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US Army Air Assault


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Here are two more that I think are original and I don't own them as I got outbid on eBay. The second one is made of plastic and came with the first one from I believe it was a vet's estate so I felt they were real. I've also seen a SVN sand casting air assault badge once which I couldn't afford but was the real McCoy. Unfortunate I don't have a photograph of the sand casting piece.

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This cloth one I kept photos of is embroidered on khaki material which doesn't look right and might be a fake piece.

 

 

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firefighter

Again some really cool badges.I know it would have been hard and i'm stuff would have caught on them but the skids on the Hueys would have looked cool.The last of the cloth patches looks Vietnam handmade.I could be wrong but it looks good to me.They also made sand cast ones too.he one you picked ip in Thailand could have been made for the Thai military? Does the Air Assault school take foreign students?

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One's I found online.

 

These I have no idea as to why they were made in full color, as by the time the Air Assault Badge was adopted for local wear within the 101st Abn Div (ASSLT) in 1974, the Army had ceased wearing full color cloth Qualification and Skill Badges on fatique items for at least 4 years or so previous. Any ideas guys?

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Here are a couple of early subdued cloth types on OG 107 Cotton Sateen material, hope it's not to hard to make out the Sateen material, I had to resize image a bit.

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And this from a fairly recent topic of mine, the official bulletin from Soldiers Magazine as to the new Regs governing the wear of the badge.

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/179571-air-assault-badge-regs-1978/

 

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triplecanopy

"The William & Anderson Company has supposedly been around since 1934 but they were still using the same name as of 1967."

 

You are correct about William and Anderson. That was an error on my part. I should have looked it up instead of relying on my memory. As to the cloth Air Assault Badges, that one you have in question may well have been made in Vietnam. It looks like a handmade insignia. The plastic one is a real puzzle for me. I've never seen one of those before. I have a couple of others that I'll post as soon as I get the chance. It takes time to resize the photos.

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triplecanopy

Here are a couple more cloth Air Assault badges. One brown on Desert background for the DCU and the other more recent for the ACU.

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triplecanopy

Here are unmarked Air Assault badges that I suspect are made of silver. I see die marks on the edges, so I don't believe these are cast. I have had then a long time, but don't recall any other details.

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Rakkasan187

Here are a few more variations of the Air Assault badge.

 

These two desert brown on tan. Note that in one the detail of the windows, while in the other the helicopter nose is more ball shaped and the windows are colored in.

 

 

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Leigh

 

 

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Rakkasan187

This last example, I think someone was having fun with the sewing machine. A star has been added to the top, and it is off center I might add. Someone made this a Senior Air Assault Wing. Pure fantasy in my opinion, but I thought it was unique to share with everyone.

 

Leigh

 

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firefighter

This last example, I think someone was having fun with the sewing machine. A star has been added to the top, and it is off center I might add. Someone made this a Senior Air Assault Wing. Pure fantasy in my opinion, but I thought it was unique to share with everyone.

 

Leigh

 

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Whats next, Assault Stars?

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triplecanopy

I believe the intent back then was to recognize the Infantry soldiers who rappelled down the 120 foot ropes while the helicopter hovered above the tree tops. The Helicopter Pilots were certainly part of that Air Assault Team, but they had previously earned their flight wings which the grunts could not earn. The crossed lightning bolt and rifle symbolizes the swift assault from the air by Infantry ground forces. The helicopter was the means by which the assault was made. However, I am pretty sure today, that helicopter pilots can earn the current Air Assault badge by graduating from the school.

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Was the 1965 badge awarded to the people of the 11th ASSLT Div's Artillery Battalions and the Combat Engineer Battalion as well? after all these are arms that integral to the Air Assault Concept, in example of the engineers, they would be trained to go in to clear LZs, and what is a infantry Division without it's Arty support? the 11th ASSLT Div Arty was required to get in there by chopper, sling loading pieces and ammo and all that good stuff.

