Why don't officers wear marksmanship badges?

Why Not ?

From the comments here, it is evident that there is both considerable local variation on the wear/non-wear of marksmanship badges by officers as a "tradition", and a variance in that "tradition" over time as well. It is well to keep in mind that we are discussing "tradition" in the U. S. Army, an organization that is well over two centuries old. In such a venerable institution, 20-30 years ago might well be viewed as the equivalent of “last month” in a younger organization

A good deal of authority is exercised, if not arrogated, by commanders who "discourage" their officers from wearing marksmanship badges authorized, but not required, by regulations. That deprivation (or is it the providing of a “cover story” for poor marksmen) is done under the guise of “officer culture” and “tradition”. Other commanders take the opposite view, encouraging their officers to attain marksmanship skills and wear their qualification badges.
From all reports in the comments on this site, the pendulum of “culture” and “tradition” may have swung from favoring officers wearing their weapon qualifications to looking upon it unfavorably any number of times in the history of the Army. A quick run-through of pictures of WWII Generals available on-line did not turn up any of Generals Eisenhower, Bradley, or Patton wearing marksmanship badges. However, I did find one of General MacArthur with such badges displayed. Perhaps the Army practice that General Officers no longer wear their branch insignia extends to marksmanship badges as well, if they even fire for qualification. Whatever the case with the top brass, the comments here indicate many officers from the WWII era to the present day have “violated the tradition” of not wearing weapon qualification badges.

The result --- there is no standard, Army-wide consistency in the practice of officers wearing/not wearing marksmanship badges, and it appears there never has been --- neither over the various subordinate units comprising the present-day Army, nor over the history of the Army, as found in these comments. To call such a haphazard practice, varying greatly over both time and the many constituent units of the Army, a “tradition” and attempt to define it as “officer culture” suggests a need to rationalize a desired practice by giving it a false aura of a long-standing, universally accepted custom. From all that has been presented here, it is not.

Mostly because 98% of the officers in the Army today do not read or understand the regulations governing wear and apparel of the uniform. AR 670-1 states "ALL SOLDIERS" that includes all officers as well. Now that stated, those 98% of officers think they are "EXPERTS" and they only fool themselves and their soldiers. Today's Army Officer is a joke who cannot lead properly, is an abusive sot, a suck ass who can't think and is taught that in the programs like USMA, ROTC and to a lesser OCS. I spent 40 years in the Army both as an Enlisted/NCO and as a Commissioned Officer. The only prestige in the officer corps is the respect that one gets by true leadership and the adherence to the Army ethos. Wear those badges and show your soldiers you have room for improvement.

They do go to the range to qualify

AF doesnt have marksmanship badges except for National Distinguished Pistol /Rifle. We do have a ribbon for each as does the Navy and Coast Guard.

BLUF: I would like to see officers wearing their qualification badges. As to the "Logic" posed by COL Smallfield: 1: The Individual/Collective thing is a training, not a war fighting concept. And I never considered a radio to be my primary weapon though I understand what you meant. I do agree that if a senior officer wound up killing the enemy with a sidearm something probably went wrong - like that radio thing didn't work. But it is just as important for an officer to be qualified as any Pvt. More so in fact. 2: Demonstrating that an officer is tactically sound via weapons qual will go a ways towards providing the purpose, motivation and direction you speak of. Not unlike max'ing the PT test. It's easier to lead if you are in front of the formation as opposed to behind it.

I didn’t wear all I earned even as enlisted I wore my expert rifle badge even as an officer. If I had to work in dress uniform every day I probably wouldn’t have due to laziness to transfer all of it between Uniforms

Yes, they should wear them if they EARNED them.....when the shit hits the fan it's all hands on deck and if a officer was SMART they would qualify with an M4 and carry one leg strap the pistol

Not wearing marksmanship badges by officers in the army must be a new thing. During my service(RVN era) officers wore all badges and awards on the uniform as required by the uniform. As an aside the Marine corps Commandant only wears his shooting badges on his every day uniform. Why would an officer not wear a marksmanship badge,it is one of the firs awards a member of the military EARNS.

Officers are authorized to wear them but by tradition don't. I think that started with a commander who was a lousy shot.