Aircrew Badge The Aircrew Badge , commonly known as Wings , is a qualification badge of the United States military that is awarded by all five branches of armed services to personnel who serve as crew members on board military aircraft . The badge is intended to recognize the training and qualifications required by aircrew of military aircraft . In order to qualify as an aircrew member and receive the Aircrew Badge , such personnel typically undergo advanced training in aircraft in - flight support roles . U . S . Army . The first version of the Aircrew Badge was issued by the Army Air Forces during the Second World War . The badge was similar in design to the Aviator Badge , however , and displayed an emblem denoting enlisted status on its circular shield , or escutcheon , centered between two wings . The emblem featured the arms of the United States of America , in clear relief generally against a horizontally lined background , on a disk with a raised rim . Anyone trained in flight operations was authorized to wear this badge , including pilots , bombardiers , navigators , flight engineers , radio men and gunners . The badge was also awarded to certain ground personnel at the discretion of their commanding officer . Non - crewmembers eligible for the badge were individuals with flying status such as aircraft maintenance supervisors and technical inspectors . For example , aircrew badges were issued to Automatic Flight Control Equipment ( A . F . C . E . ) and Bombsight Shop personnel and others essential to " keep ' em flying " who flew instructional and maintenance flights but who did not actually take part in combat missions during World War II . With the creation of the United States Air Force as a separate branch of service in 1947 , the Army was left without an Aircrew Badge until the Korean War . At that time , to recognize the continued use of Army aviation , the Aircraft Crewman Badge was created . The badge was issued in three degrees : Basic , Senior , and Master . The level of seniority depended on the number of flight hours obtained and years of service in the United States Army . On February 29 , 2000 , the Department of the Army officially changed the name of the Aircraft Crewman Badge to the Army Aviation Badge . The badge itself was not altered ; however , the change was made retroactive to 1947 , requiring updates to military records upon request from the military service member . This change essentially made army aircrew wings an " MOS Badge " awarded to all aviation MOS ' s , including non flying jobs such as Aviation Operations and Air Traffic Controllers . Thus , a crew chief who actually engages in aerial flight has no distinction from an air traffic controller because both are on flight status . Although the Army Aviation Badge is intended for enlisted personnel , in rare cases the decoration is awarded to officers . For non - rated Army members who qualify for the Astronaut Badge , but have not yet participated in a qualifying spaceflight , the Army Aviation Badge may be awarded with the astronaut device appearing on the central shield . U . S . Air Force . The Air Force Aircrew Badge is a direct successor to the Army Air Forces version of the decoration . Originally known simply as the " Aircrew Badge " , the Air Force began issuing the decoration to enlisted Aircrew members in 1947 . By the time of the Korean War , regulations had been established for a senior and master version of the badge , indicated by a star and wreath above the decoration . As with the Army Aviator Badge , seniority of the Aircrew Badge was determined by flight hours obtained and years of service in the Air Force . With the decline of the Observer Badge , a need quickly arose to award an Aircrew Badge to officers who had been trained as in - flight support personnel . By the time of the Vietnam War , the Air Force had created an Officer Aircrew Badge which was issued to non - rated officers trained for in - flight operations . The enlisted version of the Aircrew Badge remained relatively the same and was now referred to as the Enlisted Aircrew Badge . In the modern United States Air Force , the Enlisted Aircrew Badge is still issued to 1A0X1 ( Inflight Refueling ) , 1A1X1 ( Flight Engineer ) , 1A2X1 ( Aircraft Loadmaster ) , 1A3X1 ( Airborne Mission Systems Specialist ) , 1A4X1 ( Airborne Operation Specialist ) , 1A6X1 ( Flight Attendant ) , 1A7X1 ( Aerial Gunner ) , 1A8X1 ( Airborne Cryptologic Linguist ) , 1A8X2 ( Airborne Intelligence , Surveillance & Reconnaissance ( ISR ) Operator ) , X4N0X1 ( Aeromedical Evacuation Specialist ) . However , the Officer Aircrew Badge is less often awarded , usually to Information Integration Officers ( IIO ) , Airborne Intelligence Officers ( AIO ) , Airborne Surveillance Officers ( ASO ) , F light Test Engineer s ( FTE ) , as well as selected communications and weather officers ( depending on assignment ) . Enlisted RPA ( Remotely Piloted Aircraft ) Sensor Operators ( 1U0 , previously 1N1 ) were awarded their