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{{Short description, Badge issued to Marine Corps enlisted personnel who complete flight training as a navigator
The Marine Aerial Navigator insignia is a military badge of the
The Marine Aerial Navigator insignia is a military badge of the United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
that is issued to Marine Corps enlisted personnel who complete flight training as a navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's prim ...
on board Marine Corps aircraft
An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...
. The Marine Aerial Navigator insignia is not issued to U.S. Naval aviation personnel and is the only independent aviation insignia issued to the Marine Corps.
The Marine Aerial Navigator insignia is similar in appearance to the Naval Flight Officer insignia
The Naval Flight Officer insignia is a breast insignia of the United States military which is awarded to those aviators of the United States Navy, Navy, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, Coast Guard who have ...
and is considered a "successor" to the Naval Aviation Observer (Navigation) insignia, issued between March 1945 and March 1947.
To be awarded the Marine Aerial Navigator insignia, a service member must complete the Marine Aerial Navigator Course. The Marine Aerial Navigation School was stationed at Mather AFB
Mather Air Force Base (Mather AFB) was a United States Air Force Base, which was closed in 1993 pursuant to a post-Cold War BRAC decision. It was located east of Sacramento, on the south side of U.S. Route 50 in Sacramento County, Californ ...
, until that base was closed under the BRAC, upon which time it was moved to Randolph AFB
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Bexar County, Texas, ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio).
Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the United ...
. The Marine Aerial Navigation School remained at Randolph until the school Marine Aircraft Group 22#Marine Aerial Navigation School history was decommissioned with the graduation of Class 04-01 on 31 July, 2004. Presently, personnel must obtain an equivalent formal course of another service and volunteer to fly as enlisted aircrew. Marine Aerial Navigators were eliminated with the introduction of the KC-130J aircraft. While training of Marine Aerial Navigators has ceased, they continue to fly on the 'legacy' KC-130T aircraft until their eventual replacement with KC-130J airframes.
Upon completion of training, and certification as a Marine Corps Navigator, the Marine Aerial Navigator insignia is presented. After designation, Marine Aerial Navigators serve in the Military Occupational Specialty ( MOS) 7371 (Aerial Navigator-Trainee) while undergoing aircraft model-specific training and move into MOS 7372 (First Navigator) upon completion of their aircraft type training. Navigators that enter the warrant officer ranks move into MOS 7380 (Mission Specialist/Navigation Officer). There is no separate insignia worn by warrant officer navigators.
See also
*Badges of the United States Marine Corps
Insignia and badges of the United States Marine Corps are military "badges" issued by the United States Department of the Navy to Marines who achieve certain qualifications and accomplishments while serving on active or reserve duty in the United ...
* Obsolete badges of the United States military
Obsolete badges of the United States military are a number of U.S. military insignia which were issued in the 20th and 21st centuries that are no longer used today. After World War II many badges were phased out of the United States Armed Forces ...
References