The Missile Badge is a military decoration

Military badges of the United States

Military badges of the United States are awards authorized by the United States armed forces that signify rating, qualification, or accomplishment in several career fields, and also serve as identification devices for personnel occupying certain assignments. Personal recognition is granted to...

 of the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 which was first created in the 1960s. The badge

Badge

A badge is a device or fashion 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 , a sign of legitimate employment or student status, or as a simple...

 recognizes those commissioned officers and enlisted personnel of the US Air Force who have qualified as missile personnel (both Tactical and SAC ICBM) that have been trained in the launch

Launch

Launch may refer to:In boating:*Launch , a large motor boat*Motor Launch , a small military vessel used by the Royal Navy*Ship naming and launching, when a ship or boat is dispatched from a slipway, prior to fitting out and commissioning...

ing of landbased nuclear weapon

Nuclear weapon

A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...

s under the direction of the National Command Authority

National Command Authority

National Command Authority is a term used by the Department of Defense of the United States of America to refer to the ultimate lawful source of military orders. The NCA comprises the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense jointly, or their duly deputized successors, i.e...

. Originally known as the Missileman Badge, the Missile Badge later became known as the Missilier Badge or more informally the Pocket Rocket and is still often referred to by this name.

History

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, informally known as "spings" (SPace wINGS), "schwings," the "Space Boomerang," the "Space Blade," or the "Buzz Lightyear" award (after its resemblance to the animated movie character Buzz Lightyear) replaced the Missile Badge for operators. This new badge infuriated the vast majority of current and former space and missile operators by eliminating a historically significant badge of honor. In addition, the new badge is no longer limited to pure space and missile operators/maintainers, but is also awarded to 61XX, 62XX and 63XX who have 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. 36-2923 was rendered obsolete and superseded by AFI 36-2903 dated 2 Aug 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 system, 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-early 2006, the Missile Badge was the standard specialty badge for the above two career fields.

In June 2008, Air Force Chief of Staff 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.

Purpose and degrees

The Missile Badge is awarded as a permanent decoration upon a service member’s graduation

Graduation

Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...

 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 lower left pocket and is the largest of the U.S. Air Force specialty badges. It is also one of the few United States military badges which is not transferable between services, meaning that a qualified Missile crew member, who transfers to another branch of the United States armed forces

United States armed forces

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...

 cannot display the Missile Badge on another service uniform.
The Missile Badge is issued in three degrees being 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 is CMR at the operational ICBM unit. Officers with six years of nuclear experience qualify for the senior badge, and they qualify for the master-level badge after nine years experience. The Senior Missile Badge is denoted by a star above the decoration with the Master Missile Badge displaying a star and 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

Combat Readiness Medal

The Combat Readiness Medal is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1964. The original Combat Readiness Medal was an award senior to the Air Force Commendation Medal and was awarded for superior and meritorious duty to the United States Air Force...

 after two years of qualified service serving in an active missile silo. All personnel qualifying for the operations designator also receive the Space and Missile Badge

Space and Missile Badge

The Air Force Space and Missile Badge 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...

 if they have attended the Space 100 class at Vandenberg AFB, CA. Missile operations (13SxC) is a subset of the Space Operations career field (13S). As of 1 October 2009, officers who have gone through the missile operations training are awarded their badge upon completion of the class.