Navy Reserve Merchant Marine Badge
Encyclopedia
Naval Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia is a breast insignia of officers in the United States Merchant Marine
United States Merchant Marine
The United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of U.S. civilian-owned merchant vessels, operated by either the government or the private sector, that engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine is...

 who also serve or have served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 or United States Naval Reserve. The Merchant Marine Reserve
Merchant Marine Reserve
The Merchant Marine Reserve, founded in 1913 as the Naval Auxiliary Reserve consists of members of the United States Merchant Marine who are also members of the United States Navy. Officers in the Merchant Marine Reserve are entitled to wear the Navy Reserve Merchant Marine Insignia....

 had its beginnings in 1913 when it was called the Naval Auxiliary Reserve. The original merchant marine insignia was prescribed in "Changes in Uniform Regulations, United States Navy, 1913 No. 10." Uniforms for the entire Naval Reserve were authorized by Congress on 31 March 1915 as the possibility of U.S. involvement in World War I increased.

The Naval Auxiliary Reserve, comprising officers and unlicensed seamen, was the beginning of the present Merchant Marine Reserve Program. Merchant marine officers at that time wore their steamship line or company uniform with the Naval Auxiliary Reserve device on the collar of the military coat, or on the lapels of the box coat. The Naval Auxiliary Reserve device was a miniature of the commissioned officers cap device.

History

In 1925, the Naval Auxiliary Reserve was renamed the Merchant Marine Naval Reserve. The name was changed to the current Merchant Marine Reserve in 1938. The breast insignia of the present Merchant Marine Reserve, U. S. Naval Reserve (Eagle and Scroll) was approved for wear on merchant marine uniforms on 7 April 1938, by Secretary of the Navy, Claude A. Swanson. It replaced the miniature cap device. The authorization for the insignia was the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which states:

"Licensed officers who are members of the United States Naval Reserve shall wear on their uniforms such special distinguishing insignia as may be approved by the Secretary of the Navy."

In April 1938, at a conference chaired by Captain Chester W. Nimitz, U.S. Navy, Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, the new insignia was presented to the four heads of the state maritime school ships. The insignia was accepted at this meeting along with the inclusion of naval subjects in the regular course of instruction at the schools. This was the beginning of the Naval Science Departments at the maritime academies.

Regulations require the insignia to be a "gold embroidered or bronze gold plated metal pin consisting of a spread eagle surcharged with crossed anchors and shield." It is underset with a scroll bearing the letters "U.S." on one side of the shield and "N.R." on the other side. Originally, this insignia was to be worn on the merchant marine uniform.

The eagle design is based on the original eagle carved into the stern of the USS CONSTITUTION
USS Constitution
USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel...

, which reflected the country's determination to remain free. The scroll pattern was often found on the sterns of ships and contained the ships' names. The shield has 13 stars and stripes with crossed anchors and was taken from the U.S. Navy officer's cap device which was first authorized in 1869. Following the design of the cap device, the original merchant marine insignia had the eagle looking to its own left. In 1941, Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox decreed that all Navy insignia bearing eagles were to have the heads facing to their own right.

Current usage

The insignia was authorized for wear by students at the United States Merchant Marine Academy who are Midshipmen, Merchant Marine Reserve, in 1942. Presently, all Midshipmen, USNR at the United States Merchant Marine Academy wear the device.

According to U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations, the Merchant Marine Reserve Insignia is an approved breast qualification insignia for wear on prescribed U.S. Navy uniforms. It is not classified as a warfare qualification insignia. The breast insignia may be worn by:
  • An officer holding a valid U.S. Merchant Marine Officer License for vessels of unlimited ocean tonnage or horsepower;
  • U.S. Merchant Marine Officers who are also U.S. Naval Reserve officers while wearing a U.S. Merchant Marine or U.S. Maritime Service uniform; and
  • Merchant Marine Reserve, USNR Midshipmen such as those at the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK