FEST was a small program run by WRAIR in Vietnam. It stands for Field Epidemiological Survey Teams. These were small teams of Special Forces personnel who were. The United States Army Ranger School is a 61day combat leadership course oriented toward smallunit tactics. It is open to Soldiers commissioned officer, warrant. Here is what you didnt know about the coveted Army tabs. From Mountain to Jungle, the US Army has a lot of tabs twelve official ones to be exact, with countless unofficial ones. While the authorized wear of said tabs vary from unit to unit, the sheer number of them usually used to signify the completion of specialized courses or unit affiliation pays compliment to the Armys unique and varied capabilities. Some tabs such as Special Forces, Ranger, the Presidents Hundred and Sapper signify the completion of specialized schooling and course completion in order to wear the tab, be it to enter the ranks of elite units or to prove that an individual has what it takes to go above and beyond. Number one in tab precedence, the Special Forces tab was established in 1. Recondo School Patch' title='Recondo School Patch' />Stallions and Sidekicks Unit history, stories, photos, aircraft, email list, reunion information. P0U2UZ7Bt0/TlE-MEKKeRI/AAAAAAAAB-g/by9XJtLPslQ/s1600/MarthaRaye3.jpg' alt='Recondo School Patch' title='Recondo School Patch' />Special Forces existed. In order to earn it, one has to complete the Special Forces Qualification Course or the Special Forces Officer Course at Fort Bragg North Carolina. For those who have the tab, wearing it is not always necessary as the beard and relaxed uniform standards make it clear they have one. U. S. Soldiers assigned to 1 1. Special Forces Group utilize a Local Training Area to practice various tactical procedures including door breaching and building clearing. This training exercise took place at the Boeblingen Local Training Area, Boeblingen, Germany, Nov. U. S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Jason JohnstonThe Ranger tab doesnt mean youre part of a Ranger battalion those are scrolls, but signifies a completion of the brutal 6. NjA1WDY1MQ==/z/UekAAOxydB1SlMAa/$_1.JPG' alt='Recondo School Patch' title='Recondo School Patch' />Ranger School course. The tab itself can be retroactively awarded to World War II Rangers, members of Merrills Marauders or Korean War veterans of the Eighth Army Ranger Company, so long as they have a Combat Infantry Badge. Ranger tabs have been a thing for over sixty six years. Similar but not really to a Ranger tab is the Sapper Tab, which was authorized in 2. Sapper Leader Course at the US Army Engineer School. The Sapper course is 2. For a long time, the Sapper tab was the only way for women to be able to get tabbed, since Ranger and Special Forces schools were off limits. Texas guardsman and class 0. Sapper Leader Course honor graduate 2nd Lt. Ethan Mc. Intosh, 1. Engineer Battalion, 1. Engineer Brigade, is pinned the Sapper Tab in the Engineer Regimental Room at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, June 1. Photo by U. S. National Guard 1st Lt. Jolene HinojosaSimilar in the vein of the aforementioned tabs, the Presidents Hundred Tab is awarded to the 1. Army shooters who attend the annual Presidents Match at Camp Perry, Ohio. A similar tab known as the Governors TwentyTwelveTen tab, is awarded to National Guard troops of varying states who excel above their peers in marksmanship. These tabs are actually quite difficult to get, and only so many are given per year. The Special Forces, Ranger, Sapper and Presidents Hundred are forever tabs, authorized for permanent wear, no matter what unit you end up in later in your career. Not so much earned as they are part of the uniform, Airborne, Mountain, Combined Division and Honor Guard tabs are given to individuals assigned to respective Airborne Units such as the 1. Airborne Brigade and the 1. Airborne Division Air Assault, the 1. Mountain Division, The Second Infantry Divisions Combined HQ in Korea and the 3rd US Infantry Regiment,known as The Old Guard. While these tabs are more a unit signifier than anything else, one generally has to meet qualifications to enter such a unit be it Airborne qualification or stringent uniformity requirements and thus the tabs are a great source of pride for those who wear them. For a very brief time, the 1. Airborne Division Air Assault had a quasi official unit Air Assault tab, as well as a dark blue beret. This only lasted about a year or two before it was discontinued. That said, units in the late 6. Unit specific but lesser known than the others, the Arctic badge and Jungle Expert tab are awarded to members of specific climate specialized units for completing gruelling arctic and jungle leadership courses, respectively. The Arctic tab is given to members of the US Army who complete the Cold Weather Orientation Course or Cold Weather Leadership Course in Alaska. Members under the command of US Army Alaska can wear the patch on combat uniforms while in the borders of Alaska. Lt. Col. Sean Bateman of 1 2. SBCT, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, proudly wears his Arctic tab. The Arctic tab is earned after completing cold weather training conducted at the Northern Warfare Training Center, Alaska. Photo by Staff Sgt. Brehl GarzaThe Jungle ExpertJungle tab was formerly assigned to individuals who graduated from the Jungle Operations Training Center in Panama until the school was shut down in 1. US handed the Panama Canal and all associated areas back to Panama. Currently, the Jungle tab is assigned to members of the Hawaii based 2. Infantry Division and others in the Pacific Area of Responsibility who complete a Jungle leadership course. As much as we would like the SNIPER Tab to be an authorized tab some units authorize to be sewn inside of Snipers boonie caps for completing specific marksmanship courses, it sadly just isnt the case. Originally meant for troops who graduated from the US Army Sniper school, the unofficial patch was later watered down during the Global War on Terror to signify graduates of Sniper School, the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course SOTIC and various advanced long range marksman courses due to the difficulty in getting soldiers sent to the actual US Army Sniper School amid countless back to back deployments and unit budget woes. Some units might even allow them for members of Sniper Platoons who havent gone to a marksman school at all, though this is generally a taboo practice. If you come across a high speed wearing this, it is likely a case of stolen valor. Similar unofficial tabs include FISTER for artillery spotters, SCOUT and RECON for Infantry and Cavalry scouts, respectively. Older tabs no longer in existence include the Recondo tabs for graduates of Recondo training and the Pershing tab, which was assigned to operators of the now defunct Pershing missile system, which was phased out in 1. RECONDO or RECONnaissance and comman. DO was a pretty cool school to go totab to get. These were generally reserved for graduates of Recondo school, which taught small but fierce and heavily armed reconnaissance teams how to patrol and survive deep behind enemy lines. Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols Long Range Surveillance Detachments LRRPLRS D units frequently went to Recondo schools, often set up at their home installations. Unfortunately, the US Army in its infinite wisdom shut Recondo down, later eliminating LRRP and LRS altogether in favor of flying a million dollar RC plane flown by a paunchy and dissatisfied airman over enemy territory. Way to go, Army. Countless very unofficial morale tabs exist, often hidden under a pocket sleeve but readily available for display to those who belong to a tight knit unit. Platoon nicknames or fire team monikers regularly made up the bulk of orders for custom tabs, particularly in the Iraq and Afghan wars. These were never authorized for use, but likely saw the light of day in country more than one could imagine. No matter what tab you wear, the addition of a rocker over ones insignia is a source of pride to be treasured. Ldf File Viewer. Bright Mountain Media, Inc.