Security Police Badge in November 1966[42]
Air Force Training Instructor Badges Replaced by Air Education and Training Command Instructor Badges[41]
Gold National Excellence-In-Competition Badges[43][44]
Gold & Silver Elementary Excellence-In-Competition Badges[44][45]
Combat Control Team Crest
Replaced with new design in 1984[46]
Air Force Recruiter Badges Replaced with new designs and additional grades/awards
Air Force Combat Crew Badge Retired in August 1993[47]
Aid–de–Camp Collar Insignia

1-4 President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Air Force 5-8 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau 9-13 General Officers (five through one star)

First used in 1969 and discontinued in 1996.[48] Higher offices like the President or Chief of Staff aides wear the organization's badge.

General's aides do not have a replacement.

Special Operations Weather Team Crest Replaced with Combat Weather Team Crest in 2002[49]
Space and Missile Badges Replaced by Space Operations Badges on 1 Nov 2005[50][51]
Air Force Communications and Information Badges Replaced by Cyberspace Support Badges on 1 June 2010[52]
Air Force Honor Guard Badge Replaced with new design
Air Force Remotely Piloted Aircraft Sensor Operator Badges Replaced with Enlisted Aircrew Badges on 4 November 2016[53]
Special Operations Weather Crest Replaced with Special Reconnaissance Crest in 2019[54][55]
Scuba Diver Badge Replaced by the Air Force Combat Dive Badges in 2022[56]

U.S. Marine Corps

Badge/Insignia Example Notes
Marksmanship Competition Badges Replaced with new designs between 1910 and 1930.[57]
Rifle Marksmanship Badges 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[58][59]
Marksmanship Qualification Badges Adopted by the Army and replaced by Rifle Marksmanship Badges and Basic Badge in 1937.[58][59]
Adjutant and Inspector's Department Insignia[12][60]
Paymaster's Department Insignia[12][60]
Quartermaster's Department Insignia[12]
Aide-de-Camp Insignias[12][60]
Expert Team Rifleman Badge[12]
Basic Badge Retired in December 1968[58][59]
Military Police Badge Replaced with a new design

U.S. Coast Guard

Badge/Insignia Example Notes
Coast Guard Flight Officer Insignia Discontinued on 22 November 1991[61]
Office of the Secretary of Transportation Badge Discontinued in 2003
Sector Command Identification Badges Removed from Uniform Regulations in March 2012[62][63]
Unit Command Identification Badges Removed from Uniform Regulations in August 2018[63][64]
Rating Force Master Chief Identification Badge Replaced with a new design in August 2018[63][64]

U.S. Navy

Badge/Insignia Example Notes
Sharpshooter's Badge Replaced with Marksmanship Ribbons in 1920.[12][65][66]
Naval Aviation Observer Insignia Replaced with new design in October 1929[67]
Expert Team Rifleman Badge[12]
Naval Aviation Observer (Tactical) Insignia Replaced with Naval Aviation Observer Insignia in 1947[67]
Naval Aviation Observer (Radar) Insignia Replaced with Naval Aviation Observer Insignia in 1947[67]
Naval Aviation Observer (Navigator) Insignia Replaced with the Naval Aviation Observer Insignia in 1947;[67] this badge is still in use by the U.S. Marine Corps as the Marine Aerial Navigator insignia.
Naval Flight Surgeon Insignia Replaced with new design in 1952[67]
Naval Flight Nurse Insignia Replaced with new design in 1952[67]
Balloon Pilot Insignia Retired in 1978[67]
Enlisted Special Warfare Insignia Replaced with Special Warfare Insignia
Underwater Demolition Officer Insignia Replaced with Special Warfare Insignia in 1975
Underwater Demolition Enlisted Insignia Replaced with Special Warfare Insignia in 1975
Scuba Officer Insignia
Navy Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia Replaced by Strategic Sealift Officer Warfare Insignia in June 2011[68][69]
MAA/Law Enforcement Badges Some replaced and some discontinued in June 2011[69]
Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman Insignia Replaced with three different skill level insignias on 19 August 2016[70]

U.S. Space Force

Badge Example Notes
Space Test Course Graduate Patch Replaced with a new design in 2024.

Joint Service Badges

Badge Example Notes
The National Match Team ("Dogs of War") Badge Replaced with bronze, silver, and gold medals in 1919.[10]
White House Service Badge Replaced by the Presidential Service Badge on 1 September 1964[71]
Vice Presidential Service Badge Replaced with new design on 19 July 1976[59][72]
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge Replaced with new design on 4 October 2021[73]

See also

References

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