The Pathfinder Badge is a military badge

Military badges of the United States

Military badges of the United States are awards authorized by the United States armed forces that signify rating, qualification, or accomplishment in several career fields, and also serve as identification devices for personnel occupying certain assignments. Personal recognition is granted to...

 of the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 awarded to soldiers who successfully complete the U.S. Army Pathfinder School

United States Army Pathfinder School

The mission of the United States Army Pathfinder School is to train personnel in the U.S. Army and its sister services in a three week course, during which the candidate Pathfinder learns how to navigate dismounted, establish and operate a day / night helicopter landing zone, establish and operate...

 at Fort Benning

Fort Benning

Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...

, Georgia. Two other schools are authorized to award the Pathfinder Badge as well: Fort Campbell

Fort Campbell

Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...

's Air Assault School

United States Army Air Assault School

The Sabalauski Air Assault School is a FORSCOM TDA unit located at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Its primary task is training leaders and soldiers assigned to the 101st Airborne Division , other US Army units and US armed services in several courses annually.- Background :Air Assault School qualifies...

, and the Army National Guard

Army National Guard

Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...

's Pathfinder Mobile Training Team (MTTs), which offers Pathfinder training exclusively to Soldiers in the Army Reserve

Army Reserve

Army Reserve may refer to:*Military Reserve Force*Army Reserve *United States Army Reserve...

 and the Army National Guard.

To be awarded the Pathfinder Badge, the soldier must complete instruction in advanced land navigation, advanced scouting, tactical air traffic control

Air traffic control

Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...

 in the field, and the control of parachute operations; the badge is awarded on completing several examinations under field training exercise

Field training exercise

A Field training exercise, generally shortened to the acronym "FTX", describes a highly coordinated and well planned exercise conducted by military units for training purposes.-FTX's in Active Duty:...

 (FTX) conditions. Examinations include proficiency in sling load rigging and execution, planning and execution of helicopter landing zones (HLZ), air traffic control operations, aerial delivery of troops and supplies, and several others.

The first Pathfinder Badge was designed by Lt. Prescott, a navigator in the 9th Troop Carrier Pathfinder Group (Provisional), in May 1944. Besides the paratrooper

Paratrooper

Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...

s who earned it, the Pathfinder Badge was worn by IX Troop Carrier Command

IX Troop Carrier Command

The IX Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946...

 air crews who guided paratrooper transports and towed gliders. It was worn four inches above the left sleeve cuff on the service coat.

The current Pathfinder Badge, originally made of felt

Felt

Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibres. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any colour, and made into any shape or size....

, was approved on 22 May 1964. The badge began being made of enameled

Vitreous enamel

Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...

metal on 11 October 1968. The badge's wings symbolize flight and airborne capabilities, while the torch represents leadership and guidance. The torch traces back to the Olympians who carried the torch each year of the event to its location. US Army Pathfinders traditionally were the first to arrive ahead of larger elements in order to scout and designate areas in which aviation assets could perform their operations during combat.