Does the Army have too many Badges and Tabs?

It isn't about bling.&nbsp; Some of the Army's most impressive schools don't award a badge.&nbsp; If you're here for the flair, join the USAF and get some for your MOS.<br>

So this topic piqued my interest because I am a Rigger, and my dad was EOD.&nbsp; Where the EOD Badge has basic, senior, and master, Rigger only has one level in the Army.&nbsp; There are FAA Senior/Master Levels but no badge to represent them. They don't simply just represent an MOS, they represent a skill not easily acquired, and a skill that must be maintained. We Riggers go beyond Airborne as a lifestyle, we save lives every time a paratrooper exits the door/ramp/skid/basket, we maintain life with every airdrop resupply we provide.&nbsp; There is a very very very small failure rate and EVERYBODY and their commander gets to see it plastered everywhere. So in the Airborne community we are very high profile individuals. EOD, no different, takes a lot to walk up to an unknown piece of ordinance and figure out how to get the ticking to stop (in a manner of speaking), keeping convoys rolling safely and patrolling soldiers breathing with both legs intact.&nbsp; Badges and Tabs are for those who go BEYOND the norm, beyond mediocrity, beyond their fears and achieve levels others could not. Just my shake on it.

New school badass!

Earning the EFMB when I was a PFC meant more to me than finishing ABN, AAS, the flight surgeon course, and the military mountaineering schools put together. I am honored to have meet that standard, and I hope that wearing it will motivate others. I am sure others will feel similarly about one badge or another. The hard boys will say they mean nothing and look like boasting. The truth is that there are some amazing soldiers, sailers, airmen, and marines whose units will not be able to send their troops to specialty school due to mission or money concerns. My hope is that we foster the motivation to attend schools and not minimize the pride of earning badges.

"And then I told him..."

I had a Soldier who, while in Afghanistan, grew tired of Green Berets telling him that his opinion didn't count because he didn't have a "long tab". So, this guy goes down to the tailor shop while at Bagram, and has a custom "Military Information Support Operations" tab made up. The thing was so long that it almost curved into a full circle. He took the tab back to his VSP and began wearing it around just to tick off the SF guys. We all thought it was hilarious, but I did have to tell him to take it off when he came in from the field since it was unauthorized. Still awesome though. Much longer than a Special Forces tab.:-)

As an infantryman it was motivating to be with people who cared enough to excel and earn these badges. I think chest candy is a very disrespectful term for awards such as the EIB or the CFMB. Wings are qualification badges, and are by no means  " flair" other services have badges ie submariners and SEALS. I do think every mos having their own badges does tarnish the elite ness of the ones already in existence

I've always been under the impression that clothes don't make the man. I've known great Soldiers that lacked high speed schools (airborne, air assault, sapper etc.). And seen douchebags with almost every school you can get a badge for. I have a CAB and Air Assault wings and don't wear them that much. I know where I've been and what I've done.

To be honest we are adding far too many badges and patches. I read about how NCOES instructors are going to get their own badge. Where are some going to put it. I recall being in awe when I simply saw a CIB and wings. Now we have more and more patches and badges. A jungle tab? Maybe a bit much.

A while ago I saw a soldier with a CBRN patch. I asked them as I didn't know what it meant. After learning what it meant I asked what was going on in the area. They looked stunned. I asked them why would you wear a patch to identify yourself when not in the official capacity of performing the duties. They didn't have an answer. I see the MP patch in the same like. Why not just make a branch insignia to go with their rank like the navy. It would make more sense.

Another unwritten purpose of the EOD badge and EOD brassard besides denoting a special skill set is identifying the subject matter expert in the midst of a chaotic post blast or IED scene. An on scene commander or law enforcement official wants the expert input on the situation from those who have the best knowledge. That commander or official must be able to differentiate between the SME and the guy driving the truck who saw Bruce Willis do that thing in that movie to that bomb device. Just my humble input and perspective.

I do not believe there are too many badges or awards and that Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guard, Reserve and Natl Guard, as long as they are worn correctly and with Honor. If someone is wearing 1 badge or award that they did NOT earn, then even one is too many.

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</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">I think that every branch of the army should be able to wear
the correctly associated cord and insignia backings just the same as the
infantry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>If you look at the history of
these devices the infantry was the only one that retained the ability to wear
them but they use to be worn by all branches.</font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">

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I believe badges are awarded for Rigger and such courses to not only help build individual pride and moral but also as a way to display expertise.  EOD, like Airborne badges, show levels of proficiency - Basic, Senior, and Master.

I've always felt it was a numbers thing. A lot of the badge/tab producing schools and MOS's tend to be difficult or in high demand, so chest candy was just another way to recruit or motivate people to head toward these areas.

The Army uniform looks like a lighted Christmas tree! I'm biased having moved from the Marine Corps to the Army, but all the junk on the Army uniform is embarrassing. If they'd limit what can be worn, what is worn would have real meaning.

I do not agree with MOS defining badges. Saying EOD or a Rigger badge is to identify a SME is saying that all the other MOS' do not require special training and qualification. All MOS' require special training and education. Do we really need to know who is a pilot, or flight surgeon by their uniforms? Most of these MOS' that have special badges already have special other uniform items. Riggers have red hats, EOD have 1 unit patch and a brassard, flight personnel have flight uniforms. Having an extra badge to define the MOS is redundant and creates ideas that some MOS' are "harder" than others.

Sapper, Ranger, SF, and President's Hundred tabs are special qualifications, not MOS defining. Every year there is talk of new headgear for this job, or a tab for this MOS, or this badge. Most of us saw the ridiculousness that came from the CAB. Originally the CCB for the other formally known as Combat Arms jobs that engaged/were engaged by the enemy. But then they had to make it fair to the Combat Support and Combat Service Support.

Special badges should be for specially acquired skills, not something trained in AIT/OSUT. Jumpmaster does not get its own badge, but it is a requirement for the senior and master parachutist badges, the Fister does not need their own badge, even though they are nowhere close to the gunline compared to the rest of the CMF.

I feel that there is too much separation between the MOS' and too many special identifiers for "unspecial" jobs. The Infantry does not need blue cord and discs, Riggers don't need a badge, CBRN does not need a brassard unless there is a threat of attack. Are 88M's and 12N's automatically awarded their Drivers Badges?

I'm proud of my "never earned a tab" Tab.