A US Army School of the Americas Instructor Badge

[Patchcollector]

Howdy all,
Here is the sellers pic of a badge I recently acquired.I've never seen one,not sure how it was worn(cap,pocket,etc..),and don't even know the size of it yet.I seem to recall that this is associated with the "Jungle" School in Panama,but am not certain of that.

Any additional info on this badge would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[firefighter]

I have one like yours only slightly different in the enamel. Mine has no maker marks.Ive had it for about the last 20 years.

[Patchcollector]

I received mine a few days ago.It's much larger than I thought it would be.Looks kind of "rough" too.I'm wondering if these were'nt locally produced in Panama.

[firefighter]

I always thought the same too. But the school is at Ft Benning, unless they had a local detachment.Mine isn't rough like yours but doesn't appear U.S. made.

[Patchcollector]

The School was in Panama until the 1980's,IIRC

[firefighter]

I was always told Benning. But i just googled it and it was till the early 90s. Cool. Makes more sense about my badge now.

[Patchcollector]

According to info I found online,the School left Panama in December 1984.

[firefighter]

According to info I found online,the School left Panama in December 1984.

 

Yes, 1984. I was looking at something else.

[Patchcollector]

Mine isn't rough like yours but doesn't appear U.S. made.

 

"Rough" probably was'nt the best choice of words.What I was trying to say was that the badge has that "theatre made" appearance.It may have been cast,maybe even sandcast.

[firefighter]

I didn't mean rough as in beat up. Just the appearance of it being not well finished, yes theater made. But I would think most of their badges were theater made? Very cool badge and like I said, only one ive ever seen besides mine.

[firefighter]

I finally dug mine up.

 

 

 

[firefighter]

I just noticed mine has INSTRUCTOR,. Maybe yours was worn by students?

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

 

[gwb123]

Howdy all,

Here is the sellers pic of a badge I recently acquired.I've never seen one,not sure how it was worn(cap,pocket,etc..),and don't even know the size of it yet.I seem to recall that this is associated with the "Jungle" School in Panama,but am not certain of that.

Any additional info on this badge would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks!

 

This is not the Jungle Expert course in Panama.

 

The Spanish "Commando y Estado Mayor" translates (per Google) as "Command and Staff".

 

Background on the US Army School of the Americas:

 

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/soa.htm

 

It is now the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, still at Fort Benning, and is apparently quite controversial due to the activities of

some of its graduates.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Hemisphere_Institute_for_Security_Cooperation

[Patchcollector]

Nice badge FF,and thanks for the info GWB.Yes while doing some research a few months back I learned that the "School Of The Americas" has among it's graduates Manuel Noriega,and that there are allegations from some that the Institute teaches "torture and murder".It was "expelled" from Panama in the 80's.

In the Institutes' defense,it has replied that "its curriculum includes human rights, and that "no school should be held accountable for the actions of its graduates."

[checkit]

Here's another example - 2" diameter, vaulted, unmarked, die cast but still fairly well-made. The collector note that came with it included "Only awarded to Latin students". Don't know if that is true, but if Latino graduates wore this badge on their respective country's uniform, that might explain the many theater-made variations.

 

 

[firefighter]

Here's another example - 2" diameter, vaulted, unmarked, die cast but still fairly well-made. The collector note that came with it included "Only awarded to Latin students". Don't know if that is true, but if Latino graduates wore this badge on their respective country's uniform, that might explain the many theater-made variations.

 

 

temp.jpg

 

 

Nice badge. Makes sense it would be a graduation badge