Submarine Insignia Has Distinguished
Background

- The origin of the US Navy
Submarine Service Insignia dates back to 1923. On 13 June of that year,
Captain Ernest J. King, USN, later to become Fleet Admiral and Chief of
Naval Operations during World War II, and at that time Commander Submarine
Division Three, suggested to the Secretary of the Navy, via the Bureau of
Navigation (Now Naval Military Personnel Command), that a distinguished
device for qualified submarines be adopted.
- He submitted a pen-and-ink
sketch of his own, showing a shield mounted on the beam end of a
submarine, with dolphins forward of, and abaft, the conning tower. The
suggestion was strongly endorsed by Commander Submarine Divisions,
Atlantic.
- During the next several
months the Bureau of Navigation solicited additional designs from several
sources. Among the designs were a submarine and shark motif, a submarine
and shield, and submarine and dolphins.
- A Philadelphia firm, which
had done work for the Navy previously, was approached with the request
that it undertake to design a suitable badge. Two designs were submitted
by the firm, and these were combined into a single design. It is the
design in use today: a bow view of a submarine, proceeding on the surface,
with bow planes rigged for diving, flanked by dolphins in a horizontal
position with their heads resting on the upper edge of the bow planes.
- On 20 March 1924, the Chief
of Navigation recommended to the Secretary of the Navy that the design be
adopted. The recommendation was accepted by Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.,
acting Secretary of the Navy.
- The submarine insignia was to
be worn at all times by officers and men qualified in submarine duty
attached to submarine units or organizations, ashore and afloat, and not
to be worn when not attached.
- In 1941 the Uniform
Regulations were modified to permit officers and men qualified who were
eligible to wear the submarine insignia after they had been assigned to
other duties in the naval service, unless such right had been revoked.
- The officers' insignia was a
bronze, gold plated metal pin, worn centered above the left breast pocket
and above the ribbons and medals. Enlisted men wore the insignia,
embroidered in silk, white silk for blue clothing and blue silk for white
clothing. This was sewn on the outside of the right sleeve, midway between
the wrist and elbow. The device was two and three-quarters inches long.
- In 1943, the Uniform
Regulations were modified to provide that "Enlisted men, who are
qualified and subsequently promoted to commissioned or warrant ranks, may
wear enlisted submarine insignia on the left breast until they qualify as
submarine officers, at which time this insignia would be replaced by the
officers' submarine pin."
- In mid-1947, the embroidered
device shifted from the sleeve of the enlisted men's jumper to above the
left breast pocket.
- A change to the Uniform
Regulations dated 21 September 1950 authorized the embroidered insignia
for officers (in addition to the pin-on insignia) and a bronze, silver
plated, pin-on insignia for enlisted men (in addition to the embroidered
device).
Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) Breast
Pin Awarded

- An FBM Submarine breast pin
is awarded to personnel in the ship's companies of the silent service
missile fleet.
- Successor to the Submarine
Combat Patrol Insignia awarded for submarine patrols during World War II,
the device is known as the FBM Patrol Pin, although its official
designation is SSBN Deterrent Patrol Insignia.
- The new insignia is
considered to be in the same category and will be worn in the same manner
as the SCPI. However, only one of the two may be worn by those individuals
who qualify for both. The choice is the individual's.
- Design of the SSBN pin shows
a silver LAFAYETTE class submarine with superimposed Polaris missile and
electron rings with signify the armament and nuclear powered
characteristics of the FBM Deterrent Force. A scroll beneath the submarine
will hold stars, one bronze star for each 'successful' patrol after the
first or a silver star for five 'successful' patrols. Successful patrols
will be so designated by fleet commanders.
- Awards are being made
retroactive to the first FBM patrol of USS George Washington (SSBN 598)
which was completed on 21 January 1961. At that time GEORGE WASHINGTON had
set a new record for submarine submergence: 66 days, 10 hours. Since then
SSBN's have completed more than 2000 patrols.
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