Diving Badge

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The Diving Badge is a military qualification badge of the United States armed forces which is awarded to those service members who have obtained qualifications as military divers. The Diving Badge was originally a patch which was worn by Navy divers on the upper left sleeve of a service uniform. The Diving Patch was first created during the Second World War and became a breast badge in the late 1960s.

The current Diving Badge is issued by both the U.S. Army and United States Navy, and is provided in several different degrees of issuance. Members of both the Coast Guard and Marine Corps are eligible to receive the Navy version of the Diving Badge. The United States Air Force issues only the Special Operations Diver Badge to graduates of the USAF Combat Dive School in Panama City, FL, which USAF Pararescuemen and USAF Combat Controllers are required to attend.

[edit] Navy/Marine Corps/Coast Guard


The naval diving badges are issued in several degrees to members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

The first degree of the naval diving badges is the Scuba Diver badge, issued for qualification as a Navy Scuba Diver. The Scuba Diver badge was previously issued in two degrees, one being for officer divers and the other for enlisted personnel. The Scuba Officer badge was phased out by the Navy in the 1990s but is still in use in the Coast Guard. The Scuba Diver badge is now issued as a silver pin for all qualified Navy and Marine Corps scuba divers. In 2001, the Marine Corps authorized the creation of a new badge that represents closed circuit rebreather training and reconnaissance related combat diving. This badge, called the Combatant Diver Badge, is gold in color and consists of wet suit headgear, with low profile face mask and chest mounted breathing apparatus.

The remaining Naval diving badges are awarded for deep sea dive qualifications and are issued in three degrees; Second Class Diver, First Class Diver, and Master Diver. A Diving Officer badge also exists for those who attended Basic Diving Officer course. The Master Divers are the most qualified divers in the Navy and must first be a Chief Petty Officer before applying to become a Master Diver.

The Diving Medical Officer and Diving Medical Technician badges are presented to medical personnel who have qualified as both divers and medical response personnel to diving medical emergencies. Diving Medical Officer badge is gold color like the Diving Officer badge but with the caudeus. A silver badge with the caudeusis is for Diving Medical Technicians. These are Navy Corpsman who have completed the Deep Sea Dive school.

Like the Navy enlisted Surface, Submarine, and Aviation specialty marks, enlisted personnel who are dive qualified place a term after their rating. If Boatswain's Mate Second Class Jones is a qualified diver, he is referred to in writing as BM2(DV) Jones.

[edit] Army

Diving Badge

Awarded by United States Army
Type Badge
Awarded for
Status Currently awarded
Statistics
Last awarded On going
Precedence
Next (higher) (Group 4 badges)
Ramshead, Pathfinder, Parachutist, Air Assault, Military Freefall Parachutist
Same (Group 5 badges)
Driver and Mechanic, Rigger

The Army's diving badges are very similar to naval designs, except for Master Diver and lack of officer and medical badges. However, Navy-issued officer and medical officer diving badges are authorized on Army uniforms with written approval from USA HRC.

  • Master Diver Badge
  • First-Class Diver Badge.
  • Salvage Diver Badge.
  • Second-Class Diver Badge.
  • Special Operations Diver Badge (formerly Scuba Diver Badge)
  • Special Operations Supervisor Badge

The Scuba Diver badge was of the same design as the Navy's scuba badge until July 2005. The new design includes sharks and two daggers in saltire. It was also renamed the Special Operations Diver badge, and an additional grade was created known as the Special Operations Diving Supervisor badge.

[edit] Official links