Tabs of the United States Army In the United States Army " tabs " are patches displaying a word or words that are worn above the shoulder patch that identifies the unit to which the soldier belongs . Tabs are valued uniquely in the US Army because images rather than words are traditionally used for the symbolism of the shoulder patch worn to identify a soldier ' s unit . It is only to identify an individual soldier ' s or a whole unit ' s special skill that an additional shoulder patch is worn that uses words rather than images to symbolize this skill . For example , while any member of a special forces unit will wear the unit identifying patch that includes an arrowhead , sword , and lightning , only soldiers who have completed special forces training will have been awarded and wear an additional patch containing the words " SPECIAL FORCES " ( i . e . the Special Forces Tab ) . Some tabs are awarded to recognize an individual soldier ' s skill or marksmanship and are worn by a soldier permanently . These tabs are also considered badges and have metal equivalents that are worn on the soldier ' s chest if their uniform does not have a place for shoulder patches ( e . g . Army Service Uniform ) . Other tabs recognize a whole unit ' s special skill and are considered to be part of a specific unit ' s shoulder sleeve patch and are worn by a soldier only while they belong to that unit . The Jungle Expert Tab is unique in that while it is awarded to recognize an individual soldier ' s skill , it is only worn by soldiers while they belong to certain units . Similarly , tabs awarded at the state level by the US Army National Guard can only be worn by soldiers while they are on state - level orders . Individual skill / marksmanship tabs . There are currently four permanent individual skill / marksmanship tabs authorized for wear by the U . S . Army . In order of seniority , they are the President ' s Hundred Tab , the Special Forces Tab , the Ranger Tab , and the Sapper Tab . Only three skill tabs may be worn at one time . At this point in the military there are no recorded individuals who have earned all four skill / marksmanship tabs . President ' s Hundred . The President ' s Hundred Tab is a marksmanship tab which is authorized for soldiers who qualify among the top 100 scoring competitors in the President ' s Match held annually at the National Rifle Matches at Camp Perry , Ohio . This is a permanent award which will stay with the individual , there is no annual requirement to maintain the President ' s Hundred Tab . Most competitors will compete each year to ensure that less qualified individuals do not receive the tab . On 27 May 1958 , The National Rifle Association requested the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel ' s approval of a tab for presentation to each member of the " President ' s Hundred . " NRA ' s plan was to award the cloth tab together with a metal tab during the 1958 National Matches . The cloth tab was of high level interest and approved for wear on the uniform on 3 March 1958 . The President ' s Hundred Tab is worn 1 / 2 inch below the shoulder seam on the left sleeve of the male and female Army green uniform coats . The tab is available in a subdued version for wear on the Battle Dress Uniform ( BDUs ) . The tab is covered in paragraph 29 - 16c , AR 670 - 1 and paragraph 8 - 53 , AR 600 - 8 - 22 . A full - color embroidered tab of yellow 4¼ inches ( 10 . 80 cm ) long and 5 / 8 inch ( 1 . 59 cm ) high , with the word " President ' s Hundred " centered in 1 / 4 inch ( . 64 cm ) high green letters . The metal replica is 2 inches ( 5 . 08 cm ) wide . Special Forces . The Special Forces Tab is a service school qualification tab of the United States Army , awarded to any soldier completing either the Special Forces Qualification Course , or the Special Forces Detachment Officer Qualification Course . Soldiers who are awarded the Special Forces Tab are authorized to wear it for the remainder of their military careers , even when not serving in a Special Forces command . The Special Forces Tab can be revoked by the Chain of Command , for example DUI , or misconduct as a Special Forces Soldier . The Special Forces Tab was created in 1983 and is an embroidered quadrant patch worn on the upper left sleeve of a military uniform . The cloth tab is 3¼ inches wide and is teal blue with yellow embroidered letters . Ranger . The Ranger Tab is a qualification tab authorized upon completion of the U . S . Army ' s Ranger School by a member of the U . S . military , civilian personnel , or non - U . S . military personnel . The Ranger Tab was approved by the Chief of Staff , Army , on 30 October 1950 . The Ranger Tab can be revoked IAW AR 600 - 8 - 22 , Section 1 - 31 , para . 13 . The full color tab is worn 1 / 2 inch below the shoulder seam on the left sleeve of the Army green coat . The subdued tab is worn 1 / 2 inch below the shoulder seam on the left sleeve of utility uniforms , field jackets and the desert battle dress uniform ( DBDU ) . The full color tab is 2⅜ inches ( 6 . 03 cm ) long , 11 / 16 inch ( 1 . 75 cm ) wide , with a 1 / 8 inch ( . 32 cm ) yellow border and the word " RANGER " inscribed in yellow letters 5 / 16 inch ( . 