Insignias and badges of the United States Navy are military badges issued by the United States Department of the Navy to naval service members who achieve certain qualifications and accomplishments while serving on both active and reserve duty in the United States Navy. Most naval aviation insignia are also permitted for wear on uniforms of the United States Marine Corps.
As described in Chapter 5 of U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations, badges are categorized as breast insignia (usually worn immediately above and below ribbons) and identification badges (usually worn at breast pocket level). Breast insignia are further divided between command and warfare and other qualification.
Insignia come in the form of metal pin-on devices worn on formal uniforms and embroidered tape strips worn on work uniforms. For the purpose of this article, the general term "insignia" shall be used to describe both, as it is done in Navy Uniform Regulations. The term "badge", although used ambiguously in other military branches and in informal speak to describe any pin, patch, or tab, is exclusive to identification badges and authorized marksmanship awards according to the language in Navy Uniform Regulations, Chapter 5.
The modern day United States Navy currently maintains the following breast insignia and badges:
Breast insignia
Command
The Command at Sea insignia is for commissioned officers between the ranks of Lieutenant (O-3) and Admiral (O-10) who are in or have been in command of a ship or operational fleet air unit. The Command Ashore/Project Manager insignia is for officers who are or have been commanding officer of a naval installation, a shore-based command (to include non-deploying air commands), or in charge of a major program or project (the latter being primarily in the Naval Air Systems Command or Naval Sea Systems Command).
An incumbent officer wears insignia on the right breast; in full dress it is worn above the nametag.
A post tour officer wears the insignia on the left breast 1/4 inch below the top of the pocket/flap. If a warfare or qualification insignia is already occupying that position, it is then worn 1/4 inch below that insignia, or on uniforms with pocket flaps, 1/4 inch below the flap. Women in full dress will wear post tour command insignia 1/4 inch above the left pocket, medals or primary breast insignia. Only one post tour command insignia may be worn.
Warfare and Other Qualification Warfare and Other Qualification insignia are awarded for completing qualifications in various fields within the Navy. They are worn on the left side of the uniform in the primary position (for one insignia), or the primary and secondary position (for two insignia). Only two of this class of breast insignia may be worn at one time.
The primary position is centered above ribbons or medals with the lower edge of the device 1/4 inch above the top row of ribbons or medals. When no ribbons or medals are worn, it is centered above the left pocket with the lower edge of the device 1/4 inch above the top of the pocket. The secondary position is centered 1/4 inch below the top of the pocket or pocket flap, when ribbons or no awards are worn. When medals are worn, centered below medals with the top of the device 1/4 inch below the lowest row of medals.
Warfare and Other Qualification insignia are either silver or gold. Gold insignia are worn by officers and silver insignia are worn by enlisted sailors with four exceptions. Gold insignia worn by enlisted sailors are the Naval Special Warfare Insignia, Naval Aircrew Warfare Specialist "wings", Naval Parachutist "wings" with the silver Basic Parachutist wings worn by both officers and enlisted sailors until the Naval Parachutist wings are earned, and the gold SSBN Deterrent Patrol insignia signifying twenty or more completed patrols with fewer than twenty patrols signified by silver insignia for both officers and enlisted sailors.
Warfare and Other Qualification insignia are grouped in the following categories (in alphabetical order):U S Navy Uniform Regulations Chapter 5 Section 2 article 5201.2
Warfare Qualification Other Qualification 1) Aviation Warfare Insignia 12) Engineering Duty Officer Insignia 2) Expeditionary Warfare Insignia 13) Integrated Undersea Surveillance System Insignia 3) Explosive Ordnance Disposal Warfare Insignia 14) Navy Security Force Insignia 4) Fleet Marine Force Insignia 15) Nuclear Weapons Security Insignia 5) Information Warfare Insignia 16) Parachutists Insignia 6) Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist Insignia 17) Small Craft Insignia/Craftmaster Insignia 7) Special Operations Warfare Insignia 18) Submarine Patrol Insignia 8) Special Warfare Insignia 19) Underwater Insignia 9) Strategic Sealift Officer Warfare Insignia 10) Submarine Warfare Insignia 11) Surface Warfare Insignia
"Warfare" insignia take precedence over "Other" insignia and are placed in the primary position. If two Warfare insignia are authorized for wear, insignia of the specialty in which currently serving will be worn in the primary position. Personnel with multiple qualifications may wear only two insignia. Since September 2009, personnel with multiple designators within a single community (for example, an aviation officer who has earned both Naval Aviator and Naval Flight Officer qualifications) may wear both insignia, with their current billet's insignia on top.
Listed below are all the Warfare and Other Qualification insignia within each category.
Warfare Qualifications Aviation Warfare
Aviation Warfare insignia (usually called "wings") are breast insignia of the aviation warfare community which are issued to those naval personnel who are trained and qualified to perform duties related to operation and support of naval aircraft.
