Obsolete badges of the United States military
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Obsolete badges of the United States military are a number of U.S. military insignia which were issued in the 20th and 21st centuries that are no longer used today. After World War II, many badges were phased out of the United States Armed Forces in favor of more modern military badges used today.
A unique obsolete badge situation occurred with General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold, who in 1913 was among the 24 Army pilots to receive the first Military Aviator Badge, an eagle bearing Signal Corps flags suspended from a bar.[1] Replaced in 1917 by the more conventional "wings" embroidered design (authorized as an oxidized silver badge in 1921), Arnold displayed both types on his uniform throughout his career. The original Military Aviator Badge design can be seen in pictures of him in uniform.
The following is a listing of obsolete U.S. military badges and insignia organized by branch of service.
U.S. Army
Army Aviation Section/Air Service
Army Air Forces
Regular Army
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U.S. Air Force
| Badge/Insignia | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force Command Flight Surgeon Badge |  |
Replaced by Chief Flight Surgeon Badge on 1 June 1959[41] |
| Air Force Parachutist Badges |    |
Replaced by Army & Air Force Parachutist Badges in 1963[41] |
| Air Police Badge |  |
Replaced by Security Police Badge in November 1966[42] |
| Air Force Training Instructor Badges |   |
Replaced by Air Education and Training Command Instructor Badges[41] |
| Gold National Excellence-In-Competition Badges[43][44] |  | |
| Gold & Silver Elementary Excellence-In-Competition Badges[44][45] |  | |
| Combat Control Team Crest | Replaced with new design in 1984[46] | |
| Air Force Recruiter Badges |   |
Replaced with new designs and additional grades/awards |
| Air Force Combat Crew Badge |  |
Retired in August 1993[47] |
| Aid–de–Camp Collar Insignia
1-4 President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Air Force 5-8 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau 9-13 General Officers (five through one star) |
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First used in 1969 and discontinued in 1996.[48] Higher offices like the President or Chief of Staff aides wear the organization's badge.
General's aides do not have a replacement. |
| Special Operations Weather Team Crest |  |
Replaced with Combat Weather Team Crest in 2002[49] |
| Space and Missile Badges |    |
Replaced by Space Operations Badges on 1 Nov 2005[50][51] |
| Air Force Communications and Information Badges |    |
Replaced by Cyberspace Support Badges on 1 June 2010[52] |
| Air Force Honor Guard Badge |  |
Replaced with new design |
| Air Force Remotely Piloted Aircraft Sensor Operator Badges |  |
Replaced with Enlisted Aircrew Badges on 4 November 2016[53] |
| Special Operations Weather Crest |  |
Replaced with Special Reconnaissance Crest in 2019[54][55] |
| Scuba Diver Badge |  |
Replaced by the Air Force Combat Dive Badges in 2022[56] |
U.S. Marine Corps
| Badge/Insignia | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marksmanship Competition Badges |  |
Replaced with new designs between 1910 and 1930.[57] |
| Rifle Marksmanship Badges |  |
Replaced by the Army's Marksmanship Qualification Badges in 1924, reinstituted in 1937, and replaced by the Marine Corps's current Rifle Qualification Badges in 1958[58][59] |
| Marksmanship Qualification Badges |  |
Adopted by the Army and replaced by Rifle Marksmanship Badges and Basic Badge in 1937.[58][59] |
| Adjutant and Inspector's Department Insignia[12][60] |  | |
| Paymaster's Department Insignia[12][60] |  | |
| Quartermaster's Department Insignia[12] |  | |
| Aide-de-Camp Insignias[12][60] |    | |
| Expert Team Rifleman Badge[12] |  | |
| Basic Badge |  |
Retired in December 1968[58][59] |
| Military Police Badge |  |
Replaced with a new design |
U.S. Coast Guard
| Badge/Insignia | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coast Guard Flight Officer Insignia |  |
Discontinued on 22 November 1991[61] |
| Office of the Secretary of Transportation Badge |  |
Discontinued in 2003 |
| Sector Command Identification Badges |  |
Removed from Uniform Regulations in March 2012[62][63] |
| Unit Command Identification Badges |  |
Removed from Uniform Regulations in August 2018[63][64] |
| Rating Force Master Chief Identification Badge |  |
Replaced with a new design in August 2018[63][64] |
U.S. Navy
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U.S. Space Force
| Badge | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Space Test Course Graduate Patch |  |
Replaced with a new design in 2024. |
Joint Service Badges
| Badge | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The National Match Team ("Dogs of War") Badge |  |
Replaced with bronze, silver, and gold medals in 1919.[10] |
| White House Service Badge |  |
Replaced by the Presidential Service Badge on 1 September 1964[71] |
| Vice Presidential Service Badge |  |
Replaced with new design on 19 July 1976[59][72] |
| Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge |  |
Replaced with new design on 4 October 2021[73] |
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See also
- Obsolete military awards of the United States
- United States Army branch insignia#Obsolete insignia
- List of United States Coast Guard ratings#Obsolete ratings (1990–present)
- List of United States Navy ratings#Discontinued and changed ratings (1972–present)
- Military badges of the United States
- Uniformed services of the United States