The Navigator Badge is a military decoration of the United States Air Force which was first created during the Second World War. The original Navigator Badge was a successor to the Observer Badge which was issued to military aviation navigators in the 1920s and 1930s. With an increase in aircraft technology, however, the Navigator Badge was created to recognize the advanced training and qualifications required by navigators in contrast to that of standard aircrew members.
The original Navigator Badge was issued by the Army Air Force and consisted of a globe centered in between two wings. The badge was similar to the Aviator Badge and the Aircrew Badge. In 1947, with the creation of the U.S. Air Force, Navigator Badges underwent a slight design change to include a standard Pilot’s Badge centered by an Air Force emblem. This design has remained unchanged to the present.
The modern day Navigator Badge is issued in three degrees being that of Basic, Senior, and Master. The degree of the Navigator Badge is determined by years of service in the Air Force and total flight hours obtained. The degrees are annotated by a star (senior) and wreath (master) centered above the badge.
The United States Navy equivalent of the Navigator Badge is known as the Naval Flight Officer Badge while the Marine Corps issues the Marine Aerial Navigator Badge. The Army has no equivalent to the Navigator Badge.
