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?
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 764
In my old units nearly every officer was an expert marksman. I know this because I was range OIC and ran a lot of them through. None of us wore the badge however. I never really gave it deep thought as to why.
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Officers not wearing marksmanship badges must be a new thing I am a RVN vet and when in class A and above we wore marksmanship badges.
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An Officer's weapon is the Soldiers he commands. There's no badge for that but, if he's proficient with it, he shouldn't have a need for another one, except to snuggle with when he's in the field.
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Well, in my experience, because most but certainly not all officers only qualify Marksman, if they do qualify. Me I do wear them, but what the heck I'm a retired CPT!
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An interesting exchange. I recall once hearing that this is also a cultural issue, much like why in the day there were separate officer, NCO, and enlisted clubs. An Army specific observation, but back in the days of paper personnel records, officers’ GT scores were not reflected on the DA Form 2 and 2-1.
I would also note that this is not unique to the US. The Bundeswehr’s Schützenschnur badge – the far fancier equivalent to our marksmanship badges, can only be worn by enlisted.
I would also note that this is not unique to the US. The Bundeswehr’s Schützenschnur badge – the far fancier equivalent to our marksmanship badges, can only be worn by enlisted.
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It was my experience when I served that most officers were badge bunnies anyhow so don't even get me started on the "Skillcraft Qualification". They would be sent to schools merely because of their rank to earn badges for skills that they would never use in the future. At Fort Campbell you would rarely, if ever see an officer without Airborne Wings, Air Assault Wings and a Pathfinder badge despite holding a logistics or clerical MOS. They never jumped again after Airborne School, never rappelled from a helo and damn sure never went out and established a forward LZ.
Additionally, they would go for the German Armed Forces Badge which in my day was an 18 mile ruck march for gold that is now 7.5 miles or the Schutzenschnur. The got Bronze Stars for staying inside the wire and working in an air conditioned TOC while the PFC would was running patrols in full kit in 120deg heat getting shot at got an AAM.
Am I a little bitter? Hell yeah and I'll bet there are thousands on this site that can attest to what I say.
Additionally, they would go for the German Armed Forces Badge which in my day was an 18 mile ruck march for gold that is now 7.5 miles or the Schutzenschnur. The got Bronze Stars for staying inside the wire and working in an air conditioned TOC while the PFC would was running patrols in full kit in 120deg heat getting shot at got an AAM.
Am I a little bitter? Hell yeah and I'll bet there are thousands on this site that can attest to what I say.
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