79 cm ) high . The subdued tab is identical , except the background is olive drab and the word " RANGER " is in black letters . Sapper . The Sapper Tab is a qualification tab which is authorized for graduates of the U . S . Army ' s Sapper School . The Sapper Tab was approved by the Chief of Staff , Army , on 28 June 2004 . The Sapper tab can be rovoked by the Engineer Commanding Officer of Ft . Leonardwood , MO for misconduct , or not upholding the standard as an Engineer . Any requests will be processed thru USASC . The full color tab is worn 1 / 2 inch below the shoulder seam on the left sleeve of the Army green coat . The subdued tab is worn 1 / 2 inch below the shoulder seam on the left sleeve of utility uniforms , field jackets and the desert battle dress uniform ( DBDU ) . The full color tab is 2⅜ inches ( 6 . 03 cm ) long , 11 / 16 inch ( 1 . 75 cm ) wide , with a 1 / 8 inch ( . 32 cm ) red border and the word " SAPPER " inscribed in white letters 5 / 16 inch ( . 79 cm ) high . The woodland subdued tab is identical , except the background is olive drab and the word " SAPPER " is in black letters and the desert subdued tab has a khaki background with the word " SAPPER " in spice brown letters . National Guard - Governor ' s Twenty . A state level marksmanship tab whose specific award regulations vary state - by - state . For example , in Texas the tab is awarded to the top 20 shooters in the state . Each year 8 are awarded for Rifle , 8 are awarded for pistol , two are awarded for Sniper , and two are awarded for Machine gun . Participants compete against all the other soldiers who have already received the award , so in Texas there might only be one or two new recipients each year . This is not a permanent award , it is earned annually . Unit tabs . Airborne . The Airborne Tab is a part of the shoulder sleeve patch of U . S . Airborne units . Airborne forces are military units , usually light infantry , set up to be moved by aircraft and ' dropped ' into battle . Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines , and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning . The tab is worn immediately above and touching the shoulder sleeve insignia . The tabs are 2½ inches ( 6 . 35 cm ) long and 11 / 16 inch ( 1 . 75 cm ) wide . The letters are 5 / 16 inch ( . 79 cm ) high . Mountain . The Mountain Tab is a part of the shoulder sleeve patch of the 10th Mountain Division ( Light Infantry ) and the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ( Mountain ) . The 10th Mountain Division retains the Mountain Tab for historical purposes , but is actually organized as a light infantry division . The newly designated 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ( Mountain ) , is the only U . S . Army conventional brigade that specializes in mountain warfare . Mountain warfare training is a basic part of Ranger and Special Forces training within the U . S . Army . Honor Guard . The Honor Guard Tab is a part of the shoulder sleeve patch of the 3d US Infantry Regiment ( The Old Guard ) and other specially selected units . The tab had been worn by the Honor Guard Company of the 1st Battle Group , 3d Infantry ( The Old Guard ) since early 1950 . It was officially approved for wear by the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel ( DCSPER ) on 14 October 1959 . On an ultramarine blue arc tab 3⅞ inches ( 9 . 84 cm ) long and 11 / 16 inch ( 1 . 75 cm ) high overall , the designation " HONOR GUARD " in white letters 5 / 16 inch ( . 79 cm ) high . The subdued tab is identical , except the background is olive drab and the letters are in black . On 16 March 1965 , the DCSPER approved a tab for wear by selected Honor Guards . Proposed designs were submitted on 26 March 1965 . The DCSPER approved the above design on 19 April 1965 . A subdued tab is also authorized . On 31 December 2012 , the DCSPER approved another Honor Guard Tab for wear by select Army National Guard Honor Guard units . The new tab is an ultramarine blue embroidered tab with the inscription “ ARNG HONOR GUARD ” in goldenlight 5 / 16 inch ( . 79 cm ) letters , edged with a 1 / 8 inch ( . 32 cm ) goldenlight border . Obsolete and Unofficial . Several tabs are widely worn unofficially by members of the US Army . Often these tabs are worn on the underside of pocket flaps so as not to violate uniform regulations . Such tabs also appear on stickers , shirts , hats , etc . These include tabs containing the words " SNIPER " , " AIR ASSAULT " , " FISTER " , " SCOUT " , and " RECON " . The " SAPPER " tab was an unofficial tab until 2004 when it became an official army tab . The " JUNGLE EXPERT " tab was often worn by graduates of the Jungle Operations Training Center until the school became inactive in 1999 . The tab may have been official until 1982 . The tab was never recognized army wide , but enjoyed a quasi - official status much like that of the Cavalry Stetson . That is , the tab was often authorized to be worn by graduates of the school by local commanders and by members of the United States Army South specifically . The " RECONDO " tab was often worn by graduates of a reconnaissance and infantry skills school that was terminated in the 1970s . References . < br >