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triplecanopy

That is a good question and excellent point. I don't know the answer, but it would stand to reason that if they went through the same training, then they would certainly be eligible for the award. I know the original requirement included rappelling from helicopters and other air assault skill tests. It would be nice to know if the other combat arms and combat support mos's were also eligible or was the award just for Infantry soldiers assigned the the 11th Air Assault Division. Anyone out there an old 11th Air Assault Vet?

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firefighter

An earlier Air Assault Badge was worn in the early 1960s by troops of 11th who qualified for it by making three helicopter rappels from 60 feet (18 m) and three from 120 feet (37 m).Soldiers were also required to be knowledgeable of aircraft safety procedures; familiar with aircraft orientation; proficient in hand and arm signals and combat assault operations; able to prepare, inspect and rig equipment for external sling loads; and able to lash down equipment inside helicopters. The badge was first awarded in early 1964 and was only authorized for wear by soldiers within the 11th, as it was a division award and not authorized for Army-wide wear by the Department of the Army.

 

 

ORIGINAL AIR ASSAULT BADGE”

With the activation of the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) on 15 February 1963 at Fort Benning, Georgia, the division commander, then Brigadier General Harry W. O. Kinnard, began to fashion an operational reality from a vision – what later came to be called “airmobility”.

 

Part of this mission was to create a ‘state of mind’ among the members of the division – “sky soldiers” as they were called – to instill in them belief in the new airmobile concept. Airmobility had to do more than merely provide Infantry troops with helicopters for rides – it needed to train all ground elements in conjunction with all air elements to create a well-honed combat fighting team.

 

To differentiate 11th Air Assault Division “sky soldiers” from other Army units, General Kinnard had designed and established a ‘special’ badge’ that his “sky soldiers” could wear as a mark of their airmobility expertise. This became the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) “Air Assault Badge”, first issued in the spring of 1964.

 

In order to qualify for this badge, each soldier had to successfully rappel from a helicopter, thrice from 60 feet and twice from 120 feet. Each soldier had to pass aircraft safety procedures, an aircraft orientation, arm and hand signals, combat assault operations, prepare, inspect and rig equipment for a sling load, and be able to lash down equipment carried in cargo helicopters.

 

The original “Air Assault Badge” was awarded only to members’ assigned to the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) and then only for a short time. In Vietnam, airmobility operations and proficiency became an accepted U S Army tactic, still taught today.

 

The original “Air Assault Badge” training criteria lead to the development of the present Sabalauski Air Assault School located at Fort Campbell, KY, which awards the current Air Assault Badge although today’s badge is substantially different in design and shape.

 

The 11th Air Assault Division “Air Assault Badge” was, and still is, an unauthorized badge. Regardless, many of those awarded the original “Air Assault Badge” still wear it today – knowing they were first to do so – and to most “original sky soldiers” this emblem remains a coveted badge worn with PRIDE!

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  • 7 months later...

Here are some older Air Assault insignia from the early 1960's. The 11th Air Assault Division (Test) was the unit that further developed helicopter warfare at Fort Benning. The original Air Assault badge was awarded to soldiers who mastered helicopter rappelling, rigging and other combat skills associated with helicopter assaults.

 

Do these original wings normally have hallmarks?

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  • 1 year later...

Is there a way to tell the specific year a pair of (Bullwinkle) AA wings was made? I want to get a pair from 1974 and I don't know if there are any specific hallmarks or design characteristics that would make this possible. Or any kind of packaging for ones that are still unopened.

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  • 7 months later...
  • 4 years later...

Just picked these up off of the bay.

According to a highly reliable source

"Single Letter, Double Digit, and 1/20th S.F. for Silver Filled.  Used from 1967 to 1974"

could these be an early first year issue pair?

"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."

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2 hours ago, Boy Howdy said:

Just picked these up off of the bay.

According to a highly reliable source

"Single Letter, Double Digit, and 1/20th S.F. for Silver Filled.  Used from 1967 to 1974"

could these be an early first year issue pair?

"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."

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Yes that will be the case, a early made one.

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