| Air Assault Badge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Special skills badge |
| Awarded for | Air Assault training course |
| Presented by | United States Army |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Established | 1974 |
| Last awarded | Ongoing |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Pathfinder Badge |
| Next (lower) | Aviation Badges[1] |
The Air Assault Badge[2] is awarded by the U.S. Army for successful completion of the Air Assault School. The course includes three phases of instruction involving U.S. Army rotary wing aircraft: combat air assault operations; rigging and slingloading operations; and rappelling from a helicopter.
According to the United States Army Institute of Heraldry, "The Air Assault Badge was approved by the Chief of Staff, Army, on 18 January 1978, for Army-wide wear by individuals who successfully completed Air Assault training after 1 April 1974. The badge had previously been approved as the Airmobile Badge authorized for local wear by the Commander of the 101st Airborne Division, effective 1 April 1974."[3] The division had been reorganized from parachute to airmobile in mid-1968 in Vietnam and designated the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). The parenthetical designation changed to Air Assault on 4 October 1974 and the name of the badge was likewise changed.[4]
- ^ "Army Regulation 600-8-22 Military Awards" (PDF)., dated 25 June 2015, last accessed 15 July 2017
- ^ "Qualification Badges, Air Assault Badge"., U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, dated 18 January 1978, last accessed 16 October 2020
- ^ "Department Of The Army". Airassault.bizhosting.com. 1974-02-01. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
- ^ John Pike. "101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2013-04-30.