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About this Episode
pWotD Episode 3237: Pathfinder Badge (United States)
Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.
With 150,014 views on Friday, 13 March 2026 our article of the day is Pathfinder Badge (United States).
The Pathfinder Badge is a military badge of the United States Army awarded to soldiers who complete the U. S. Army Sabalauski Air Assault School's Pathfinder Course or the Army National Guard, Warrior Training Center, Mobile Training Team's Pathfinder Course at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
To be awarded the Pathfinder Badge, the soldier must complete Pathfinder instruction in advanced land navigation, advanced scouting, tactical air traffic control in the field, and the control of parachute operations; the badge is awarded on completing several examinations under field training exercise (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 paratroopers who earned it, the Pathfinder Badge was worn by IX Troop Carrier Command 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The current Pathfinder Badge, originally made of felt, was approved on 22 May 1964. The badge began being made of enameled 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 to scout and designate areas in which aviation assets could perform their operations during combat.
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 03:24 UTC on Saturday, 14 March 2026.
For the full current version of the article, see Pathfinder Badge (United States) on Wikipedia.
This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.
Follow us on Mastodon at @[email protected].
Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.
Until next time, I'm generative Joanna.
Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.
With 150,014 views on Friday, 13 March 2026 our article of the day is Pathfinder Badge (United States).
The Pathfinder Badge is a military badge of the United States Army awarded to soldiers who complete the U. S. Army Sabalauski Air Assault School's Pathfinder Course or the Army National Guard, Warrior Training Center, Mobile Training Team's Pathfinder Course at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
To be awarded the Pathfinder Badge, the soldier must complete Pathfinder instruction in advanced land navigation, advanced scouting, tactical air traffic control in the field, and the control of parachute operations; the badge is awarded on completing several examinations under field training exercise (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 paratroopers who earned it, the Pathfinder Badge was worn by IX Troop Carrier Command 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, was approved on 22 May 1964. The badge began being made of enameled 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 to scout and designate areas in which aviation assets could perform their operations during combat.
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 03:24 UTC on Saturday, 14 March 2026.
For the full current version of the article, see Pathfinder Badge (United States) on Wikipedia.
This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.
Follow us on Mastodon at @[email protected].
Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.
Until next time, I'm generative Joanna.
No transcript available for this episode.
