What your host has done for ‘Freedom’, lately…

Strictly for the understanding of the authors (Universal Soldier) humble, and humbly received accomplishments, and understanding of a segment, or branch, of the military that is charged with the explicit mandate to protect and serve the citizen’s of the Republic of the United States of America–its international friend’s, and allies of common goal or by treaty.  And surmount any and all ordered mission’s or task that the President of the United States so orders.  These awards and distinct badges are thus explained here.

Badges of the United States Army are military decorations issued by the United States Department of the Army to soldiers who achieve a variety of qualifications and accomplishments while serving on active and reserve duty in the United States Army.

As described in Army Regulations 670-1 Uniforms and Insignia, badges are categorized into marksmanship, combat and special skill, identification, and foreign.   Combat and Special Skill badges are further divided into five groups.  Soldiers are authorized to wear a total of five badges from the marksmanship and combat and special skill categories; no more than three can come from the marksmanship category, only one badge each from Groups 1, 2, and 3, three from Group 4, and two from Group 5.  And only two identification badges are authorized over each [Breast] pocket [on certain types of uniforms].  These badges are worn in order of precedence (Group 1 the highest).  Marksmanship badges are worn after any special skill badge. Badges within the same group may be worn in any order.

In the order that these were awarded to your host;

The Army Parachutist Badge is awarded to all military personnel of any service who complete the US Army Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia.  It signifies that the [Warrior] is a trained [Army] Parachutist, and is qualified to participate in airborne operations.

United States Army Precedence

Blood wings

Blood wings is a traditional initiation rite that is endured by many graduates of the United States Army Airborne School and sometimes practiced in other elite military training environments, including the Army Aviation and Aviation Logistics community.  It is called blood pinning in the United States Marine Corps.   Although it is rare, some Air Force Academy cadets receive their upper-class Prop and Wings insignia via the blood wings tradition.

Upon receiving the Parachutist Badge, an instructor or comrade of the graduate places the pins of the badge pointing into the chest of the graduate.  The badge is then slammed against the graduate’s chest, resulting in the pins being driven into the flesh. If the graduation is affiliated with a particular unit number (unit 15, for example), then the pin will often be pounded deeper into the muscle the same number of times (15 times in this case).

The origins of this tradition are unknown, but most likely date back to World War II paratrooper training.  This practice is fairly secretive and sparked controversy recently when knowledge of it reached the public, which is often critical about painful forms of hazing.  Blood wings are against Armed Forces Policy and are prohibited.  Recipients of blood wings consider it a highly honorable rite of passage.

The offer of blood wings is usually presented by a superior to an elite soldier who has reached a significant career transition point.  The superior would probably have had the same honor at his own graduation in the past.  The risky offer of blood wings to a transitioning soldier is considered an honor…

(Regulation was eased upon graduation by [Universal Soldier] in lieu of the hostile raid–an act of war–on the sovereign Embassy of the United States in Tehran, Iran in November, 1979, whereby the ‘Airborne’ unit’s would have been the “first in” (first wave of any assault or overt attack), only if the POTUS had ordered the activation of what was known at that time as the ‘Rapid Deployment Force‘)

  Jungle Operations Training Center (JOTC) in the nation of Panama.  JOTC was founded in 1951 to train both US and allied Central American forces in jungle warfare, with an enrollment of about 9,000 a year.  The JOTC also taught a 10-day Air Crew Survival Course, open to all branches of service, and a four-week Engineer Jungle Warfare Course.  Upon completion of the course the Jungle expert badge or patch was awarded.

The Army Air Assault Badge is awarded by the United States Army for successful completion of the Air Assault School, a two-week (ten-day) course. The course includes three phases of instruction involving U.S. Army rotary wing aircraft: combat air assault operations; rigging and slingload operations; and rappelling from a helicopter.

According to the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, “The Air Assault Badge was approved by the Chief of Staff, Army, on 18 January 1978, for Army-wide wear by individuals who successfully completed Air Assault training after 1 April 1974.  The badge had previously been approved as the Airmobile Badge authorized for local wear by the Commander of the 101st Airborne Division, effective 1 April 1974.”   The division had been reorganized from parachute to airmobile in mid-1968 in Vietnam and designated the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile).  The parenthetical designation changed to Air Assault on 4 October 1974 and the name of the badge was likewise changed.

United States Army Precedence

The Expert Infantryman Badge, or EIB, is a military badge of the United States Army. Although similar in name and appearance to the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), it is a completely different award: while the CIB is awarded for participation in ground combat, the EIB is presented for completion of a course of testing designed to demonstrate proficiency in infantry skills.

The EIB was first created in October 1943.  Currently, it is awarded to United States Army personnel who hold infantry or special forces military occupational specialties. To be awarded the EIB, the soldier must complete a number of prerequisites and pass a battery of graded tests on basic infantry skills; usually the testing phase is the culmination of weeks of training.  The EIB test is administered on average once per year with pass rates usually near 10 percent, depending on the unit conducting testing.

Personnel who have been awarded both the EIB and the CIB are not authorized to wear both awards simultaneously.  In such cases, the CIB has precedence according to Army Regulation 670-1.  However, while the CIB may have precedence, holders of both may choose to wear the EIB instead of the CIB.

 United States Army Precedence

(The ideal is to have stringent and tested knowledge of what you should know to survive on any battlefield–anywhere.  ”On the job training”, can be extremely hazardous to any Warrior’s general wellness, at best, or lethal in a worst case scenario)

 The U.S. Army Recruiter Identification Badge is presented to active and reserve Army personnel who are assigned to the U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC).  All Army personnel that graduate from the Army Recruiter Course (ARC) or are assigned to USAREC are authorized to wear the basic recruiter badge.  However, only those ARC graduates who have satisfied specific recruiting goals are authorized to wear the U.S. Army Recruiter Badge as a permanent award.

Researchers are encouraged to compare the following with the authors final discharge documentation or other badges and [officially recognized] training achieved.

Any other training that was sought or selected for, in an unconventional manner, will only be discussed in private.  There are no exceptions, save for a strictly ‘official’ capacity requiring a “…stinking badge…” of the inquirer.

Badges of the United States Army
Special Skill Group 1	Combat Infantryman · Expert Infantryman · Combat Action
Special Skill Group 2	Combat Medical · Expert Field Medical
Special Skill Group 3	Astronaut Device · Aviator · Flight Surgeon · Aviation · Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Special Skill Group 4	Parachutist · Air Assault · Pathfinder · Military Freefall Parachutist · Space Badge · Special Forces · Ranger · Sapper
Special Skill Group 5	Driver and Mechanic · Diver · Parachute Rigger
Marksmanship	President’s Hundred · Distinguished International Shooter · Distinguished Shooter · Interservice Competition · Excellence in Competition · Expert · Sharpshooter · Marksman
Identification	Army Staff · Physical Fitness · Tomb Guard · Recruiter · Career Counselor · Drill Sergeant · Combat Service

I Will Be 'Here'--For The Rest Of My Life

I Shall Not Submit. I Shall Not Surrender. I Shall Not Forget. (Artwork by "Frost"; Contribution by Supporter/Sponsor & Veteran-Owned, Vision-Strike-Wear)