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 10 y ago
Responses: 770
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If officers are not expected to be proficient in their weapon systems then why are armor officers required to qualify with their tanks? All of this talk about how officers are planners and leaders and not in the shooting business seems to me to be a moot point when the bullets start flying. Every battalion commander, company commander, and platoon leader I ever served with qualified their tank with their tank crew. As officers they were expected to not only lead the battle, they were expected to actually fight their tank. They were tank crew members that were very much in the putting steel on target business and in the development and implementation of the plan. Someone mentioned the "burden" of command in an above post. I would suggest that if you believe that to command is a "burden" you should apply for an an immediate retirement of your commission. Command is a privilege not a burden. To insinuate otherwise is an insult to a long line of officers that have had the privilege of commanding soldiers and doing it better than any other military in the world. Officers are soldiers first. Leaders second. If all of your position is overrun and it is down to you and a few soldiers nobody cares what your rank is, they want you to be proficient at your fist job and that is to put bullets into bad guys.
I never really cared whether my officers wore their bolo badges or not. I only cared that they were proficient in their job. That included basic soldiering skills. I never cared about "officer" culture. Just do your job.
I never really cared whether my officers wore their bolo badges or not. I only cared that they were proficient in their job. That included basic soldiering skills. I never cared about "officer" culture. Just do your job.
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1LT Rich Voss
Sarge - if you're not or haven't been a "Tanker" I'll eat my nasty "Mickey Mouse" hat. I was one of very, very few Officers that were in Germany long enough during the mid-late 60's to have the opportunity and ability to take 3 different crews through TCQC. AND qualify each time. I still have my ancient Field Jacket with my 1967 patch on the pocket. We wore them with honor, everywhere you'd wear that jacket as part of the daily uniform. Also wore three hats for a time: HHC tank platoon leader, Mortar platoon leader, and Scout platoon leader. Qualified the first two, they wouldn't let me take that armor plated Corvette down the tank range and shoot up stuff with the 20mm cannon, darn it ! Anyway, I've got all three badges full of tabs. Many from when I was a draftee infantyman. On Purpo quase ! Some of us wanted lots of "stuff" to wear on our dress uniforms, so you'd get one each of Marksman and Sharpshooter, and then show your real "stuff". Never did get expert with my tank crews though, and that's the way it goes. Always had a new trainee as loader just before quali.....
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Maybe not to embarrass them when they aren't experts. The current culture of the officer in the Army is the epitome of what right looks like and NCOs are lesser creatures was appalling. Most NCOs at the SFC and above level have the same education they their officer counterparts have yet earned it while also leading troops not like most officers earning their degree and spending weekends at keggers.
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When I earned my commission, my professor and the one who commissioned me, told me that all officers are considered experts in their field. I had earned my expert marksman badge so I just took it off and always remembered what he told me.
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SPC Fred Scholl
I believe your Professor lied to you. All officers are not experts in their field, that's why they rely on the expertise and experience of their E-7's. And I would also say there are more NCO's that are considered expert marksman than officers. Just ask any sniper.
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I have no idea why Army officers don't wear marksmanship badges, but the Marine Corps ( at least when I was aboard from 1945 -1975) all Marines, officer and enlisted wore shooting badges and proudly so. In fact if a Marine was qualified as Expert for 3 years on the service rifle (M-1 for me) he wore a small bar to indicate subsequent awards. Same for Expert Pistol. Marksmanship has always been respected in the Marine Corps . During WW II and shortly following we were paid $5.00 extra per month for rifle qualification as Expert, and $3.00 per month as Sharpshooter. When I went through boot camp, if you did not qualify, the Drill Instructors had a special assembly for you! That extra pay was great when a Private only received $50.00 per month and $10 of that had to be sent home for War Bonds. In my Marine Corps, ant time I wore the Service "A" uniform, I wore my proudly wore my shooting badges. I hope the they still do! I served both as enlisted and officer, but was proud more about my enlisted Good Conduct Medal than any other awards that I had earned. To all Marines who may read this, "SEMPER FI !"
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CW3 Harvey K.
Semper Fi, Colonel. I'm just a youngster who spent the summer of '59 on Parris Island, but I remember my boot platoon had 8 non-qualifiers. The DI would march us back to the barracks after chow, then dismiss several categories of recruits from the formation, ending with "All my non-qualifiers, fall out. For the rest of you, the smoking lamp is lit."
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I believe even if there is no reg specifically saying a solider (officer or enlisted) must wear all ribbons, it is looked upon very badly if they don't wear all earned ribbons and medals. If it is on your record, wear it!
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MAJ Ronnie Reams
I think I saw in Army Times that one is allowed to wear 4 or 5 ribbons of wearer's choice on the Class B shirt.
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Worked for a Major in the Air Force he was an XO for the Logistics General. The enlisted members were the Generals Administrative staff. When we wore blues the Major told us not to wear badges or ribbons. When I saw his I then understood why.
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LTC (Join to see)
That's General Schoomaker, a legend in the special ops world. With delta on the Iran raid, and delta squadron cdr and overall cdr. Also commanded JSOC and SOCOM. Probably one of the best officer shooters ever.
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