Badges of the United States Air Force are specific uniform insignia authorized by the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

that signify aeronautical ratings, special skills, career field qualifications, and serve as identification devices for personnel occupying certain assignments.AFI36-2903: Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel
dated 12 April 2022, last accessed 29 August 2022 Most Air Force badges are awarded in three degrees or skill levels. Aeronautical rating badges for pilots, combat systems officers, observers, and air battle managers are awarded at basic, senior, and command levels; while flight nurses and flight surgeons are awarded ratings at the basic, senior, and chief levels. All other aviation badges are awarded at the basic, senior, and master levels. Occupational badges are normally issued in basic, senior, and master level for officers. Enlisted wear the basic badge after completing technical school, the senior badge after award of the 7-skill level, and the master badge as a master sergeant or above with 5 years in the specialty from award of the 7-skill level. A star and wreath system, worn above the Air Force badge, denotes which degree or skill level a service member currently holds. Chaplain, aeronautical, space, cyberspace, and missile operations badges, along with the Air Force Commander's Insignia are mandatory for wear on Air Force uniforms. With the most recent changes to Air Force uniform regulations, restrictions have been lifted on the wear of other service's skill badges that Airman have earned. Unless otherwise stated, the badges listed below are presented in order of precedence. Precedence of badges within the same category depends on the airman's current assignment. The Air Force is the most restrictive service with regards to which Air Force badges may be worn on the uniforms by other branches of the US Armed Forces. Most badges issued exclusively by the Air Force may only be displayed on Air Force uniforms. The exception to this rule is the

Space Operations Badge The Space Operations Badge is an occupational badge for guardians of the United States Space Force

.SMDC-OPZ-FB, ASPDO Procedural Guide #1 - Procedures for Awarding the Space Badge to Army Space Cadre Personnel
, dated 15 Feb 11, accessed 16 Jan 12 The Air Force previously authorized continued use of a number of aviation badges originally issued by the U.S. Army during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Such badges are no longer authorized and are now categorized as obsolete badges.

Aviation Badges

Sources:Air Force Guidance Memorandum to Air Force Manual (AFMAN) 11-402, Aviation and Parachutist Service
U.S. Department of the Air Force, dated 13 September 2022, last accessed 8 October 2022

Aeronautical Rating Badges

File:US Air Force Pilot Badge.png, Pilot Badge File:United States Air Force Unmanned Aircraft Operator Badge.jpeg, Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Pilot Badge File:United States Air Force Navigator Observer Badge.svg, Navigator / Combat Systems Officer / Observer Badge File:USAF - Occupational Badge - Air Battle Manager.svg, Air Battle Manager Badge File:United States Air Force Flight Surgeon Badge.svg, Flight Surgeon Badge File:USAF Astronaut Device.png,

Astronaut Badge The United States Astronaut Badge is a badge of the United States, awarded to military and civilian personnel who have completed training and performed a successful spaceflight. A variation of the astronaut badge is also issued to civilians who ...

''(Any Aeronautical Rating Badge with Astronaut Device)''

Aircrew Badges

File:United States Air Force Flight Nurse Badge.svg,

Flight Nurse Badge The Flight Nurse Badge is a military badge of the United States armed forces which is issued by the U.S. Air Force and United States Navy to flight nurses. Versions of this badge have existed since World War II, when the decoration was first ...

File:United States Air Force Officer Aircrew Badge.svg, Aircrew Badge (Officer) File:United States Air Force Enlisted Aircrew Badge.svg, Aircrew Badge (Enlisted)

Joint Service Qualification Badges

As of 17 January 2014, Airmen are authorized to wear any qualification/skill badge they have earned on Air Force uniforms. The qualification badges listed below are joint badges that are specifically awarded by the Air Force as well as other services. File:United States Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge.svg,

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces which recognizes those service members, qualified as explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians, who are specially trained to deal with the construc ...

s (Basic, Senior, and Master) File:USAF - Occupational Badge - Scuba.svg, Scuba Diver Badge File:United States Air Force Parachutist Badge.svg,

Parachutist Badge A parachutist badge (or parachutist brevet) is a military badge awarded by the armed forces of many states to soldiers who have received parachute training and completed the required number of jumps. It is difficult to assess which country was the ...

s (Basic, Senior, and Master) File:USAF - Occupational Badge - High Altitude Low Opening.svg, Freefall Parachutist Badges (Basic and Master) File:US Army Parachute Rigger Badge.png,

Parachute Rigger Badge The Parachute Rigger Badge is a military qualification badge of the United States Army and the United States Air Force which was first created in 1948 and officially approved in June 1986. The award is intended as a badge for enlisted, warrant ...

