Posted on Mar 26, 2018
Should an Officer wear a Driver's Badge that was earned while he was Enlisted?
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I've seen the posts about Officers not wearing qualification badges relating specifically to weapons qual, how they should be experts of everything etc. etc., but I've never heard anyone specifically address the driver's badge. It isn't anything spectacular or anything to write home about, but it is a badge nonetheless and represents a specific knowledge and skill. Thoughts?
Driver
Officers
Dress Uniform
DA Pam 670-1
Tradition
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 317
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If you earned it you can wear it - officer or enlisted. I was prior enlisted before getting my commission. Initially I wore everything - partly to show those in my unit that I had been around the block and not just someone out ROTC or West Point. Later in my career I went to the minimallist theory and just wore the ones that really meant something to me - SF Tab, jump wings and combat patch. Only exception was the dress/mess blues - then I wore it all.
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1. There is no reg that prohibits an officer from wearing a driver/mechanic badge that was earned.
2. I don’t see anything wrong with an officer wearing a legitimately earned “DMB”.
3. I hate, HATE this notion that officers don’t wear weapon qual badges. I am convinced that the “expected to be an expert” thing is BS. Earn expert then. If you can’t earn expert then wear what you’ve earned and let the “bolo” shame be what motivates you to practice your marksmanship.
2. I don’t see anything wrong with an officer wearing a legitimately earned “DMB”.
3. I hate, HATE this notion that officers don’t wear weapon qual badges. I am convinced that the “expected to be an expert” thing is BS. Earn expert then. If you can’t earn expert then wear what you’ve earned and let the “bolo” shame be what motivates you to practice your marksmanship.
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MAJ (Join to see)
Agree 100%. If one examines AR 600-8-22, para. 8-1, it says, "The purpose of awarding badges and tabs is to provide public recognition by tangible evidence of the attainment of a high degree of skill, proficiency, and excellence in tests and competition, as well as in the performance of duties." For example, someone who earns the President's Hundred Tab does not lose authority to wear it if they don't qualify in subsequent years. Same thing with the CIB, Ranger tab, etc. The only badges not authorized for continued wear are "local established special skill badges" which I imagine might apply to the Recondo School in Vietnam (if someone know different, please advise on the written authority since it's not covered in AR-60008-22). The idea that an Officer is automatically an "expert" is absurd. Just because an officer is assigned to a unit does not automatically make them an expert in their MOS/AOC.
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I wore my Army Gold Recruiter Badge always as an officer. I also wore my NCOPD ribbon, my good conduct ribbon.
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An enlisted badge is silver and an officer's badge is gold.
Per the uniform regulations the officer is allowed to wear his previously qualified enlisted badge until he re-qualifies as an officer.
Then the officer badge replaces his enlisted once.
Per the uniform regulations the officer is allowed to wear his previously qualified enlisted badge until he re-qualifies as an officer.
Then the officer badge replaces his enlisted once.
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I think officers should wear qual badges earned on a mixed enlisted and officer range. Keeps everyone honest and I should know if the guy next to me in a fight can shoot (or not). About the Drivers badge, I'm not sure what the rules are for an officer wearing a driver's but why not we can wear or not wear what we want (according to regs.) Dont ever be ashamed of something you earned.
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Hard headed me on the weapons qual badge deal. Even after I had branch transferred from AR to QM so I could join DISCOM and eventually command an FSB (TxARNG), I made a point to proudly wear my expert rifle, expert pistol, and most importantly, marksman tank weapons badges on my dress uniforms just to let those folks my unit supported know that I wasn't always a CSS guy. No one ever gave me any sh_t about it and I would have not dealt with it well if they had.
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