During AUSA Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer announced several qualification badge updates including the implementation of a Mountaineering badge to holders of Special Qualification Identifier (SQI) “E” which is awarded to graduates of the Basic Military Mountaineering Course (BMMC) a National Guard course held at Army Mountain Warfare School (AMWS) in Vermont.
For decades graduates have worn the Ram’s Head insignia. While not authorized for active duty Soldiers, National Guard troops have probably worn the badge on their uniform.
In fact, it has a long history in the Army. It was derived from the Distinctive Unit Insignia or unit crest for the 85th Infantry Regimental crest which was one of three regiments comprising the 10th Light Division (Alpine) when it was activated in July 1943. In the 1950s, the United States Army Mountain and Cold Weather Training Command at Fort Carson and Camp Hale, Colorado adopted the Ram’s Head Device as the badge worn by their cadre.
Despite this, when SMA Weimer made the announcement he stated that it would be a completely new badge and that the service would not adopt the Ram’s Head Device.
Instagram account @ovisapparel has seen artist concepts of the proposed badge and shared them online.
This is his post verbatim so as not to add or subtract from what was shared.
The Army Mountaineer Badge, an official replacement for the current Rams Head Device, is slated to be finalized this month. In October, the AMWS was asked to submit designs to the Heraldry office for use as inspiration. Initially I was told there would be ‘no animals allowed’, as the SMA appears to have a disdain for ‘goats’.
Above are three designs we created with my original artist and submitted to the Office of Heraldry. Directly after this, I heard there was strong pushback (from people with much more influence than me) on there not being a Ram involved in the conversation (shoutout).
I have been fortunate enough to see the two final designs being debated, one of which is in fact a Rams Head. I’m not comfortable sharing those quite yet, but I can say the other design is a combination of two of our sketches shown above, which is pretty rad (1 & 3). Funny enough, we just drew #3 as an undercover Ram (if it’s flipped upside down). Got ‘em.
~The AMWS was not a source for any of this information and remains unaffiliated with OVIS – this all remains as speculation until we see a Memo~
Here are the drawings:
What’s the issue of using the original badge?
Great question – someone needed to leave their mark/have a baller OER bullet. That in combination with some SGMs and the SMA believing the current design is dated and ‘unprofessional’. While I can see their point in relation to other badges, it’s steeped in history and relevance and was not a well thought out COA to announce a rapid change that moves away from the Ram. Luckily, there is a chance the Ram remains.
Exactly. Take away all the history so somebody could get an MSM for designing an outdated ace, skis and an inappropriate way to coil a rope. No 3 is just ridiculous
Good question. Seems like designing a new badge is change for the sake of change; just authorize the existing badge, it looks good anyhow and has heritage.
Well, apart from the fact that the existing badge looks like a ram that likes to hang out at the Blue Oyster club and is also widely known as “the Princess Leia badge”, nothing.
But I agree that deleting a ram’s head completely from the design just becuase the SMA doesn’t like it is B.S. I could picture a very nice version of that Concept No. 1 where the mountain (which kind of looks like a Garden Gnome head) is replaced by a suitably majestic-looking ram’s head instead.
Just needs a cleaner design to maintain its heraldry. The others are ugly. The one on the left is the outline of a Gnome. The second is technically not the way you would coil a rope, and the 3rd one looks like a Mountain Combat Action Ribbon and a dude bent over.
Why not use the edelweiss flower as many other mountain trained military units have used for many years?
Anti-Semitism fears.
It looks to good? Those drawings don’t even hold a candle to the 3/172 DUI.
#3 the combat mountaineer concept? I don’t like the wreath. Original is fine
This is like the Mayflower jungle patch, was authorized, then not authorized, now it’s a tab.
Begs the question, why must we have a badge in the first place? And yes, that’s going to open up why have EFMB, EIBs, ABN wings, Bullwinkle Badge, etc then.
Not everything should require a badge, just make it unit specific, if you’re cadre, you are authorized, just like Black Hats.
If you really need to change the badge, put the the rams head in full side profile. The ram to use should be the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep which is native to Colorado. Camp Hale Colorado is where the 10th Mountain received its mountain training. You could also incorporate the two skis shown in # 2. That would satisfy the current Ram haters but still pay homage to the history of U.S. Army military mountaineering. I attended the winter phase back in 1987 and it was excellent training. The three badges shown above miss the mark by a wide margin in my opinion. All three of those in black will look like a blob on the uniform.