US Army Jungle Warfare Expert Tab

By Crusader1307

''Tabs'' (as we have seen), are forms of US Army Training Recognition Patches, that identify a particular specialized skill a Soldier achieves. There are currently (13) such cloth and metal Tabs currently in use. Tabs are normally worn on the Left Shoulder of both Dress and Fatigue Uniform (normally over a Parent Unit Patch). Tabs normally remain even when Parent Patches change (unless indicative to a particular Unit History, after which – if a Soldier leaves, He or She must remove The Tab). Currently ''Metal Tabs'' (worn on the Front Dress Uniforms) are is use with The Army ''Blue Uniform''. Tabs will revert to their older (1980s) Cloth form with the adoption of The Army Brown and Tan Uniform (known as ''Pinks and Greens''), later in 2020.

The Jungle Warfare Tab was an ''unofficial'' Tab devised by Regional Commands (Fort Sherman) in Panama. Later all Pacific Command Units were authorized to wear The Tab, provided they completed The US Army Jungle Warfare Course. The Training was devised in 1965 to provide specialized Jungle Warfare Training and Survival. This was somewhat important to those Forces who were exposed to or assigned to operate in Jungle conditions. This would become even more pressing during The Vietnam War. However, not all Soldiers were afford the chance to attend The Jungle Warfare Course. Even after The War, those Soldiers assigned to The Pacific Theater were stopped from attendance – unless they were assigned to any of The Units deployed in Panama (normally for 1 year). Combat and Non-Combat Arms could attend training.

Training included Patrol Tactics, Water Survival Tactics, Improvised Explosive Devices, First-Aid (Hot Weather), and many other taught skills. The Course took (1) week to attend and graduate (originally). To identify Course completion, a circular Blue Patch with a the non-defined image of a 18^th Sailing Ship (with a Red Maltese Cross on the forward Sail), was awarded. Above this image was a Tab with read in White Lettering ''JUNGLE EXPERT''. In the 1980s, The Patch was modified with only the Tab shown. While the original Patch was worn on the Front Pocket of The Dress (sewn) Uniform and subdued (Black) for Duty Fatigues, The Tab was worn again on the Left Shoulder.

Many Commands banned the wearing of The Tab (seen as an awarded souvenir only). It was regulated to wear for only those Soldier assigned to Fort Sherman Commands. When The Panama School closed in 1999, The Tab disappeared for a time. The School was re-opened in 2014 (in Hawaii). The current version is a subdued version which is worn only on fatigues and bears the single word ''JUNGLE”.