Identification badges of the uniformed services of the United States

Identification badges of the uniformed services of the United States are insignia worn by service members conducting special duties, many of which can be awarded as permanent decorations if those duties are performed successfully. There are a few identification badges that are awarded to all services (such as the Presidential Service Badge), others are specific to a uniform service (such as the U.S. Army's Drill Sergeant Identification Badge). The Office of the President and Vice President and department/service headquarters badges are permanent decorations for those who successfully serve in those assignments. Some of the service level identification badges can be permanent decorations and others are only worn by a service member while performing specific duties, such as the Military Police Badge.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]}

On 29 September 2017, soldiers from Caisson Platoon, 1st Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment were awarded one of the U.S. Army's newest identification badges, the Military Horseman Identification Badge, during a special ceremony at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia.^[1]

Command insignia/badges are another form of identification badge used to identify an officer or non-commissioned officer who is/was in command or in-charge of a unit. If the service member performs their leadership duties successfully, the command insignia/badge they wear can become a permanent uniform decoration regardless of their next assignment.^[3][4][6][9]

The following is a list of identification badges currently in use by the uniformed services:

Executive branch

• 
  Presidential Service Badge
• 
  Vice Presidential Service Badge

Department of Defense

• 
  Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
• 
  Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
• 
  National Guard Bureau Organizational Badge

U.S. Army

• 
  Army Staff Identification Badge
• 
  Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge
• 
  Military Horseman Identification Badge
• 
  Master Gunner Identification Badge
• 
  Drill Sergeant Identification Badge
• 
  Instructor Identification Badges
• 
  Recruiter Badges
• 
  National Guard Recruiter & Retention Badges
• 
  Career Counselor Badge
• 
  Combat Service Identification Badges
• 
  Inspector General Identification Badge
• 
  Military Police Identification Badge
• 
  Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent Badge
• 
  Counterintelligence Special Agent Badge

U.S. Marine Corps

• 
  Military Police Badge
• 
  Military Police Corrections Badge
• 
  Criminal Investigation Division Agent Badge
• 
  Marine Corps Counterintelligence Agent Badge

U.S. Navy

• 
  Recruiting Command Badges
• 
  Recruit Division Commander Badges
• 
  Career Counselor Badge
• 
  Command at Sea and Command Ashore/Project Manager Insignia
• 
  Small Craft Officer/Petty Officer in Charge Insignia
• 
  Command Senior Enlisted Leader Identification Badges
• 
  Law Enforcement Badges
• 
  Naval Criminal Investigative Service Badge

U.S. Air Force

• 
  Headquarters Air Force Badge
• 
  Air Education and Training Command Instructor Badges
• 
  Professional Military Education Badge
• 
  Permanent Professor Air Force Academy Badge
• 
  Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps Instructor Badge
• 
  Recruiting Service Badges
• 
  Reserve Command Recruiting Service Badges
• 
  Air National Guard Recruiter Badges
• 
  Honor Guard Badge
• 
  Base Honor Guard Badge
• 
  Commander's Insignia
• 
  Fire Protection Badges
• 
  Inspector General Badge
• 
  Security Forces Badge
• 
  Office of Special Investigations Special Agent Badge
• 
  Department of the Air Force Police Badge (Civilian)

U.S. Space Force

• 
  Commander's Insignia
• 
  Space Staff Badge
• 
  Permanent Professor Air Force Academy Badge^[10]
• 
  Lapel Insignia

Department of Homeland Security

• 
  Office of the Secretary of Homeland Security Identification Badge

U.S. Coast Guard

• 
  Commandant Staff Badge
• 
  Auxiliary National Staff Badge
• 
  Recruiting Badges
• 
  Academy Admissions Recruiting Badge
• 
  Honor Guard Badge
• 
  Band Badge
• 
  Command Afloat Pin
• 
  Command Ashore Pin
• 
  Officer-in-Charge Afloat Pin
• 
  Officer-in-Charge Ashore Pin
• 
  Auxiliary Operations Device
• 
  Commandant-designated Command Senior Enlisted Leader Identification Badges
• 
  Non-designated Command Senior Enlisted Leader Identification Badges
• 
  Port Security Law Enforcement Badge
• 
  Special Agent Badge
• 
  U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Past Officer Badge

Department of Health and Human Services

• 
  Department of Health and Human Services Identification Badge

U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

• 
  Assistant Secretary for Health / Principal Deputy Secretary for Health Officer-in-Charge Badge
• 
  Surgeon General Badge
• 
  Deputy Surgeon General Badge
• 
  Officer-in-Charge Badge
• 
  Chief Professional Officer Badge
• 
  Recruiter Badges
• 
  Music Ensemble Badge^[11]

Department of Commerce

U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps

• 
  Command-at-Sea insignia
• 
  Small-Craft-Command Insignia
• 
  Chief-of-Party insignia

See also

• Military badges of the United States
• Awards and decorations of the Public Health Service
• Awards and decorations of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Obsolete badges of the United States military
• United States Army branch insignia
• List of United States Army careers
• List of United States Marine Corps MOS
• United States Navy staff corps
• List of United States Navy ratings
• Air Force Specialty Code
• List of United States Coast Guard ratings

References

1. The Military Horseman Identification Badge (Image 4 of 5), DVIDS, by SPC Gabriel Silva, dated 29 September 2017, last accessed 2 October 2017
2. U.S. Army Pamphlet 670–1: Uniform and Insignia, Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia Archived 2014-05-06 at the Wayback Machine, Department of the Army, dated 31 March 2014, last accessed 23 June 2014
3. U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations, Chapter 5 Archived 2011-04-18 at the Wayback Machine, updated 24 March 2011, last accessed 3 August 2013
4. U.S. Air Force Instruction 36-2903: Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel Archived 2018-11-02 at the Wayback Machine, dated 1 March 2013, last accessed 11 January 2014
5. U.S. Marine Corps Order P1020.34G: Marine Corps Uniform Regulations, Chapters 1-5, Permanent Marine Corps Uniform Board, dated 30 March 2003, last updated 16 May 2008, last accessed 15 February 2015
6. U.S. Coast Guard Uniform Regulation, M1020.6H, updated April 2013, last accessed 29 September 2013
7. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Manual, COMDTINST M16790.1G, dated 17 August 2011, last accessed 8 August 2016
8. U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps PPM 08-019, Wear of Skill and Breast Badges Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine, dated 28 Aug 08, last accessed 10 December 11
9. U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps Directive, Chapter 12, Part 6, Insignia, Medals, and Ribbon Bars Archived 2016-12-23 at the Wayback Machine, dated 21 November 2003, last accessed 31 March 2013
10. https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article/3017350/head-of-air-force-academys-astro-department-transfers-to-space-force/
11. Public Health Service Music Ensemble Badge, United States Army Institute of Heraldry, last accessed 23 August 2020