Posted on Apr 15, 2016
My weapons qualifications for pistol score said "distinguished expert" on AKO. How do you earn that? I have always shot expert.
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10 of my last 12 pistol quals were expert. And one read distinguished expert.
Posted in these groups: 
Pistol Shooting
Pistol Shooting
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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"Distinguished" results from consistent weapons test scores of 100 percent.
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"Soldiers earn points toward these coveted badges by performing well at Excellence in Competition matches held throughout the country. Soldiers who place in the top ten-percent of all non-distinguished competitors in an EIC match earn points. Gen. Sheridan instituted the regulation as a way to encourage new Soldiers to get involved in competitive marksmanship and not swayed by the fact that highly-skilled marksmen would be in the same match.
Since the inception of the badge, 3,275 Soldiers have earned the distinguished rifleman's badge and 1,740 Soldiers have earned the distinguished pistol shot badge, while 392 Soldiers have been awarded both badges, said Nancy Pool, EIC director. That is less than one percent of all Soldiers in the history of the Army. 15 Soldiers have the rare distinction of having been awarded all three distinguished badges after earning the Distinguished International Shooter badge. Two of those Soldiers are currently on active-duty with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Lt. Col. Rhonda Bright and Sgt. 1st Class Lance Dement."
http://www.army.mil/article/31928/Soldiers_have_chance_to_distinguish_themselves/
Since the inception of the badge, 3,275 Soldiers have earned the distinguished rifleman's badge and 1,740 Soldiers have earned the distinguished pistol shot badge, while 392 Soldiers have been awarded both badges, said Nancy Pool, EIC director. That is less than one percent of all Soldiers in the history of the Army. 15 Soldiers have the rare distinction of having been awarded all three distinguished badges after earning the Distinguished International Shooter badge. Two of those Soldiers are currently on active-duty with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Lt. Col. Rhonda Bright and Sgt. 1st Class Lance Dement."
http://www.army.mil/article/31928/Soldiers_have_chance_to_distinguish_themselves/
Soldiers have chance to distinguish themselves
Participation in military and civilian-sponsored small-arms marksmanship competitions offers Soldiers the opportunity to refine their marksmanship skills, compete against other military and civilian marksmen and earn the highest marksmanship awards eligible for wear on the uniform.
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Capt Seid Waddell
If it's on your record it should be legitimate. It is a matter of being in the top 10% of the expert shooters enough times to qualify on points.
It looks like there is a badge that goes with it.
It looks like there is a badge that goes with it.
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CSM Richard StCyr
Regular qualification at unit level doesn't qualify for distinguished expert. Those are only awarded at the competitive shooting matches. I had several Soldiers who competed for these and they are hard to get. PAC clerks can and do occasionally fat finger in and select the wrong badges when populating ERB data, I saw this frequently with the suspension bars for the Driver /Mechanic badges.
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CSM Richard StCyr
CSM Richard StCyr - Just dug out the pistol qual FM 3-23-35. As of 2003 which is when my ancient text was published there existed only three standard or alternate qualification levels for pistol in MTOE units; Marksman, Sharpshooter, and Expert. So this leads me to believe a clerk fat fingered your ERB data.
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MSG (Join to see)
The badge can only be awarded by the AMU with orders signed by the AMU Commander, have to go through the process not just at the unit level
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That's pretty cool!! I wonder if it is possible for Air Force. I shoot expert as well.
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CPT (Join to see)
The Air Force also has Distinguished Badges. I know a few who have earned one or both of these badges. You havr to find official EIC matches to shoot in order to get points towards Distinguished status, examples would be the National Matches, US Army Small Arms Championship, Winston P Wilson NG Championship, Interservice Rifle or Pistol Championship, etc.
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