Posted on Oct 31, 2014
Why don't officers wear marksmanship badges?
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The day I turned my chevrons in for gold bars I noticed something. All the officers I've ever seen never wore marksmanship badges in dress uniforms. I just assumed they were unauthorized for officers and removed it voluntarily. I honestly never desired to wear the badge (probably because I was only ever a sharpshooter), but I haven't found any documentation specifically preventing officers from wearing them. Do you think officers should wear them?
Officer
Uniforms
Marksmanship
Badges
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 764
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I can't believe I spent 40 years directly with the Army and never noticed that particular officer custom with the badges. I did notice the no facial hair. When I became a CSM I was gently told that perhaps I should discard my mustache, but I never did. I was a strong believer in displaying what was authorized. I was kind of friendly with some senior officers toward the end of my career, but never was curious enough to ask any why the unwritten rules.
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CW3 Harvey K.
My older brother was a career Marine, who was a Staff Sergeant at the age of 20. At the time, staff NCOs and above in the Corps were allowed to have a mustache. He grew one to look older, and shaved it when that assistance to a mature appearance was no longer necessary.
The mustache (and a beard) didn't come back until he was long retired.
The mustache (and a beard) didn't come back until he was long retired.
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Maj Ken Brown
Once upon a time (as opposed to "This ain't no BS"): we were in the bush for about three days without water re-supply. The S-3 came upon our position on on of his routine inspections. He noticed that few of us had shaved - including yours truly and the 106's platoon commander: both mustangs. The Three then made a comment in a staff meeting about "fuzzy-faced lieutenants". Every lieutenant in the battalion proceeded to grow mustaches. We persisted until the CO had the Three apologize to all the lieutenants in the battalion and then ask us to shave them off: asked, mark you.
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CSM Michael Sweeney
LtCol Mac McCarty - Even new CSM's have to get a little friendly ribbing from those old timers. It was a statement " I could never understand why someone would want to cultivate something around their mouth that grows wild around their ass".
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Sorry, as a Marine I gotta do this.
Because they missed the target every round. Bah dump tsss
Maggie's drawers.
Because they missed the target every round. Bah dump tsss
Maggie's drawers.
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It's not "officers" in general who do not wear marksmanship badges, it's the US Army Officers in specific. US Marine Officers certainly do wear them in their dress uniforms.
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Cpt. John Dougherty USA (ret)
In m command some did and some didn't no comment was made either for or against. I always wore my qualification badge, especially since I usually qualified Expert. But even if I didn't I still wore it. I did this for two reasons.
1. Professional: If I had marksmanship advice for one of my soldiers one glance my uniform told them I really did have a clue and was passing on useful information. They were much more likely to listen me or to listen to the NCO I wanted them to work with to improve their skill.
2. Personal: I was a maverick. Having been enlisted my Class A's just felt incomplete without them and I saw no reason to discontinue wearing them. Perhaps that was vanity on my part perhaps not. I always prided myself on my marksmanship skills and encouraged my soldiers to take pride in theirs.
In m command some did and some didn't no comment was made either for or against. I always wore my qualification badge, especially since I usually qualified Expert. But even if I didn't I still wore it. I did this for two reasons.
1. Professional: If I had marksmanship advice for one of my soldiers one glance my uniform told them I really did have a clue and was passing on useful information. They were much more likely to listen me or to listen to the NCO I wanted them to work with to improve their skill.
2. Personal: I was a maverick. Having been enlisted my Class A's just felt incomplete without them and I saw no reason to discontinue wearing them. Perhaps that was vanity on my part perhaps not. I always prided myself on my marksmanship skills and encouraged my soldiers to take pride in theirs.
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SPC Dave Parks
boy , all you experts make me feel bad . as a door gunner I missed the earth a couple of times ! i did make up for it . I could bite , scratch and pull hair with the best ! keep on keeping on brothers ! GOD BLESS
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As I was reading Col Smallfields reason that officers don't wear marksmanship badges and he states that officer culture is not to wear them I stopped. In the Army I remember when you stand inspection you are to wear all authorized awards and decorations not just what you want, I thought only a general officer was authorized to design parts of the uniform!
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LTC Christopher Hills
Top, interesting point. But army regs allow soldiers to wear or not wear their awards (with a few exceptions) except if the commander requires it as uniform of the day. So, for example, in my class B’s i typically only wore my airborne wings along with my bronze star, purple heart and MSM. But full unit formation or inspection i wore all my badges, decorations, service medals, foreign medals and unit awards. Specific to marksmanship awards, which i do wear, 670-1 required it only for enlisted.
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As soon as an officer sights down the barrel of a rifle, he has lost control of the situation.
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LCDR Daniel Lanotte
SFC Christopher Van Loon - If needed to protect his own life or of his men he had better be able to do it.
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SFC Christopher Van Loon
LCDR Lanotte: And he or she hade better be able to shoot well. Proven to all s/he meets by way of the appropriate marksmanship badge.
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SPC Fred Scholl
Absolutely incorrect. Any questions about officers leading and caring a weapon, read Lt. Col. Hal Moore's book "We were soldiers once...and young." It seems from past experiences those officers who wish not to wear their medals were the ones who did not shoot expert and actually had problems pulling the trigger. Lt. Col Moore is not one of them. And if you want, tell any Marine officer who wears their medals they can't lead. See what they say or do.
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LTC Christopher Hills
Without intending to be disrespectful, that comment can only be made by someone whose life was never in danger. Combat leaders learn early on how to prioritize actions and sometimes the most important thing to do is shoot the guy firing at you before you move to the next action. On the battlefield, everyone is a killer till the objective is seized. Otherwise you are a liability or a corpse.
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I believe Officers should wear marksmanship badges. Leadership needs to be transparent. Officer or not, you should be an expert at everything you touch. So if you are assigned a rifle, you should be an expert at it; no excuses...and if you can't shoot straight, then probably everyone around you deserves to know that.
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MAJ (Join to see)
An officer is not supposed to be an expert at everything. That is what your NCOs are for. Our job is to manage all of that. Lead from the front. Meet and exceed the standard. If my PLs can lead a great attack but can only shoot marksman. I'd take that over a expert shooter any day. Now my team leaders and squad leads had better be able to shoot. But then again a flat range doesn't tell you much about a shooter anyway.
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LTC Michael Sternfeld
Every officer should wear his or her marksmenship badge or badges. Taking the time to practice with the handgun or rifle [civilian equivalents] doing off duty hours is actually profesisional training. The weapons of our service are tools of the trade. Officers and NCOs have a duty to hone their skills with those tools. That is part of leadership 101.
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Only badge that needs to be added for junior officers, is a "Land Navigation" qualification badge. At least then we'll know that the LT isn't taking us along the wrong route cause he can't read a map/compass :-)
As for earned awards, whether they are badges, medals, or ribbons... Wear them with pride!
As for earned awards, whether they are badges, medals, or ribbons... Wear them with pride!
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Maj Ken Brown
Is the most dangerous weapon in the Marine Corps still a 2ndLt with a map and compass? I got us good and lost - once - Cpl, Meyers (Odessa, Texas) "clumb a tree', looked around, did an unassisted resection, and pointed our position out on the map. Right grid square, only about a click off.
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SSG John Jensen
20% of the homeless are vets, I heard that they are all officers that were given compasses
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