Mountaineering Badge

Mountaineering Badge
TypeBadge
Awarded forCompletion of the Mountain Warfare School
Presented byUnited States Army
EligibilityU.S. and allied military personnel attending the Army Mountain Warfare School
StatusCurrently-awarded (as the "Mountaineering Badge")
Retired (as the "Ram's Head Device")
Established1983 (as the "Ram's Head Device")
2025 (as the "Mountaineering Badge")
Precedence
Next (higher)(Group 3 badges)
Astronaut, EOD, Aviator, Flight surgeon, Rigger
Equivalent(Group 4 badges)
Pathfinder, Parachutist, Air Assault, Military Freefall Parachutist, Space Operations Badge, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Sapper Tab
Next (lower)(Group 5 badges)
Diver, Special Operations Diver, Driver and Mechanic
A United States Air Force TACP learns ascent techniques during summer BMMC
Soldiers conduct the "Mountain Walk," a culminating event for AMWS courses

The Mountaineering Badge is a Group 4 "special skill" badge of the United States Army. The badge is awarded to any service-member upon completion of the Army Mountain Warfare School (AMWS), based at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho, Vermont. The badge replaced the Ram's Head Device in 2025, which was only (officially) permitted for wear on the uniforms of New England and Colorado National Guard personnel. The new badge is authorized Army-wide and may also be worn by all personnel of the various U.S. uniformed services except for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.