File:Basic Space Badge.jpg,

Space Operations Badge The Space Operations Badge is an occupational badge for guardians of the United States Space Force

s (Basic, Senior, and Master/Command)*

Occupational Badges

An Air Force Occupational Badge is a military badge of the

which is awarded to those members of the Air Force community who are engaged in duties "other than flying". The purpose of the Air Force Occupational Badge is to denote and recognize training, education and qualifications received in a particular career field and to provide recognition in an outwardly displayed badge.AFI36-2101: Classifying Military Personnel (Officer and Enlisted)
; dated 25 June 2013, updated 18 November 2013; last accessed 11 January 2014 The first Air Force Occupational Badges began appearing on Air Force uniforms in the late 1950s. Prior to this time, the only Air Force badges authorized were the Pilot Badge and other aeronautical rating badges, such as the Navigator Badge and Flight Surgeon Badge.

Operations Career Group

File:USAF - Cyberspace Operator Wings Basic.png, Cyberspace Operator Badge* File:USAF Multi-Domain Warfare Officer Badge.png, Multi-Domain Warfare Officer Badge File:USAF 15W-Weather and Environmental Sciences Officer Badge-Basic.png, Weather and Environmental Sciences Officer Badge File:United States Air Force Meteorologist Badge.svg, Meteorologist Badge File:15A Duty badge.jpg, Operations Research Analyst Badge File:US Air Force Information Operations Badge.png, Information Operations Badge File:United States Air Force Operations Support Badge.svg, Operations Support Badge File:United States Air Force Command and Control Badge.svg, Command and Control Badge File:United States Air Force Weapons Director Badge.svg,

Weapons Director Badge {{No footnotes, date=January 2022 The Weapons Director Badge is a military badge of the United States Air Force which is issued to personnel who are qualified in command and control and have been specially trained as flight controllers in air bat ...

File:United States Air Force Air Traffic Control Badge.svg, Air Traffic Control Badge File:USAF - Occupational Badge - Missile Operations.svg, Missile Operations Badge File:USAF_1C8XX_badge.jpg, Radar, Airfield, & Weather Systems Badge File:United States Air Force Intelligence Badge.svg, Intelligence Badge* File:US Air Force Safety Badge.png, Safety Badge The following operations insignia are worn as beret crests on specific Air Force berets instead of the left breast of Air Force uniforms. Both the breast insignia and the following beret crests signify the same thing, an Air Force specialty. File:USAF Special Tactics Officer Flash.png, Special Tactics Officer Crest File:USAF Combat Controller Flash.jpg,

Combat Controller United States Air Force Combat Control Teams, singular Combat Controller (CCT) ( AFSC 1Z2X1), are an elite American special operations force (specifically known as "special tactics operators") who specialize in all aspects of air-ground communi ...

Crest File:USAF Special Reconnaissance Flash.png,

Special Reconnaissance Special reconnaissance (SR) or Recon Team is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units or military intelligence organizations, who operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detec ...

Crest File:USAF Tactical Air Control Party Beret Flash.svg, Tactical Air Control Party Flash and Crest File:USAF Combat Rescue Officer Flash.png,

Combat Rescue Officer Combat Rescue Officer (CRO) is a Special Warfare Officer career field in the United States Air Force. Its Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) is 19ZXC and it was created to strengthen USAF Special Warfare personnel recovery capabilities by providing ...

Crest File:USAF Pararescue Flash.jpg,

Pararescueman Pararescuemen (also known as PJs) are United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Air Combat Command (ACC) operators tasked with recovery and medical treatment of personnel in humanitarian and combat environments. These speci ...

Crest File:USAF SERE Flash.jpg,

Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) is a training program, best known by its military acronym, that prepares U.S. military personnel, U.S. Department of Defense civilians, and private military contractors to survive and "retu ...

Crest

Logistics Career Group

File:USAF Munitions Badge.png, Munitions Badge File:United States Air Force Maintenance Badge.svg, Maintenance Badge File:United States Air Force Missile Badge.svg, Missile Maintenance Badge File:USAF - Occupational Badge - Logistics Readiness.svg, Logistics Readiness Badge File:United States Air Force Supply and Fuels Badge.svg, Supply and Fuels Badge File:United States Air Force Transportation Badge.svg, Transportation Badge File:United States Air Force Logistics Badge.svg, Logistics Plans Badge

Support Career Group

File:United States Air Force Information Management Badge.svg, Administration Badge File:3DXXX Basic Badge.jpg, Cyberspace Support Badge (Enlisted)* File:United States Air Force Band Badge.svg, Band Badge File:United States Air Force Public Affairs Badge.svg, Public Affairs Badge File:USAF - Occupational Badge - Historian.svg, Historian Badge File:United States Air Force Manpower & Personnel Badge.svg, Manpower and Personnel Badge (Enlisted) File:USAF civil engineer readiness occupational badge.jpg,

Emergency Management Emergency management or disaster management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actual ...

