Are we still qualified to wear the marksmanship badge?

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 08:36:54 -0400

I'm National Guard and we are requalifying next month on rifle. However, before we deployed 3 years ago, I qualified expert on the .50 Cal. I have not had the chance to requalify on that weapon system and may not again unless we deploy again. Am I authorized to still wear the expert machine gun during our annual ASU inspection in Dec? I have been told both ways, but can't find any clear documentation on it. Looking for guidance and a reg I can quote if possible.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 27 at 2015 8:52 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 08:52:07 -0400

AR 600-8-22 para 1-31 c. (11) states that a badge is revoked only when an individual, upon completion of firing a record course for which the previous award was made, has not attained the same qualification.

Do the NCOs out there concur?

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 27 at 2015 8:52 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 08:52:26 -0400

Interesting question, I'll curious what the real answer is, whenever you get it.

AR and DA PAM 670-1 both allow you to wear it, pending you've met criteria outlined in AR 350-1. AR 350-1 refers you directly to AR 350-38, which does not answer the question.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Sep 27 at 2015 8:55 AM

PO1 John Miller — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 08:55:17 -0400

http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r600_8_22.pdf chapter 8-47 also covers the awarding criteria for the Army Marksmanship badge.

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Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 5 at 2016 5:46 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 05:46:14 -0500

The United States Army issues marksmanship badges to enlisted personnel at three different qualification levels; expert, sharpshooter, and marksman. Suspended from the badge are qualification bars that indicate the specific weapon(s) in which the soldier has qualified. Qualification bars are authorized for the following weapons (listed with exact inscription):
Rifle
Pistol
AA Arty
Auto Rifle
Machinegun
Field Artillery
Tank Weapons
Flamethrower
Submachine Gun
Rocket Launcher
Grenade
Carbine
Recoilless Rifle
Mortar
Bayonet
Small Bore Rifle
Small Bore Pistol
Missile

Only three marksmanship badges are authorized for wear at one time and each may only have up to three qualification bars.

Army marksmanship qualification badges are not permanent awards. Each soldier must, at a minimum, re-qualify every 12 month with the same weapon and at the same level in order to continue to wear a specific marksmanship badge and qualification bar. If a Soldier does not re-qualify within 12 month, the badge and/or qualification bar is no longer authorized for wear.

Army Pamphlet 670-1
Section IV
Marksmanship Badges and Tabs
8–47. U.S. Army Basic Marksmanship Qualification Badges
a. A basic Marksmanship Qualification Badge is awarded to indicate the degree in which an individual, military, or civilian has qualified in a prescribed record course and an appropriate bar is furnished to denote each weapon with which he or she qualified. Each bar will be attached to the basic badge that indicates the qualification last attained with the respective weapon. Basic qualification badges are of three classes: Expert, Sharpshooter, and Marksman. The only weapons for which component bars are authorized are in table 8–2. Basic Marksmanship Qualification Badges are awarded to U.S. military and civilian personnel, and to foreign military personnel who qualify as prescribed.
b. See AR 670–1 for instructions concerning the wear of basic Marksmanship Qualification Badges and component
bar tabs.
c. Approval authority is as follows:
(1) Any commander in the rank or position of LTC/O–5 or above may award to Servicemembers of the Armed Forces of the United States; camp and/or post commanders, Professors of Military Science, and Directors of Army Instruction and/or Senior Army Instructors.
(2) Except for uniformed civilian guards (AR 670–10), awards to civilians will be made by the CMP. The CMP is administered by the Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and Firearms Safety, Inc., Post Office Box 576, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452–0576. The authorization for civilian guards to wear basic Marksmanship Qualification Badges may be made by installation commanders. Civilian guards will procure badges at their own expense.

I hope this helps...

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 5 at 2016 10:54 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 10:54:07 -0500

I never understood why soldiers want to wear all those bars on their qualification badge. It looks goofy.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 5 at 2016 12:38 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 12:38:31 -0500

I would say look at the AR but I was always under the impression that that qualification is only good for 1 year. If after that 1 year you qualify again with that weapon system then you are awarded the appropriate badge. But again look into the AR

