Glider Badge

The Glider Badge was a qualification badge of the United States Army. The badge was awarded to those members of the Army who had successfully completed training in glider assault tactics, was assigned to a glider unit, or had completed at least one combat glider landing.

Following the close of the Second World War, the Glider Badge was authorized to any service member who had completed glider unit training at the Airborne School.

US Army glider units participated in eight glider-airborne operations during WW2. These were the invasion of Sicily (Operation HUSKY, 9-13 JUL 1943), First Air Commando Group in Burma (Operation THURSDAY, MAR-MAY 1944), Normandy invasion (Operation NEPTUNE (airborne phase of Operation OVERLORD, 6-8 JUN 1944), invasion of southern France (Operation DRAGOON, 15 AUG 1944), invasion of Netherlands (Operation MARKET, airborne phase of MARKET-GARDEN, 17-23 SEP 1944), re-supply of Bastogne (a flight on 25 DEC 1944 and Operation REPULSE, 26-27 DEC 1944), Rhine River crossing at Wesel (Operation VARSITY, 24 MAR 1945), and finally, at Aparri, Luzon, PI (Operation GYPSY, 23 JUN 1945).

In the post-World War II years, the US Army converted its remaining glider units to parachute and ceased awarding the Glider Badge in 1949, although it remained authorized for wear by those who had earned it.

ee also

* Military badges of the United States
* Obsolete badges of the United States military