The United States Air Force Inspector General Badge is a United States Air Force duty badge authorized for wear by all personnel who are assigned to the United States Air Force

Inspector General An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general". Australia The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory off ...

duty positions. The badge is required to be worn by any personnel performing official duties and assigned to an IG office after completing required training and taking an official oath. The badge is a symbol to identify Inspectors General who have legal authority to audit, investigate, and inquire into all activities of the forces they inspect under United States Code Title 10 § 8020 and the

Inspector General Act of 1978 The Inspector General Act of 1978 is a United States federal law () defining a standard set of Inspector General offices across several specified departments of the U.S. federal government. The Act specifically creates Inspector General positi ...

Appearance

The badge depicts a gilt American

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

, a symbol of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and air power. The eagle is holding an

olive branch The olive branch is a symbol of peace and victory associated with customs of ancient Greece and connected with supplication to gods and persons in power. It is found in most cultures of the Mediterranean basin and became associated with peace ...

and a bundle of 13 arrows, denoting the power of peace and war—the heart of the Air Force mission. A silver

wreath A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a circle . In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and Chri ...

, an ancient symbol of victory, encircles the eagle and meets a banner which reads ''Fortificare et Emendare Vires'' meaning "To Strengthen and Improve the Force" in Latin. Above the eagle are heritage "Hap Arnold Wings" of the

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

era which are centered above a

quill A quill is a writing tool made from a moulted flight feather (preferably a primary wing-feather) of a large bird. Quills were used for writing with ink before the invention of the dip pen, the metal- nibbed pen, the fountain pen, and, eventually ...

and a

magnifying glass A magnifying glass is a convex lens that is used to produce a magnified image of an object. The lens is usually mounted in a frame with a handle. A magnifying glass can be used to focus light, such as to concentrate the sun's radiation to crea ...

History

The Air Force Inspector General Badge was approved by Air Force Chief of Staff

Mark Welsh Mark Anthony Welsh III (born January 26, 1953) is Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University and a retired United States Air Force four-star general. Prior to his current role, he served as Chief of Staff of ...

and adopted for wear in August 2014.{{cite web, last1=Abeyasekere, first1=Karen, title=IG: New badge ensures mission readiness, url=http://www.mildenhall.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/728860/ig-new-badge-ensures-mission-readiness, publisher=U.S. Air Force, accessdate=2 October 2016

References

United States military badges

Appearance

History

See also

References