Why don't officers wear marksmanship badges?

There is no document or regulation preventing Officers from wearing qualification badges. I am proud to say that throughout my 25+ year career I never shot less than expert (M4 & M9). However, when I made the transition from NCO to WO, I had a mentoring session with a Senior Warrant. He told me that Officers don’t wear them. I told him that I earned it. He very wisely told me that Officers are expected to be perfect. The reality is that we all are not. Anything less than perfection (Expert) reduces them in the eyes of subordinates. Your image as a leader is very important.

Navy doesn't have marksmanship badges, (medals and ribbons). I earned, requalified and wore mine whenever I wore the whole set but most days it was just top three below aviators wings if any at all

They do in the Marine Corps. Expert badge was a sign of high achievement. One Marine saying is "Every Marine a rifleman." That holds true throughout. But Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard do not stress that skill in jobs that are not infantry or front line. Every Marine qualifies every year at the range. I have heard that most MOS in the Army do not require annual qualification. But who knows?

One of my Infantry Bn Commanders emphasized that officers lead the way with individual skills and Officers were encouraged to earn the EIB. Officers wore marksmanship badges. The most coveted was for the Bayonet.

My experience most of them can not shoot to save there butt's.
Not saying that is all but that is most of the one's I have seen on the ranges.
There targets usually get the PEN punch on the targets.

A more likely thought here, no offense to other ideas, but as an officer, we are supposed to lead, that I agree upon, and in that, Officers are supposed to be already at the top of the capability ladder in shooting, etc.
A second thought, is that if it was by regulation mandatory, it could easily say to the enlisted, "why doesn't THAT officer have the marksmanship badge or this or that?" Best to leave the skills where they are and recognize the enlisted with due badges where it will count first and the most, in battle. Beyond that, Officer's don't need it and frankly, if you cannot shoot as an officer, you should be ashamed, but you also don't need to show everyone else all the badges like some of the officers I've seen wear their various patches - just to show off. My $0.02.