There are two variants for line officers: Naval Aviator insignia for pilots, and Naval Flight Officer insignia for officers performing weapons systems officer, electronic countermeasures officer, navigator or similar functions. There is also an astronaut version of each of these insignia, known as the Naval Astronaut and Naval Astronaut (NFO), respectively.
In 2009 the Naval Aircrew insignia was converted from an "other qualification" to a warfare qualification like the Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist, Enlisted Submarine Warfare Specialist, and Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist. The title was changed from Naval Aircrew (NAC) to Naval Aircrew Warfare Specialist (NAWS). It is one of only four gold breast insignia awarded to qualified enlisted personnel. To qualify as a Naval Aircrew Warfare Specialist a sailor must be a qualified aircrew member; possess an eligible Navy enlisted classification (NEC) of 78XX, 82XX, 8401, or 94XX; and be assigned to flying duty in an eligible billet for his or her NEC. Candidates must complete a positional qualification for the respective aircraft within 18 months of reporting to a permanent duty station.
On 25 May 2023 the first Air Vehicle Pilot insighia were awarded to Warrant Officers qualified to pilot the Navy's unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist (EAWS) insignia is earned by sailors who demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of Naval Aviation. The EAWS designation may be earned by both enlisted Naval Aircrew and by non-flying enlisted Naval Aviation sailors (mainly maintenance personnel). EAWS status does not require any sort of actual flight experience or flight status in a flight crew capacity.
Other insignia for qualification in specialized areas exists for Flight Surgeons, Flight Nurses, Experimental Psychologists/Physiologists, Observers/Flight Meteorologists, and Supply Corps personnel. With the exception of the Naval Aviation Supply Corps insignia, all of the above insignia require the wearer to be, or have been, on some sort of flight status in naval aircraft. Naval Aviation Supply Corps qualification does not require any sort of actual flight experience or flight status in a flight crew capacity.
In December 2009, the first of the new Professional Aviation Maintenance Officer (PAMO) warfare designators and insignia were awarded. The PAMO community consists of aerospace maintenance duty officers, aviation maintenance limited duty officers, and aviation maintenance chief warrant officers. Complete eligibility requirements can be found in OPNAVINST. 1412.11. Like the Naval Aviation Supply Corps qualification, the Professional Aircraft Maintenance Officer qualification also does not require any sort of actual flight experience or flight status in a flight crew capacity.
Expeditionary Warfare
The Enlisted Expeditionary Warfare Specialist Insignia is awarded to enlisted United States Navy personnel (and select United States Coast Guard personnel temporarily assigned to the U.S. Navy) who satisfactorily complete the required qualification course and pass a qualification board hearing. Enlisted members E-5 and above shall obtain the Enlisted Expeditionary Warfare (EXW) Specialist qualification while assigned to a qualifying unit. Enlisted members E-4 and below may voluntarily obtain EXW qualification while assigned to a qualifying unit and who meet eligibility requirements. The qualification was developed to provide a chance for enlisted sailors in the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) community (naval personnel serving in a maritime security or maritime combat related role) to earn a warfare qualification. Core qualification skills include (but are not limited to) weapons qualification and maintenance, marksmanship, land navigation, field communications, and expeditionary camp deployment. The pin depicts the bow and superstructure of a Sea Ark 34 foot patrol boat superimposed on a crossed cutlass and M16A1 rifle on a background of ocean swells.
The Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps Officer (NESCO) program is designed to recognize significant contributions made by Supply Corps officers while serving in operational expeditionary billets. NESCO officer qualification represents a level of expeditionary knowledge that distinguishes an officer of the Supply Corps from his or her peers. The NESCO insignia is a gold metal pin showing a Supply Corps oak leaf centered, superimposed on a crossed sword and M16A1 rifle, on a background of ocean swells.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Warfare
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Warfare (EOD) insignia, also known as the "crab", is awarded to personnel trained to deal with the construction, deployment, disarmament, and disposal of high explosives munitions. This group is part of Navy Special Operations and all are dive qualified as closed circuit divers. It is the only decoration awarded to all four uniformed services of the US Defense Department.
Enlisted EOD technicians wear the insignia as their primary warfare breast insignia. Officers formerly wore it as a secondary insignia under the Special Operations Warfare insignia, but now wear the EOD Officer insignia as their primary warfare device.
In 2007, the Special Operations Officer Community was rechristened "Explosive Ordnance Disposal", a change which the Navy felt also needed to be reflected in the EOD Officer warfare device as well. The new officer insignia is identical to the Master EOD warfare device, but is gold in color.
Fleet Marine Force
The Fleet Marine Force (FMF) insignia can be awarded to Navy personnel assigned to Fleet Marine Force command, a combined command of Navy and Marine Corps. The insignia is earned by both officers and enlisted.
Hospital Corpsmen and Religious Programs Specialists are examples of Navy ratings in FMF.
The Chaplain (Chaps) version of the officers' badge does not include the crossed rifles.
Information Warfare