§ 578.80 - Army Aviator Badges.

(a) Badges authorized. There are three degrees of the aviator badges authorized for award. They are as follows: Basic Army Aviator Badge, Senior Army Aviator Badge, and Master Army Aviator Badge.

(b) Eligibility requirements—(1) Eligibility for U.S. personnel. An individual must have satisfactorily completed prescribed training and proficiency tests as outlined in AR 600-105, and must have been designated as an aviator in orders issued by headquarters indicated above.

(2) Eligibility for foreign military personnel. While only U.S. officers may be awarded an aeronautical rating, the Army Aviator Badge may be awarded to foreign military graduates of initial entry flight-training courses conducted at the U.S. Army Aviation Center. The Senior and Master Army Aviator Badges may be awarded to foreign military personnel rated as pilots who meet or exceed eligibility criteria required of U.S. Army officers for the respective badges, and subject to the regulations of their countries. As a minimum, foreign officers recommended for award of advanced aviator badges must—

(i) Be currently qualified for flying duty in their own military service.

(ii) Be medically qualified.

(iii) If not a graduate of an initial entry U.S. Army aviation course, have attended a formal training or aircraft transition course conducted at Fort Rucker or at an U.S. Army Aviation Training School.

(iv) Have 1000 flying hours in aircraft and 7 years from basic rating date for the Senior Aviator Badge; have 2000 hours in aircraft and 15 years from basic rating date for the Master Aviator Badge. Total Operational Flying Duty Credit (TOFDC) which may be applied by U.S. officers to qualify for advanced badges will not be used to justify awards to foreign officers.

(c) Approval authority. Badge approval authority is as follows:

(1) The Commander, U.S. Army Aviation Center and Fort Rucker, to U.S. student aviators upon successful completion of courses leading to an aeronautical rating of Army Aviator, and to foreign military personnel under the provisions of paragraph (d) of this section.

(2) CG, USA HRC (HRC-OPA-V) to inter-service transfers who previously held an aeronautical rating in another service.

(3) Commanders having general court-martial convening authority may award the Senior or Master Army Aviator Badge to officers on extended active duty.

(4) Major Army overseas commanders, CONUSA (the numbered armies in the continental United States) commanders, and CDR, USA HRC may award the Senior and Master Aviator Badge to U.S. Army Reserve personnel not on extended active duty in the Active Army.

(5) Chief, National Guard Bureau may award the Senior or Master Aviator Badge to Army National Guard (ARNG) personnel not on extended active duty in the Active Army.

(d) Army Astronaut Device. A gold colored device, 7/16 inch in length, consisting of a star emitting three contrails encircled by an elliptical orbit. It is awarded by the Chief of Staff, Army, to personnel who complete a minimum of one operational mission in space (50 miles above earth) and is affixed to the appropriate Army Aviator Badge, Flight Surgeon Badge, or Aviation Badge awarded to the astronaut. Individuals who have not been awarded one of the badges listed above but who meet the other astronaut criteria will be awarded the basic Aviation Badge with Army Astronaut Device.

(e) Description. An oxidized silver badge 3/4 inch in height and 21/2 inches in width, consisting of the shield of the coat of arms of the United States on and over a pair of displayed wings. A star is added above the shield to indicate qualification as a Senior Army Aviator. The star is surrounded with a laurel wreath to indicate qualification as a Master Army Aviator.