US MASTER PARACHUTIST WINGS -
The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings" or "Snow Cone", is a military badge
of the United States Armed Forces awarded to members of the United States Army, Air Force, Marine
Corps and Navy. The United States Coast Guard is the only service which does not issue its own
Parachutist Badge, but its members are authorized to receive the Parachutist Badges of other services
in accordance with their prescribed requirements.
To be eligible for the Master Parachutist Badge, an individual must have been rated excellent in character and efficiency and have met the following requirements:
- Participated in a minimum of 65 jumps including twenty-five jumps with combat equipment to consist of
normal TOE equipment, including individual weapon carried by the individual in combat whether the jump
was in actual or simulated combat. In cases of simulated combat the equipment will include water rations
(actual or dummy), ammunition (actual or dummy), and other essential items necessary to sustain an individual
in combat. Four night jumps must also be made during the hours of darkness, one as jumpmaster of a stick. Five mass tactical jumps must be made which culminate in an airborne assault problem with a unit equivalent to a battalion or larger; a separate company/battery; or an organic staff of regimental size or larger. The
individual must fill a position commensurate with their rank or grade during the problem.
- Either graduated from the Jumpmaster Course of the Airborne Department of the Infantry School or the
Jumpmaster School of a separate airborne battalion or larger airborne unit, or infantry divisions and
separate infantry brigades containing organic airborne elements, including the U.S. Army Alaska Jumpmaster Course, or served as jumpmaster on one or more combat jumps or as jumpmaster on 33 noncombat jumps.
- Have served on jump status with an airborne unit or other organization authorized parachutists for a total
of 36 months (may be non-consecutive).
The 25 combat equipment jumps you need for the Master Parachutist Badge must be from a Static Line.
The item featured here is a set of US Army master parachutist wings. The design is identical to
that employed for the paratrooper wings. The only difference is the placement of a star with a
wreath on top.
There are three grades of parachutist badge: basic Parachutist, Senior parachutist and
Master Parachutist.
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This page is a recognition and identification guide for US military wings. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined
points that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my set of US wings worth?".
A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the wing insignia
is reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth
of US militaria in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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This US military wings may be currently
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because
the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with
the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this item.
Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of
the collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other US military wings, you can do so by going to our
US Wings Collectibles Price Guide.
Where we cover items from the Army, Navy, Army Air Force and other organizations.
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