The design for the Army’s new Mariner Badges includes the distinctive “winged wheel” of the Army’s Transportation Corps that was first introduced in 1919, according to the Army Institute of Heraldry.
On March 18, the Army posted illustrations of the approved designs for both the Mariner and Mountaineering Badges. The design for the Mariner Badge includes an anchor, a ship’s helm, and a winged wheel that bears a striking resemblance to the logo for the National Hockey League’s Detroit Red Wings.
But the badge’s winged wheel, which long predates the NHL team, signifies that the soldiers fall under the Transportation Corps, said Maj. Travis Shaw, an Army spokesman.
The Transportation Corps traces its origins to 1919, when Secretary of War Newton Diehl Baker Jr. appointed Army Gen. Frank T. Hines as the first chief of transportation. That year, the winged wheel was approved as part of the Transportation Corps’ official insignia, according to information provided by the Army Institute of Heraldry.
Starting in 1920, all transportation except military railways were placed under the purview of the quartermaster general, who was in charge of supplying troops and operations.
Then in 1942, the Transportation Corps in its current form was established. That’s when a shield and ship’s helm were added to the Corps’ insignia.
“The winged car wheel is for rail transportation and the Marine’s helm for transport by water,” according to the Army Institute of Heraldry. “The U.S. highway marker shield is for land transportation.”
These days, the Transportation Corps is tasked with moving troops, supplies, and equipment around the globe using planes, trucks and boats, according to the command’s website. In 2024, Army watercraft operators were involved with building a floating pier off Gaza, which they then used to deliver emergency supplies. Army Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley, a motor transport operator, was injured in May while supporting the Gaza pier mission and died that October.
Three versions of the Mariner Badge will be awarded to soldiers trained for watercraft operations, according to a recent All Army Activities message, or ALARACT.
Mariner Badges will be awarded to soldiers in the following military occupational specialties who have served on an Army vessel for at least one year: 88K (Watercraft Operator), 88L (Watercraft Engineers), 880A (Marine Deck Officers), and 881A (Marine Engineering Officers), the Army message says. The Senior Mariner Badge will go to mariners who have been certified and licensed to grade and spent at least five years on an Army vessel. The Master Mariner Badge will be awarded to mariners who have spent at least 10 years on an Army vessel and have reached a required level of certification.
“The U.S. Army is unique among military branches in requiring full adherence to international maritime organization standards, ensuring soldier-mariners meet the highest international maritime standards,” according to the message, which the Army posted on X on March 19.
The Senior and Master Mariner Badges will include a wreath that extends halfway and all the way up around the sides of the ship’s helm respectively.
“The Army Transportation Corps branch insignia surmounting an anchor characterizes the unique skillset of nautical logistics and capabilities,” according to the Army Institute of Heraldry. The wreath, denoting achievement, features an aquatic plant for the thematically appropriate nature of the operational environment.”