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SSBN Deterrent Patrol Insignia Badges

The SSBN Deterrent Patrol Insignia is a uniform breast pin worn by officers and men of the United States Navy's submarine service who have completed strategic deterrent patrols in nuclear ballistic missile submarines. It is the successor to the Submarine Combat Patrol Insignia awarded for submarine patrols during World War II.

Design of the SSBN pin shows a silver Lafayette-class submarine with superimposed Polaris missile and electron rings which signify the armament and nuclear powered characteristics of the FBM Deterrent Force. A scroll beneath the submarine holds up to six service stars, with one gold star authorized for each successful patrol (after the first, the pin being number one) or a silver star for five successful patrols; so the silver pin shown above with one silver and two gold stars represents eight (8) successful patrols. At twenty (20) successful patrols, the SSBN pin is upgraded to a gold design.

After the insignia was approved, awards were made retroactive to the first strategic deterrent patrol of USS George Washington (SSBN-598) which was completed on 21 January 1961. The strategic deterrent patrols of the Regulus missile boats were not initially deemed worthy of this insignia, but this decision was reversed in 2004.

The SSBN pin is worn on the left uniform pocket, typically below award ribbons. The badge is considered a "secondary insignia", meaning that the badge is worn secondary to a primary warfare pin, such as the Submarine Warfare insignia. Personnel eligible to wear other secondary submarine insignias, such as the Submarine Combat Patrol Insignia or the Deep Submergence Insignia, may only wear one such insignia at a time according to their personal desire.

MILPERSMAN 1200-010: SUBMARINE PATROL INSIGNIA QUALIFICATIONS, a public domain publication of the United States Navy's Bureau of Personnel

• Military badges of the United States