December 05, 2005
Corps tightens rules for aircrew insignia
Some Marines will have to give badge back
By John Hoellwarth
Times staff writer

Marine Corps aviation officials have tightened the regulations for issuing the Combat Aircrew Insignia, saying only designated aircrewmen who’ve gone through aerial combat rate the badge.

The announcement is in response to the fact that some Marines who aren’t in aircrew military occupational specialties have been given permission to wear the badge. Now, those who don’t rate the device will have to give it back.

In a Nov. 4 Marine administrative message, the Corps set forth more rigid guidelines concerning those eligible for the device, which replaces an aircrewman’s standard gold wings above the left breast pocket to signify that he has participated in combat operations as a member of a flight crew.

The device is awarded for participation in aerial flights in which crew members receive and return enemy fire. Multiple awards are signified by gold stars at the top of the insignia. A maximum of three silver stars may be worn on the device, each one in lieu of three gold stars.

The message, MarAdmin 519/05, states that “many Marines” have been awarded the insignia for their participation in aerial combat, but goes on to direct each squadron to conduct an audit of its personnel records and take back the award from those who aren’t in the MOSs listed in the message.

“Marines and sailors mistakenly awarded the Combat Aircrew Insignia shall have their records corrected, and will be no longer authorized to wear the device,” the message states.

The message contains a list of 14 MOSs showing who’s eligible to wear the insignia.

Some don’t rate

According to earlier Vietnam-era guidelines, the insignia could be given to just about anyone who happened to be riding in an aircraft when it came under fire. Under more strict guidelines released in 2002, and which did not exclude people based on MOS, only flight-crew status was necessary and Navy corpsmen still rated the insignia.

The new guidelines not only limit recipients to the 14 MOSs, but also cut corpsmen out almost completely, saying those serving on flight status with Marine squadrons were not eligible, unless they are assigned to a Marine unit and have also completed Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization training as an aerial observer.

Corps spokesman Capt. Jerome Bryant said the revamped policy is the result of a “routine” review of the “insignia and its wear based on the evolution of combat operations.”

Bryant pointed to medical evacuation flights as one of the missions that involve “non-crew member status” personnel who are not entitled to the insignia, which is intended for enlisted Marines only.

Officers, who otherwise qualify for the Naval Aircrew Device, are barred from earning or wearing the Combat Aircrew Insignia unless they have previously qualified for the device during prior service as an enlisted Marine in one of the job specialties listed in the message.

Officers who rate both aircrew devices are authorized to wear either one or the other at their own discretion, according to the message. Similarly, enlisted navigators who also rate the Combat Aircrew Insignia can choose to wear that device in place of their Aerial Navigator Insignia in accordance with Marine Corps uniform regulations.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ron Flaherty, director of Marine Aircraft Group 16’s Personnel Administration Center, said his office had already “pulled our roster to see who actually rates.”

Flaherty said he’s scanned the group roster and that “there are some MOSs we’ve seen on our roster that obviously don’t rate.”

Correcting Marines’ records is a simple matter of updating information on the Marine Corps Total Force System, but auditing records is slow work because some squadrons within the group are deployed, Flaherty said.

Auditing is also meticulous work, and Flaherty said he wants to ensure the accuracy of the list he sends to the administration offices of his command’s subordinate squadrons for action. “We step slowly to ensure we don’t rescind the award for anyone who deserves it.”

All Marines who rate the insignia must remove it when they leave the awarding unit “unless permanent retention of the Combat Aircrew Insignia is authorized under paragraph 3310.4 of [the Aircrew Coordination Training Manual].”

The eligible MOS are: 6172, 6173, 6174, 6176, 6199, 6242, 6243, 6244, 6245, 6246, 6247, 6276, 7372 and 7382.

Ellie