Response by SGT Glenn E Moody made Jan 5 at 2016 9:28 PM

SGT Glenn E Moody — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 21:28:31 -0500

hello i ware the highest that i Qualified. the only one i never requalified on was the M-203 missed Expert by 1 round so i don't even ware it. because i Qualified Expert on every other weapon i fired from Basic training until i was Honorable Discharged. none of it is on my NGB-22 it is in my 201-file. & some from Basic training DD-214. but sorry i don't know of any reg of what you can ware on the uniform of today. as my time was 1981 to 1987 when we pasted the Bayonet course our drill SGT. told us we could put the Bayonet Bar on our Expert Badge. i used to get shit for it but no one ever told me i had to take it off. so i still ware it to this day on my Veteran's uniform. and am around General's all the time from 1 star to 4 star general's. in fact i got a 4 star general's challenge Coin last year APRIL at the Salem MA muster ware the first fighting force of America was formed. witch is know as the National Guard today. every year we have a muster Ceremony at the Salem Common in APRIL. from the first one in the year of 1635 to date it is a great time. I am a member of the YANKEE DIVISION VETERAN MEMORIAL CLUB OF BOSTON know as the Y.D.V.A. we have our meetings on the fourth Saturday of the Month next meeting is Saturday, 23 January at 12:00pm noon at 70 Victory RD Boston MA. 02122-2628 all are welcome to join come see if you might be interested in joining and bring any Guard friends ill sign you in ask for Glenn Moody well hope to see you there.

Response by LtCol J W made Jul 18 at 2016 8:27 PM

LtCol J W — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 20:27:52 -0400

The answer should be clear. To quote you, you stated, "I have been told both ways" Simple , wear it both ways!

Response by SFC Jim Ruether made Oct 4 at 2017 11:42 AM

SFC Jim Ruether — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 11:42:16 -0400

I was told you wear the last qualification badge you earned and you only change it when you requalify and your marksmanship changes

Response by 1LT Peter Duston made Jan 12 at 2018 4:11 PM

1LT Peter Duston — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 16:11:34 -0500

Absolutely yes! The reg says yes. If you have an expert badge and then the next year qualify sharpshooter, you're only authorized to wear the sharpshooter but if you qualify on a weapon like my hand grenade badge from when I was a hand grenade instructor years ago and have never had to requalify, I can still wear that badge.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Jun 14 at 2018 5:10 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 17:10:55 -0400

Just in case there is any confusion still, the regulation is clear. Marksmanship badges do not "expire". They are revoked "whenever an individual, upon completion of firing a record course for which the previous award was made, has not attained the same qualification". The gaining or losing of marksmanship badges is event based, not time based.

Response by SGT Greg Gold made Nov 4 at 2018 8:49 AM

SGT Greg Gold — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 08:49:30 -0500

AR 600-8-22 covers this. It is section 8 chapter IV - Marksmanship Badges and Tabs.

Section IV Para 8-47.a:
A basic Marksmanship Qualification Badge is awarded to indicate the degree in which an individual, military, or civilian has qualified in a prescribed record course and an appropriate bar is furnished to denote each weapon with which he or she qualified. Each bar will be attached to the basic badge that indicates the qualification last attained with the respective weapon.

Section V Para 8-54
a. There are no statutory or regulatory time limits pertaining to award of badges.
b. Criteria for the various types of badges are shown in the previous paragraphs.

The short of it your weapons qualification badge is wearable forever, but it's value as an active qualification or as promotion points is limited by other regulations. Once you re-qualify you must wear the most recent qualification. The only exception to this are EIC medals which take the place of lower level qualification badges.

Response by SFC James L. Woodling made Jun 2 at 2019 4:46 PM

SFC James L. Woodling — Sun, 02 Jun 2019 16:46:21 -0400

If you are qualified and it is in your file as so then ware the badge it is earned just like any other qualified badge.

Response by SSgt Gerald Davis Jr made Jul 7 at 2019 8:53 PM

SSgt Gerald Davis Jr — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 20:53:09 -0400

Check the regs. I believe weapons are the most recent qualification. No time limit mentioned.

Response by SSgt Gerald Davis Jr made Aug 26 at 2019 4:48 PM

SSgt Gerald Davis Jr — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 16:48:56 -0400

When I was in the CA National Guard I wore my Marine Corps Expert Rifle 2nd and Pistol Sharpshooter. Never qualified in the Guard and those were my last Qualification.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 8 at 2020 2:59 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 08 May 2020 14:59:24 -0400

Here are the two you need from
5 March 2019 AR 600-8-22
1-27 Announcement of Awards, sub chap c. Badges

1-32 Revocation of badges, sub chap 11 Marksmanship Badges.

It’s a permanent award, that does not require Permanent Orders.
Wear it until you requalify. So if you requalify often you must change the award to indicate your last qualification if not then you keep the last one.