The U.S. Army has specific regulations regarding the authorized tabs that can be worn on the Army uniform. Tabs are small embroidered patches that indicate additional skills, training, and qualifications earned by soldiers. Knowing what tabs are authorized and how many can be worn provides clarity on proper wear and appearance of the uniform per Army regulations.
Quick Answer
The U.S. Army authorizes wearing a maximum of two tabs on the Army uniform. Soldiers may wear up to two tabs from the following: Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab, Sapper Tab, or President’s Hundred Tab. Only one Ranger, Special Forces, or Sapper tab may be worn at a time. Certain restrictions apply for tabs earned but not currently held in an active position.
Authorized Army Tabs
The following tabs are authorized for wear on the Army uniform:
Ranger Tab
The Ranger tab is awarded upon completion of the U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia. Ranger School is considered one of the toughest training courses for which a soldier can volunteer. The gold and black Ranger tab signifies the soldier’s competence in leading disciplined, motivated, and toughened Rangers.
Special Forces Tab
The Special Forces tab is awarded to soldiers who have completed the Special Forces Qualification Course and have earned the right to wear the Green Beret as Army Special Forces soldiers. Special Forces soldiers are highly trained in unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, and direct action missions. The tab has a green background with yellow embroidered letters “SPECIAL FORCES.”
Sapper Tab
The Sapper tab is presented to soldiers who graduate from the Sapper Leader Course at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. This intense 28-day combat engineer course tests soldiers on mobility, counter-mobility, and survivability operations. Sappers provide critical combat engineering capabilities to Army maneuver commanders. The Sapper tab has a blue background with white embroidered letters.
President’s Hundred Tab
The President’s Hundred tab is awarded to soldiers who qualify among the top 100 scoring competitors in the President’s Match held annually at the National Rifle Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. Soldiers must excel in marksmanship across a series of rifle and pistol target shooting events to earn this tab. The tab has a gold background with white embroidered letters.
How Many Tabs Can You Wear?
Army regulations authorize wearing a maximum of two tabs on the Army uniform. Soldiers may choose to wear one or two tabs from the Ranger, Special Forces, Sapper, and President’s Hundred qualified tabs.
However, only one of the following three tabs can be worn at a time – Ranger, Special Forces, or Sapper. For example, a soldier who has earned both the Ranger tab and Special Forces tab can only wear one of those tabs, not both together.
If a soldier has qualified for two of the Ranger/Special Forces/Sapper tabs, the senior tab would take precedence based on order of seniority: Special Forces, Ranger, Sapper.
The President’s Hundred tab is not considered part of this restriction, so it could be worn with a Ranger, Special Forces, or Sapper tab. But the two tab maximum would still apply.
Where Are Tabs Worn?
Army tabs are worn centered on the shoulder sleeve 1/2 inch below the unit shoulder patch. If no shoulder patch is authorized, the tab is worn 1/2 inch below the shoulder seam.
On the Army Combat Uniform (ACU), tabs are embroidered and sewn to the uniform in the correct position. On the Army Service Uniform (ASU), tabs are attached on a interchangeable tab attachment that affixes to the uniform.
Restrictions on Wear
There are certain restrictions around the wear of tabs for which a soldier previously qualified if they are no longer filling that role:
– Ranger tab – Can be worn even if no longer assigned to a Ranger coded billet.
– Special Forces tab – Can only be worn while actively assigned to an authorized Special Forces billet.
– Sapper tab – Can be worn only while soldier holds a Sapper coded billet.
– President’s Hundred tab – Can be worn even if soldier did not qualify again in subsequent years.
Conclusion
The U.S. Army authorizes a maximum of two tabs to be worn on the uniform from the Ranger, Special Forces, Sapper, and President’s Hundred qualified tabs. Only one Ranger/Special Forces/Sapper tab can be worn at a time based on order of seniority. Understanding proper wear of tabs allows soldiers to proudly display their skills and qualifications in accordance with Army regulations. Proper tab wear also helps present a standardized professional appearance for the Army.
