The Glider Badge was a special skills badge of the United States Army. According to the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, the badge was awarded to personnel who had "been assigned or attached to a glider or airborne unit or to the Airborne Department of the Infantry School; satisfactorily completed a course of instruction, or participated in at least one combat glider mission into enemy-held territory.

History

The badge was authorized on 2 June 1944 and discontinued on 3 May 1961 but may continue to be worn on U.S. Army uniforms.

Following the close of the Second World War, the Glider Badge was authorized to any service member who had completed glider unit training at the Airborne School. Likewise, the 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, also part of the 82d Airborne Division, was reorganized and redesignated on 15 December 1947 as the 319th Field Artillery Battalion, and then reorganized and redesignated on 15 December 1948 as the 319th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion. Although glider units had ceased to exist, the badge was not formally rescinded until 3 May 1961; however, it remained authorized for wear by those who earned it.

Glider-borne soldiers wore a background trimming (a.k.a. a cloth oval) behind their Glider Badge to signify assignment to glider units.

The color pattern of the background trimming varied depending upon the unit.

In 1944 the separate parachute and glider insignias with infantry blue or artillery red background were merged into a combined parachute and glider on a blue base with a red circle. (Note: During World War II the term "Airborne" included parachute, glider, and air-landing units. With the elimination of glider and air-landing units from the force structure in the post-war years, Airborne became synonymous with parachute units only.)

Glider Operations during World War II

U.S. Army glider units participated in eight glider-airborne operations during World War II:

  • Invasion of Sicily (Operation HUSKY) July 9–13, 1943
  • 1st Air Commando Group in Burma (Operation THURSDAY) March–May 1944
  • Invasion of Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE, airborne phase of Operation OVERLORD) June 6–8, 1944
  • Invasion of southern France (Operation DRAGOON) August 15, 1944
  • Invasion of Netherlands (Operation MARKET, airborne phase of Operation MARKET GARDEN) September 17–23, 1944
  • Re-supply of Bastogne (a flight on December 25, 1944, and Operation REPULSE) December 26–27, 1944
  • Rhine River crossing at Wesel (Operation VARSITY) March 24, 1945
  • Aparri, Luzon, PI (Operation GYPSY) June 23, 1945

See also

  • Obsolete badges of the United States military
  • Badges of the United States Army
  • United States Army Airborne School
  • Parachutist Badge
  • United States Army Air Assault School
  • Air Assault Badge
  • Military glider

References