Army unveils new Mariner and Mountaineer Badges

The Army announced this week two new military decorations for active-duty troops that recognize unique skill sets on land and sea.

The service posted design illustrations on several social media platforms Wednesday for the Mariner and Mountaineer Badges, which will recognize proficiency in mariner operations at three different levels of skill and proficiency in mountaineering operations, respectively.

The badges were created to “promote retention and professional development,” according to the announcement.

The Mariner Badge, whose design depicts a ship’s steering wheel on top of an anchor per an illustration from the release, will be awarded to soldiers with expertise in watercraft operations. Watercraft operators, watercraft engineers, marine deck officers, and marine engineering officers who served at least one year on an Army vessel will be eligible for the badge. Senior- and master-level versions of the badge will be awarded based on higher certifications and more years of service.

The Mountaineering Badge, on the other hand, will be distributed to soldiers who finish the Army Mountain Warfare School’s mountaineering courses. The badge’s potential design includes a ram with golden horns, in front of what appeared to be a knife, or sword, and an ice axe.

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“The badge highlights the importance of mountain warfare training in preparing soldiers for combat operations,” the announcement read.

The Army Mountain Warfare School is located in Jericho, Vermont, and while a website for the school was not immediately accessible, an Instagram page shows soldiers scaling mountains, skiing through heavy snow, and braving the elements of the great outdoors across the seasons.

Previously, the Ram’s Head Device was awarded to soldiers who completed the two-week Basic Mountaineering Course at the school, according to an Instagram post from the Army Mountain Warfare School. But it wasn’t “authorized for wear cross the Army enterprise” until Wednesday.

The Institute of Heraldry, which oversees insignia for U.S. military branches and government agencies, has 60 days from the day of the announcement to tinker before completing the badge designs. The badges will be available for purchase at Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores within approximately 120 days, though the message did not specify when that period begins.