Badge* File:United States Air Force Civil Engineer Badge.svg, Civil Engineer Badge* File:United States Air Force Services Badge.svg, Services Badge (Enlisted) File:USAF - Occupational Badge - Force Support.svg, Force Support Badge (Officer) File:United States Air Force Force Protection Badge.svg, Force Protection Badge

Professional Career Group

File:USAF Judge Advocate Badge.svg, Judge Advocate Badge File:USAFreligiouspins.jpg, Chaplain Badges ''(These badges have precedence over all other badges and are mandatory to wear.)'' File:United States Air Force Paralegal Badge.svg, Paralegal Badge (Enlisted) File:United States Air Force Chaplain's Assistant Badge.svg, Chaplain Assistant Badge (Enlisted)

Acquisition Career Group

File:United States Air Force Acquisition and Financial Management Badge.svg, Acquisition and Financial Management Badge*

Medical Career Group

File:United States Air Force Medical Corps Badge.svg, Medical Corps Badge File:United States Air Force Enlisted Medical Badge.svg, Enlisted Medical Badge File:United States Air Force Biomedical Sciences Corps Badge.svg, Biomedical Science Corps Badge File:United States Air Force Nurse Corps Badge.svg, Nurse Corps Badge File:United States Air Force Dental Corps Badge.svg, Dental Corps Badge File:United States Air Force Medical Service Corps Badge.svg, Medical Service Corps Badge

Reporting Identifiers

File:US Air Force Scientific Applications Specialist Badge.png, Scientific Applications Specialist Badge

Duty Badges

Sources: File:Headquarters US Air Force Badge.png,

Headquarters Air Force Badge The Headquarters Air Force badge was created in 2005 by the United States Air Force. Airmen currently assigned to Headquarters Air Force at the Pentagon or who have been assigned to a qualifying Headquarters Air Force staff or Secretary of the Ai ...

File:USAFCommanderBdg.jpg, Commander’s insignia* File:AETBadge.jpg, Air Education and Training Command Instructor Badges File:USAF Professional Military Education Badge.png, Air Force Professional Military Education Badge File:AFJROTC Instructor Badge.png, Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps Instructor Badge File:USAFABadge.jpg, Permanent Professor USAF Academy Badge File:USAF Recruiting Service Badge.png, Air Force Recruiting Service Badges File:USAFRC Recruiting Service Badge.png, Air Force Reserve Recruiting Service Badges File:New USAF Honor Guard Badge.png, Air Force Honor Guard Badge File:USAF HG Badge.jpg, Air Force Base Honor Guard Badge File:USA - AF OSI Badge.png, Air Force Special Agent Badge File:AFPoliceBadge.jpg, Security Forces Badge File:US Air Force Civilian Police badge.jpg, Department of the Air Force Law Enforcement BadgesAFI31-122, Department of the Air Force Civilian Police/Security Guard (DAFCP/SG) Program
e-publishing.af.mil, dated 31 JULY 2015, last accessed 16 January 2017 File:AFFireBadge.jpg, Fire Protection Badges File:US Air Force Inspector General Duty Badge.JPG, Air Force Inspector General Badge

Tabs

Award Badges

Sources: File:USAF_EIC_Badges.png, Air Force Marksmanship Competition Badges File:USAF 12 OAY badge.JPG, Outstanding Airman badge

Air National Guard Badges

File:National Guard Bureau Organizational Badge.png,

National Guard Bureau The National Guard Bureau is the federal instrument responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was c ...

Organizational Badge File:ANG Recruiting Service Badge.png, Air National Guard Recruiter Badges File:Chiefs 50 Marksmanship Badge.png, Chief's 50 Marksmanship Badge File:Missouri Adjutant Generals 20 Combat Badge.png, Adjutant General's Twenty Combat Badge ( MO NG)Tabs and Badges a Measure of Missouri Guardmembers' Marksmanship
, Missouri National Guard Public Affairs, by Ann Keyes, last accessed 1 March 2015 File:Governors Twenty Tab-ABU.png, Governor's Twenty Tab File:Governors Twelve Tab-ABU.png, Governor's Twelve / Dozen TabTabs and Badges a Measure of Marksmanship
, Missouri National Guard, dated 14 December 2010, last accessed 18 May 2014 File:Governors X Tab-ABU.png, Governor's Ten Tab

Notes

* * = also issued to

Space Force A space force is a military branch of a nation's armed forces that conducts military operations in outer space and space warfare. The world's first space force was the Russian Space Forces, established in 1992 as an independent military service. ...

guardiansUS Space Force Uniform & Accessories Store
usamm.com, last accessed 29 August 2022 * No asterisk indicates that the badge is only issued to airmen

References

{{US military navbox Badges United States military badges