Parachutist Badge (United States)

The original Army parachutist badge was designed in 1941 by Captain (later Lieutenant General) William P. Yarborough and approved by the Department of War in March of that year. The military parachutist badge replaced the "parachutist patch" which had previously been worn as a large patch on the side of a paratrooper's garrison cap. LTG Yarborough also designed the senior and master parachutist badges and the addition of stars to portray the number of combat jumps. The airborne background trimming that is worn behind the badge of those assigned to airborne units is also a contribution of Yarborough. Military Parachutist Badge To be eligible for award of the Parachutist Badge, a person must have completed the Basic Airborne Course of the Airborne School of the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. To graduate, a student must complete the three-phase course consisting of a ground phase, a tower phase, and a jump phase. By the end of the course, a student will have completed five jumps in varying jump configurations, from a "Hollywood" jump all the way to a full combat load jump at night. Over time, the design of each parachute and air assault unit's background trimming became complementary to the unit's beret flash that is worn on the U.S. Army maroon, tan, rifle-green, and black berets. Today, airborne background trimming designs are created and/or authorized by The U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, which evaluates unit lineage, military heraldry, and proposed designs by the requesting unit before commissioning a design for production. Combat jump device A paratrooper who completes an airborne jump into a combat zone is authorized to wear a combat jump device on their parachutist badge, turning it into a combat parachutist badge. The device consists of a star or arrangements of stars, indicating the number of combat jumps (up to five) conducted by the paratrooper. The use of stars as combat jump devices gained official approval after the 1983 invasion of Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury). The stars are awarded as follows: ==Air Force==

Like the Army, the Air Force issues the same parachutist badges in the same three degrees (Basic, Senior, & Master) but have different criteria for the awarding of these badges. The level of degree is determined by the number of jumps the wearer has successfully completed, years of service on jump status, and other requirements as specified by AFI 11-402, Aviation and Parachutist Service, Aeronautical Ratings and Badges. Additionally Airmen who have earned the Parachutist Badge while serving as members of a sister branch then transferred to the U.S. Air Force are allowed to continue wear of the badge without having to requalify. In 1956 the Air Force began issuing a unique basic, senior, and master parachutist badges. These parachutist badges were modeled after the Air Force's Medical Badges. Due to popular demand, the Air Force decided to revert to issuing the Army style parachutist badges in 1963. Basic Parachutist Badge The basic parachutist badge may be awarded following completion of basic parachute training through a designated Air Force Air-Ground Training Program. Air Force personnel generally earn the basic parachutist badge either through the Army's Airborne School at Fort Benning, or the United States Air Force Academy's AM-490 free-fall parachute training course taught by AETC's 98th Flying Training Squadron. • Two jumps during the hours of darkness • Fifteen jumps with operational equipment IAW AFI 11-410 • Perform one night jump as a Primary JM (PJM) • Seven jumps performing as PJM Master Parachutist Badge The master parachutist badge consists of the senior parachutist badge with a wreath around the star. Awarded for 65 static line jumps with a minimum of 36 months of cumulative time on jump status. The 65 jumps must include: • Four jumps during the hours of darkness • Twenty-five jumps with operational equipment IAW AFI 11-410 • Two night jumps performing PJM duties • Fifteen jumps performing as PJM ==Navy and Marine Corps==

The United States Navy and Marine Corps issue parachutist insignia in two degrees: the military parachutist badge, the same badge that is awarded to all DoD military services, and the Naval or Navy/Marine Corps parachutist insignia. Parachutist insignia is available to personnel who perform qualifying airborne jumps as a static-line parachute jumper or military free-fall parachute jumper: Training is accomplished by successful completion of the prescribed course of instruction while attending the: In July 1963, Commander of United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Bruce F. Meyers asked Chief of Naval Operations Admiral George W. Anderson Jr. via Marine Corps Commandant General David M. Shoup to officially make the Navy parachute rigger wings the naval parachutist badge for the Navy and Marine Corps. The request was approved by Anderson on 12 July 1963 in BuPers Notice 1020. Originally, the badge was worn upon graduation from Navy PR school, but since 1963 being a certified parachute rigger, survival equipmentman, and graduate of the U.S. Navy parachute rigger is no longer a requirement to earn the badge. Currently, the naval parachutist insignia only requires the completion of the minimum five additional jumps—after their five jumps at Army Airborne School—in a jump billet, but service members can request to attend Navy Parachute Rigger School for further training and specialized occupational duties such as Special Operations Parachute Rigger (SOPR) who work within Navy SEAL teams and Naval Special Warfare and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units throughout the world. ==See also==