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Badges, Patches, Pins, Coins and More

Anything involved with the military has a lot of symbols, represented by badges, patches and in other ways.  For Missileers, the most important single item is now a six version badge, once called the Guided Missile Insignia,  which has been renamed several times.  Since the early 1990s, the Air Force has added more badges to represent every career field, and there have been specialized badges authorized during various periods of our history.  Every unit has an emblem and a unit patch, and there are very many more unofficial, commemorative or special event patches that appear.   The once limited tradition of challenge coins has spread throughout the services, and it seems there are now lapel pins to commemorate almost everything.   


The Missile Badge

It began as the U. S. Air Force Guided Missile Insignia, a simple badge in one version,  which was first issued in 1958 to two senior sergeants and two officers in two special ceremonies before all those Missileers who qualified for the new badge were awarded theirs a day or two later.  It wasn't just for launch officers or maintainers; it was for maintainers, all those officer and enlisted members involved with the new Air Force missile systems.  A few years later, a star and a star within a wreath were added to the top of the badge to indicate experience levels, and the badge became the Missileman's Badge.  When the badge was 30 years old, it was decided that the operators (launch officers) needed special recognition, so a second, larger wreath was added around the badge, and it was now called the Missile Badge or the Missile Badge with Operations Designator.

A few years after the ICBM force moved to Air Force Space Command, the decision was made to combine the Space and Missile Operations career fields, and replace the Missile Badge with Operations Designator with the new Space Badge.  Between 2005 and 2007, new missile operators were awarded the Space Badge, with the Missile Badge only awarded to those in Missile Maintenance and related fields.  In December 2007, the Missile Badge with Operations Designator was returned to the uniform and the Space Badge no longer awarded.  The version without the Operations Designator was renamed the Missile Maintenance Badge.  This new nomenclature has caused some misunderstanding among newer operators, making them think that the only Missileers are the operators, that the term Missileer does no apply to maintainers or other specialties - which is the opposite of the historical roots of the term.  

One of AAFM's long time members, Greg Ogletree, put together an excellent, detailed history of the missile badge.  You can link to that history on Missile Badge page of our web page on the History tab above.   

                   





Other Badges and Awards

Combat Crew Badge and Combat Readiness Medal - During the Strategic Air Command days, members of missile combat crews qualified for the Combat Crew Badge, worn over the right pocket on the uniform coat/blouse or shirt, and the Combat Readiness Medal, once the required period of service was met.  The medal was worn as a ribbon on the day to day dress uniform and as a medal on the formal uniform.  The badge was only authorized to wear while one served on a combat crew (missile or aircraft), while the medal was a permanent part of the uniform once it was earned.

Air Force Occupational Badges - There have been a number of badges authorized to identify specific occupations in the military, with the current Air Force Instructions including today's versions of the Missile Badge in this list.   There have been badges for maintenance, munitions, space operations and other specialties that some Missileers have qualified for under earlier rules.  For example, before the new Space Badge was introduced, Missile Operators also earned the Space Operations Badge.    

Pins and Patches for Alert and Maintenance Uniforms - Over the years there were a number of pins and patches developed to recognize outstanding achievements or significant milestones.   In operations, for example, crew members earned pins when they took part in operational test launches, or for consecutive numbers of highly qualified evaluations.  A crew member who wore a small blue and gold pin on his neck scarf or dickie with a 7 had seven consecutive evaluations with a highly qualified rating, a significant record.    A maintenance technician who wore a SAC Master Team Chief patch was a similar top performer.  There are many of these patches shown in the AAFM Patch Gallery.

Cold War Medal - Within a short time after the  Soviet Union fell apart and the Cold War ended, an effort began on several fronts to establish a Cold War Medal to officially recognized those who participated in that long campaign.   There have been efforts involving senators and representatives to push for a proper medal, but the idea is still unsettled due to several considerations.  One group comes up with a narrow definition of the Cold War warrior who should bet the medal, and another group says, "How about us?"  Can you really say that the lieutenant sitting on alert under the North Dakota plain is more important than the Airman First Class who had to drive  200 miles to repair the bathroom underground in the launch control center so the lieutenant could stay on alert? The strategic deterrent folks said, "It is just us!" and the tactical air folks who sat nuclear alert in Europe said, "Wait a minute - we were part of the deterrent, too."  It almost comes down to the issue that everyone who served during the Cold War played a part - and they all got a National Defense Medal, so a new Cold War Medal would basically be a new name for that old standby.  When the new Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal (NDOSM) deputed a few years ago, many of the same folks who supported the Cold War Medal just said  to make the NDOSM applicable to Cold War veterans,  But that medal was developed for the post Cold War era - applying it to Cold War veterans brings up the same questions as the basic medal idea - who gets it?  This is one that may come to resolution eventually - we will keep you posted.

Challenge Coins - In the late 1990s, a tradition from some other military organizations found its way into missiles and space - Challenge Coins.  The challenge came from a standard bar act, where one would place his coin on the bar next to a seated patron, expecting the patron to have a similar coin.  If the challenged patron didn't have his coin with him, he bought the drinks.  In today's Air Force, almost every unit has a Challenge Coin, and they are also minted for special occasions.  AAFM has produced a number of coins over the years, including one for each of several missile and space or missile and bomb competitions, as well as for some significant anniversaries.  

 


Missile Patches

The same AAFM Member who put together the history of the missile badge, Greg Ogletree, has an extensive patch collection.  Greg's collection can be viewed online by going to the Resource tab above and then to the Missile Patch Gallery.   In most cases, there are several versions of each unit patch, and Greg's collection includes all the versions.  There are also hundreds of specialized official and unofficial patches, some for units and some for systems, special occasions, test, training classes and much more.  His collection also includes the small tabs crew members use on flight suits on the pen pockets as well as patches developed for hats.    The AAFM Patch Gallery is not a store - the only patches for sale are those you might find on occasion in the Donations/Store area.  



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