Posted on Dec 29, 2020
When did wearing marksmanship badges become the norm?
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I was browsing the "Why don't officers wear marksmanship badges?" thread, to much amusement, and started down the rabbit hole of the history of the badges, changes made, etc. But when I started to look for pictures of the badges being worn it is extremely hard to see anyone in WWI or WWII wearing them. Even found this very helpful uniforms, weapons, and equipment history file from army.mil (https://history.army.mil/html/museums/uniforms/survey_uwa.pdf) which only mentions the marksmanship badges once.
It appears to me that it started becoming more normative with the introduction of the green Class A in the late 1950's, but I'm still not 100% sure.
Any information gained might help us once and for all understand why officers (generally) don't wear their marksmanship badges.
It appears to me that it started becoming more normative with the introduction of the green Class A in the late 1950's, but I'm still not 100% sure.
Any information gained might help us once and for all understand why officers (generally) don't wear their marksmanship badges.
Uniforms
Dress Uniform
Badges
Military History
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 6
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The Army began using marksmanship qualification badges in 1881 starting with the Marksman Button. That led to a variety of different U.S. Army branch-specific marksmanship badges until 1897 when the Rifle Marksmanship Badges were implemented Army-wide. The U.S. Army's Pistol Marksmanship Badges were implemented ten years later in 1907.
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It might have something to do with the fact that many of those who served in the two world wars were drafted or were last minute enlistees. These individuals would never have had the opportunity or ever had the desire to wear such accoutrements. It may also be the burgeoning of the "professional soldier" after veitnam played a role in promoting the wear of such things. Just spitting out ideas, but both would make perfect sense.
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