The Air Force Space and Missile Badge (AFSMB) was a military badge of the United States Air Force which was awarded to those personnel who completed training in space warning, satellite command and control, missile operations, space surveillance, or space lift. It initially replaced the missileer badge when the space and missile operations fields were merged, although the missileer badge was subsequently reinstated in 2009. [1] [2]
The Air Force is the most restrictive service with regards to which Air Force badges may be worn by other United States Armed Forces. The first Air Force badge awarded to other military services was the Air Force Space and Missile Badge which was authorized for wear by U.S. Army Space Cadre that qualified under Air Force regulations. [3]
The Air Force Space and Missile Badge was presented in three grades being that of basic, senior, and master. The basic badge was awarded for completion of initial space training while the senior and master badges were awarded based on years of service in Air Force Space assignments; for officer the steps occur at seven and fifteen years respectively. For enlisted personnel the senior badge was awarded upon attaining a "7 skill level" and the master badge as a Master Sergeant or above with five years in the specialty from award of the senior badge. The grades of the Air Force Space and Missile badge were denoted by a star (senior) and wreath (master) centered above the decoration. [2]
In 2004, the Air Force Space Command Commander, General Lance Lord, announced the introduction of a new badge. The new Air Force Space Badge (AFSB) replaced the Air Force Space and Missile Badge. The new badge is also awarded to Air Force scientists, engineers, communications, Intelligence, and acquisition professionals who have performed space/missile operations, intelligence, and acquisition duties and have successfully completed the Space 100 course. Currently, Missileers are no longer attending the Space 100 course; thus, they are no longer being award the Air Force Space Badge. [2] [4] [5]
On February 2011, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army approved the establishment of the Air Force Space Badge as a joint Air Force and Army badge; thus, the term “Air Force” was dropped from the official name of the badge and is now called the Space Badge. Army personnel can be awarded the Space Badge after attending Air Force and/or Army specific space or satellite systems courses and have 12 months (for Active Army) or 24 months (for Army Reserve and Army National Guard) experience in a Space Cadre billet. The Space Badge is also awarded to graduates of the Army Space Operations Officer Qualification Course. [3]
The badge is informally referred to as "space wings", or "spings", due to the resemblance to other aeronautical rating badges or "wings."
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||