Excuse my maybe senseless rambling, I’m certified nuts. Knowing that my opinion based on my impressions that were formed during my combat experience, will more than likely create a dodo storm. That is not my intention, nor do I disagree with many of the other posts on the matter of wearing any “earned” insignia on one’s uniform. If it complies with the standards, stated in applicable regulations. So, what I hope to emphasize is not one’s skill to place a projectile in a 1”, 5”, or even a 2 ft. spot on a static target at any distance required (not a target that shoots back). That is a must for any military personal, period, regardless of the weapon one is required to be armed with during a hostile encounter or environment. The badge or badges discussed only depicts a warrior’s skill, what is not only important but essential is the “ability” to perform that skill in any and all situations. What was a shocker for me (personally speaking) was the first, second reactions I “suffered” in a real honest to goodness, fire fight, or directly confronting a live target that was shooting at yours truly. If not for the abilities of those next to me, I would be just another name of that Black Wall. My father (a WWII Veteran of Italy, Omaha Beach and severely wounded entering Germany 1945) gave me my first rifle when I was 9 years old. A single shot Remington 22 bolt action. Due mainly to luck, once when he and I were shooting I zeroed in on a single crow at what I have always guessed to be at around 100 yds., I almost swallowed my teeth when that crow fell outa that tree to the ground. In my disbelief encouraged by my father, I was hooked that day and have been since, a passionate, addicted shooter. In the military 1967 they were changing from the M-14 to the M-16, as I had to qualify on the M14 in Basic all had to requalify on the new weapons of that time. Jumping the opportunity to Volunteer for so called special weapons training, I was in hog heaven getting to fire and fire alot to qualify with those new weapons before going to Vietnam. I have to admit I was one cocky 19-year-old with my new shooting skills. In Vietnam, I spent several weeks attending all sorts of other training with all sorts of fun dodas to blow up things and kill people, also I was highly qualified in Cutting 50 gallon barrels in half and burning tons of dodo, I still smell that burning dodo and diesel fuel ( JP-4 was much better, didn’t smoke so much). To my point, I considered myself well trained and qualified to enter the ranks of warfare, emphasizes on “I considered”. Later the truth of war, conflict and reality came to bear and should have been my end. On search patrol at night in a suppose friendly villa, my platoon leader and I came face to face with a female sporting an AK, when I put my flashlight in her face, I recognized her as one of our laundry girls. I knew as she raised her weapon and got off a short burst, I was going to get shot but for the life of me I could not move, froze, hoping it wouldn’t hurt to much getting shot. Standing there, with the light still in her face I may have heard one or two rounds she fired but could see the muzzle blasts, I saw her grimace and she fall backwards. My Platoon leader had put 2 rounds of 00 buck shot in her chest and I never heard the sound of his shotgun blasts with him maybe a foot or two away. There I stood, so qualified, trained, yet locked up like a statue with the enemy 15 ft. away lying on the ground. The next occasion I took direct fire, I was able to snap out of the fear freeze, take cover and return fire. This phenomenon was common with many FNG’s during their initial encounter with up close and personal direct fire encounters, also happened amongst experienced men. Few others I knew of, or I had witnessed, that survived, would ever admit to their experiences of locking up. I must tell of my father and I having our little discussion several days after I returned from Vietnam. Understand my father and I were never close nor did he discuss much of his war details, once I mustered the nerve to ask my father “ dad did you ever piss in your pants during the war? A smile came to his face as he told me, yes, I did several times, if someone ever says they didn’t they are a lying SOB”. At times my job was to talk down others that had froze up and remained in shock, several of the worst cases we had to talk down while they hunkered in a bunker with their weapons threatening to kill themselves, some did. In my company three or four had to be locked up for attempting suicide, UCMJ section 8s were fairly common during my tenure in Vietnam. After VN I was in law enforcement, it was a frequent curse of many police depts. That their officers would not shoot when involved in a deadly encounter at the cost of officers or innocents’ lives. It was and continues to be a serious problem in law enforcement agencies across the country, officers will not fire their weapon, freeze or panic. They have the skills, training to fire accurately with their but lack the Ability to use the weapon in deadly force encounters. Most of my years after VN I have attended training schools, so called training classes for self-defense, worked with law-enforcement agencies, gave individual classes to teach the Mindset of being able to overcome these conditions that prevent a person from firing their weapons. Create their skills to fire their weapons and the Ability to do so. Any warrior that has been in a “no fire” situation, or was accused of being a coward, was never guilty of such. They had never been taught to overcome, dealt with or expect the natural human instinct of survival. This was problem was addressed after WWII by Gen. S.L.A.M. Marshall who found only 12% of solo riflemen would fire their rifle, not considering group operated/fired weapons, direct motivation by a superior, distance fired weapons i.e., Machine guns, artillery, aircraft bombardment, etc. Training was improved, primarily converting from paper bulls eye targets to human silhouettes, solo firing rate then increased to 55% in Korea to 95% in Vietnam. I have been a staunch follower of Lt. Col. Dave Grossman for many years. His excellent books “On Combat” “On Killing” are required reads for many government agencies and law enforcement. Everyone in military or law enforcement should read these two books over and over again. So many of Vietnam Veterans (self-included) who suffer the devastating life long effects of their War experiences, could have been avoided completely or drastically reduced severity of, by knowing what to expect and learn/know the natural reactions of the human being to War and it’s traumas. The military during the early 90’s realized this problem and began the excellent and effective methodology of training, instilling the mindset, etc. to over come these negative effects. Now I don’t know if the disgusting (IMO) boy scout, woke, lie don’t tell BS, everybody gets a medal, everybody is a winner, etc. attitudes have voided that valuable training, by being deemed “offensive or Hurtful” or some brand of ism..

Why would an officer point out that he didn’t shoot expert? Undermines confidence? Speculating of course.

It's not their primary mission. Leadership should be. It should be secondary, but maybe necessary if the situation calls for it.

If an Officer has earned the badges he should wear them.