The Naval Flight Officer insignia is a breast insignia of the United States military which is awarded to those aviators of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard who have qualified as Naval Flight Officers (NFO) based on successful completion of flight training. The insignia is similar in design to the Naval Aviator insignia, consisting of a pair of golden wings, a shield, and crossed anchors.[1]
The Naval Flight Officer insignia is identical for both branches and is awarded in a single degree. To qualify for the NFO insignia, a service member must have completed officer aviation training and be qualified as a systems operator on board a Naval aircraft.[2] Such qualifications include weapons system operations, airborne tactical data system operations, electronic warfare, and airborne navigation.
The insignia originated in the 1930s and evolved from the Naval Aviation Observer insignia. The main reason for creating the NFO insignia in 1965-1966 was to recognize the higher degree of training required for naval flight officers, compared to other airborne support personnel.[3]
In the modern space age, the insignia is also upgradeable to a variation of the Naval Aviator Astronaut insignia. Known as the Naval Flight Officer Astronaut insignia, the decoration is a standard NFO insignia upon which is centered a golden astronaut "shooting star" logo. The badge is issued for those Naval Flight Officers who have completed astronaut training at NASA and have subsequently participated in a space flight more than 50 miles above the Earth.
Drawing of the Coast Guard Flight Officer insignia
Previously, the United States Coast Guard equivalent of the Naval Flight Officer insignia was known as the Coast Guard Flight Officer Badge. It was similar in appearance to the NFO wings (minus the crossed anchors) and was declared obsolete in 1991.
^"Badge, Naval Flight Officer, United States Navy | National Air and Space Museum". airandspace.si.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
The NavalFlightOfficerinsignia is a breast insignia of the United States military which is awarded to those aviators of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast...
(combat utilities, flight suits, and USMC uniforms when worn by Navy officers assigned or attached to USMC units), the rank insignia are identical to the...
variants for line officers: Naval Aviator insignia for pilots, and NavalFlightOfficerinsignia for officers performing weapons systems officer, electronic...
A navalflightofficer (NFO) is a commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps who specializes in airborne weapons and...
insignia, an officer must also have completed flight training to qualify as a Naval Aircrew Member. The insignia itself is very similar to the Naval Aircrew...
ranks and corresponding insignia. In May 1949, Lord Mountbatten, the inaugural Governor-General of India and himself a navalofficer, dispatched a note to...
Canadian Army Officer Cadet Rank insignia Royal Canadian Navy Naval Cadet Rank insignia In the French Armed Forces, the posting, named « élève officer » or 'student...
S. Navy commissioned officer's swords, rendered in gold. The insignia was introduced in 1975. On 1 December 1978, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral T...
Marine Corps officers, the equivalent of the Navigator Badge / Combat Systems Officer badge is known as the NavalFlightOfficerinsignia and is similar...
Navy Officer Manpower and Personnel Classifications, Vol. 1, Part A). 130X URL Officer previously qualified Naval Aviator or NavalFlightOfficer whose...
underneath the rank insignia, in a manner similar to RAF Regiment rank slides. Volunteer officers who are members of an air experience flight (AEF) and who...
three branches also wear the same insignia which consists of naval aviator insignia or navalflightofficerinsignia with a centered gold astronaut device...
ranks and corresponding insignia. In May 1949, Lord Mountbatten, the inaugural Governor-General of India and himself a navalofficer, dispatched a note to...
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Rank insignia in the Irish Defence Forces are an indication of the wearer's military rank, and worn by officers and enlisted members of Ireland's Defence...
or on the shoulders of the flight suit or the casual uniform. The rank insignia on the mess uniform is similar to the naval pattern, being two band of...
1980) was wing officer. The equivalent rank in the Royal Observer Corps (until 1995) was observer commander, which had a similar rank insignia. The rank was...
The Naval Aviation Supply Corps insignia is a military badge of the United States Navy which is awarded to Naval Aviation Supply Officers (NASOs) of the...
officer (WO2 and WO1) in the Canadian Army and RCAF that followed the British structure. Rank insigniaInsignia of a chief warrant officerInsignia of...
Navy Reserve and the Marine Corps Reserve. Naval Aviator, NavalFlightOfficer and NavalFlight Surgeon insignia Since the separation of the U.S. Army Air...
became a flag officer by raising the "Commodore Flag". Midshipman and Warrant Officer's collar insignia are the same (both were treated as officer-equivalent)...
replaced by the NavalFlightOfficer Badge. However, in lieu of being totally discontinued, the criteria for the Naval Aviation Observer insignia was modified...
Army officers are inducted as officer cadets. The rank of officer cadet is denoted by an officer's uniform with no insignia. Indian Army officers are continually...
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