Master Gunner Identification Badge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Master Gunner Identification Badge | |
|---|---|
 U.S. Army Master Gunner Identification Badge | |
| Type | Identification Badge |
| Presented by | U.S. Army |
| Eligibility | Graduation from a U.S. Army master gunner certification program[1] |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Established | 31 January 2019[1] |
| First award | 8 January 2018[2] |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Driver and Mechanic Badge[3] |
| Related | Identification badges[3] |
The United States Army's Master Gunner Identification Badge (MGIB) recognizes soldiers who complete one of eight U.S. Army master gunner courses and is an indicator for commanders and soldiers to value the master gunner's advice regarding the training and employment of weapon systems.[5] According to Military.com, the Master Gunner Identification Badge is the first badge recognizing a soldier's achievement of earning the prestigious position of master gunner, a position created nearly 400 years ago.[6]
According to a U.S. Army article, the master gunner is the technical and tactical experts for their weapon's platform. They advise the commander on everything related to the vehicle platform and weapon systems. They also develop training materials to conduct gunnery and live-fire exercises. "I rely on my master gunners. I probe them for information based on how best to maintain our weapons as well as train our crews... They are there every step of the way from the time we put those crews together until the time we qualify them...," said Captain Kevin Zhang of the 1st Cavalry Division. "Master gunners are trained in methodology... What it boils down to is knowing the standard and being that person in the unit to enforce the standard, and to make sure that people are qualifying correctly... We're also experts in current gun maintenance so we can troubleshoot and fix a lot of problems and issues that may occur at the range, on the spot, instead of having to fall back to unit mechanics," explained Sergeant 1st Class Nathan Quarberg of the 1st Cavalry Division.[7]
