Senior Aviation Badge (Aircraft Crewman Badge) – Silver Oxidized

Criteria: Awarded to U.S. Army personnel in three degrees: Basic, Master, and Senior. The level of seniority depends on the number of flight hours obtained and years of service in the United States Army. Originally called the “Aircraft Crewman Badge,” the badge was renamed on February 29, 2000, when the Department of the Army officially re-designated it as the Army Aviation Badge. Although the badge itself was not altered, the change was made retroactive to 1947, requiring updates to military records upon request from the military service member. The badge is intended to be worn by enlisted personnel, however, in rare cases, the decoration is awarded to officers. For non-rated Army officers who qualify for the Astronaut Badge, but have not yet participated in a qualifying spaceflight, the Army Aviation Badge may be awarded with the astronaut emblem appearing on the central shield. The first version of the Aircrew Badge was issued by the Army Air Forces during the Second World War. The badge was similar in design to the Aviator Badge, however, and displayed an emblem denoting enlisted status on its circular shield, or escutcheon, centered between two wings. The emblem featured the arms of the United States of America, in clear relief generally against a horizontally lined background, on a disk with a raised rim. With the creation of the United States Air Force as a separate branch of service in 1947, the Army was left without an Aircrew Badge until the Korean War. At that time, to recognize the continued use of Army aviation, the Aircraft Crewman Badge was created.