Master Missileman Badge
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The Missile Badge is a
military decoration Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medallion. Civil decorations award ...
of the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
which was first created on 23 May 1958. The "pocket rocket"
badge A badge is a device or accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath (e.g., police and fir ...
recognizes those
commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent ...
s and enlisted personnel of the US Air Force who have qualified as missile personnel (both TAC and SAC (now AFGSC)) that have been trained in the maintenance or
launch Launch or launched may refer to: Involving vehicles * Launch (boat), one of several different sorts of boat ** Motor launch (naval), a small military vessel used by the Royal Navy * Air launch, the practice of dropping an aircraft, rocket, or ...
ing of land-based and air-launched
nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear exp ...
s under the direction of the National Command Authority. Originally known as the ''Missileman Badge,'' the Missile Badge later became known as the ''Missileer Badge'' or more informally the ''Pocket Rocket''.


History

Following its creation in 1958, the badge came in only one style. In 1963 the name was changed to the Missileman Badge and the three levels of Basic, Senior and Master were added. Although primarily issued to
Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets. Atlases have traditio ...
,
Titan I The Martin Marietta SM-68A/HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), in use from 1959 until 1962. Though the SM-68A was operational for only three years, it spawned numerous follow-on mode ...
/
Titan II The Titan II was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the Glenn L. Martin Company from the earlier Titan I missile. Titan II was originally designed and used as an ICBM, but was later adapted as a medium-lift space ...
, Minuteman I/II/III and
Peacekeeper Peacekeeper may refer to: General * A person involved in peacekeeping ** United Nations peacekeeping * Peace officer * Conservator of the peace Military * The LGM-118 Peacekeeper, a land-based nuclear ICBM ** Peacekeeper Rail Garrison, a mob ...
missile crews of the
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile compon ...
(SAC), it was also issued to
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
(TAC)
Matador A bullfighter or matador () is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter, and describe all the performers in the activ ...
and Mace missile crews of the 1960s and Gryphon Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) crews of the 1980s and early 1990s. The badge, at all 3 levels, was also awarded to Air Defense Command personnel maintaining and on launch crews of both the BOMARC A/B and the Thor in the 1960s and 1970s. In the late 1980s, this badge was redesignated as the missile maintenance insignia while a new version bracketed by an oak wreath became the missile operations badge. By 1992, all USAF tactical missiles were retired or in the process of being retired. The same year, SAC was inactivated and its ICBM force briefly transferred to the newly created
Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
(ACC) before being transferred again to the
Air Force Space Command An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosphere ...
( AFSPC). In 2004, the Air Force Space Command Commander, General Lance Lord, announced the introduction of a new space badge. The new combined Space and Missile Operations Badge was informally known as "spings" (SPace wINGS). The new badge was no longer limited to pure space and missile operators or maintainers, but was also awarded to those in Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSCs) 61XX, 62XX and 63XX who performed space/ICBM acquisition duties, even if they were non-operational in nature. Also in 2004, Interim Change (IC) 2004-1 to AFI 36-2923 expanded the missile badge award criteria to include the 21M and 2W career fields. AFI 36-2923 was rendered obsolete and superseded by AFI 36-2903 dated 2 August 2006. 21M officers that do not complete MMOC must supervise 2M/2W personnel in maintenance loading and unloading for 12 months to be awarded the basic badge. 2W personnel are awarded the basic badge after working directly with guided missiles or missile systems for 12 months after completion of technical training school. After deactivation of the
Titan missile Titan was a family of United States expendable rockets used between 1959 and 2005. The Titan I and Titan II were part of the US Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fleet until 1987. The space launch vehicle versions contribut ...
system in 1987, enlisted personnel were no longer authorized to earn the Missile Badge with operations designator. However, all enlisted personnel assigned to nuclear silo maintenance duty are eligible to wear the standard Missile Badge (without the operations designator) if qualified under the military specialties 411XX or the new 2M0XX field. From 1991 to early 2006, the Missile Badge was the standard speciality badge for the above two career fields. In June 2008, the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Michael Moseley, announced the return of the missile badge with operations designator for intercontinental ballistic missile crews. The missile badge may be worn with the space badge by those who qualify."Officials Bring Back Missile Badges, Wings.", ''Air Force Space Command Public Affairs''
6 June 2008. In 2011, the Air Force Space Command divested itself of the ICBM force and all USAF strategic nuclear missile operations and maintenance personnel were transferred to the newly created
Air Force Global Strike Command The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready fo ...
( AFGSC) The Missile Badge was also awarded to personnel engaged in satellite control duties in AFSCs 20xx and 308xx. Award required at least one year qualified as operationally ready in a satellite control position. Individuals who already awarded a missile badge were advanced one degree. The Missile Badge was replaced by the Space Badge (later designated as the Space and Missile Badge) for Space Operations personnel circa 1983. In the 1960s and 1970s, some personnel involved in research and development in rockets and missiles were awarded Missileman badges, such as some personnel at the Air Force Rocket Propulsion Lab (AFRPL).


Purpose and degrees

The Missile Badge is awarded as a permanent decoration upon a service member’s
graduation A graduation is the awarding of a diploma by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it, which can also be called Commencement speech, commencement, Congregation (university), congregation, Convocat ...
from missile operations or maintenance officer training (if awarded to an officer) or from maintenance tech school if awarded to an enlisted service member. The badge is worn on the left breast pocket and is the largest of the U.S. Air Force speciality badges. It is also one of the few United States military badges which is not transferable between services, meaning that a qualified recipient, who transfers to another branch of the
United States armed forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
cannot display the Missile Badge on another service uniform. The Missile Badge is issued in three degrees: basic, senior, and master. The level of degree is determined by a service member’s years of missile duty in the Air Force and also the level of command responsibility held within the Air Force missile units. Any officer who is or has been combat mission ready (CMR), as a missile crewmember at an operational ICBM unit qualifies to wear the missile badge with operations designator—a wreath encircling the missile. The basic badge is awarded once the member graduates Initial Qualification Training at
Vandenberg AFB Vandenberg Space Force Base , previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the ...
. Officers with seven years of nuclear experience qualify for the senior badge, and they qualify for the master badge after fifteen years experience. The Senior Missile Badge is denoted by a star above the decoration, and the Master Missile Badge displaying a star surrounded by a small wreath. The Missile Badge without operations designator is awarded to those qualified to perform maintenance on the weapon system, but are not involved with the actual launch procedures. Most Air Force members who earned the Missile Badge with operations designator also earned the
Combat Readiness Medal The Combat Readiness Medal is an award of the United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and ...
after two years of qualified service in an active missile launch control center. Missile operations (13N) is no longer a subset of the Space Operations career field (13S) and thus Missile Operators no longer are awarded a Space Badge. As of 1 October 2009, officers who have gone through the missile operations training are awarded their badge upon completion of the class.


References

United States military badges