own aircrew wings in 2010 . The number of officers awarded the Aircrew Badge dropped considerably in 1999 , when Air Battle Managers became a rated career field , and thus began being issued their own separate aviation badge . U . S . Navy – U . S . Marine Corps – U . S . Coast Guard . The United States Navy , United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard issue the same version of the Aircrew Badge . The badge is a variation on the Naval Aviation Observer Badge with the letters AC centered on the badge ' s front . In 2009 , the Navy converted the badge from a qualification to a warfare designator like the Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist , Enlisted Submarine Warfare Specialist , and Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist . The title was changed from Naval Aircrew ( NAC ) to Naval Aircrew Warfare Specialist ( NAWS ) . Known as Naval Aircrew Wings and Coast Guard Aircrew Wings , it is authorized for personnel who have undergone extensive training in flight operations of naval aircraft . Such training includes weapons management , electronic warfare , and water survival . Contrary to most other services , naval aircrewmen do not receive their wings after aircrew school . Rather , they receive their wings only after completing their platform respective Personnel Qualification Standards ( PQS ) ( roughly 1 year past the completion of training ) . The Naval and Coast Guard Aircrew Wings are issued in a single degree with no upgrade devices used or authorized . A Naval enlisted person who has qualified for his or her Naval Aircrew Badge places the initials " NAC " in parentheses after his or her rate and rating ; for example , a Chief Cryptologic Technician Interpretive , after having qualified for their NAC Badge , is identified as a CTIC ( NAC ) . Most Officer Aircrew members who are not Naval Aviator s ( i . e . , pilots ) are Naval Flight Officer s and receive the Naval Flight Officer insignia after completion of a flight training syllabus nearly as long as that of their pilot counterparts . Certain naval officers ( most notably intelligence and cryptology officers assigned to E - 6 Mercury and EP - 3E Aries II missions ) qualify for the Naval Aviation Observer Badge . Aircrew wings are issued almost exclusively to enlisted aviation ratings , with the exception of other sailors in other naval ratings who are assigned to aircrew billets , including but not limited to Cryptologists ( CT ) , Information Technicians ( IT ) , Intelligence Specialists ( IS ) , and Hospital Corpsmen ( HM ) . Former enlisted personnel who attain officer status are permitted to continue wear of the insignia . However , for the first three years of enlistment these wings are unobtainable due to recent changes in qualification requirements . Combat Aircrew Insignia . During World War II , numerous fleet requests occurred to recognize the work of the enlisted aircrewmembers flying in combat , the result was the creation of the Air Crew Insignia on 18 May 1943 . While primarily an enlisted insignia , officers were eligible if they met the same criteria of Bureau of Naval Personnel ( BUPERS ) Circular Letter 90 - 43 . The design was essentially the same as today ' s insignia except all pewter silver with no gold . A subsequent BUPERS Circular Letter 395 - 44 dated 30 Dec 1944 , changed the design to the same as today with the modification of the gold center disc . In 1958 , the inignia was redesignated the " Combat Aircrew Insignia " . In 1978 , the Navy removed the insignia as authorized wear and then in 1994 , the Marine Corps reestablished the insignia as it is known today as the Marine Combat Aircrew Badge . It is a decoration of the United States Marine Corps which is awarded to those enlisted personnel who have served as aircrew members on board combat flights . For those who have participated in actual combat missions , gold service stars are worn pinned to the top of the decoration . MCO 1000 . 6G Para 3310 . 4 Upon earning more than three gold stars , silver stars are awarded in recognition of three gold stars , meaning three silver equates to nine gold plus the initial award of the combat aircrew device . MCO P1020 Para 4002 . 1F The Marine Combat Aircrew Badge can be issued to service members of both the Marine Corps and United States Navy ( while serving in a Marine Corps aviation squadron ) . Current regulations require a set number of combat ' points ' to be earned before wear is authorized . It is not authorized to wear both the Combat Aircrew and Naval Aircrew pins at the same time . If an individual service member has been awarded both badges , they may decide which pin to wear on their uniform . A sailor who has qualified for the Combat Aircrew Badge and at least one gold star places the initials " CAC " in parentheses after their rate and rating ; for example , a Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class ( HM2 ) , after having qualified for their CAC Badge , is identified as a HM2 ( CAC ) .