JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – Maritime Soldiers assigned to the 8th Special Troops Battalion, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, were recognized during an Army Mariner Badge pinning ceremony aboard the U.S. Army Vessel Maj. Gen. Robert Smalls, LSV-8, on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, recognizing their expertise and service as Army mariners.
Hosted by Lt. Col. Micah J. Hall, commander of the 8th Special Troops Battalion, the ceremony honored Transportation Corps port watercraft and seaport operations mariners for achieving significant professional milestones through certification, operational experience and sustained service aboard Army watercraft. During the ceremony, one Soldier received the Army Mariner Senior badge and 11 Soldiers received the Army Mariner Basic badge.
The Army Mariner Badge symbolizes the technical expertise, discipline and operational readiness required of Soldiers serving within Army maritime occupational specialties. Approved in October 2024, the badge recognizes Army mariners who demonstrate proficiency in nautical logistics and sustainment operations while supporting missions across the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
The badge is awarded based on certification and years of operational maritime service. Soldiers awarded the basic badge must complete required certifications and serve at least one year aboard an Army vessel, while the senior badge recognizes mariners with a minimum of five years of service and demonstrated expertise within their maritime field.
“This badge is more than a uniform item,” said Hall during the ceremony. “It represents technical competence, operational experience, discipline and commitment to the Army’s maritime mission.”
Hall emphasized the critical role Army mariners play in enabling sustainment and transportation operations throughout the Indo-Pacific theater, including interisland logistics, joint exercises and strategic sealift missions. He recognized the professionalism and resilience required to operate Army watercraft in demanding maritime environments far from home station.
Maj. Gen. Gavin Gardner, commanding general of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, also addressed attendees and highlighted the longstanding legacy of Army mariners throughout military history, from supporting operations during World War II to modern-day joint logistics over-the-shore missions.
“This is not earned in port,” Gardner said. “This is earned underway.”
Gardner further noted that Army mariners continue to play a vital role in projecting and sustaining combat power across the Indo-Pacific region, particularly as the Army modernizes maritime sustainment capabilities in austere environments.
For many Soldiers, the ceremony represented more than professional recognition — it represented visibility for a uniquely specialized field within the Army.
“Being awarded the Army Mariner Badge means a lot to us because it’s the first visible identification the Army has given us that is unique to being a mariner,” said CW2 George Schwarz, one of the mariners recognized with the 8th Theater Sustainment Command. “We’re a really small field within the Army that doesn’t always receive a lot of recognition.”
As the ceremony concluded, the newly badged Army mariners were recognized not only for their technical qualifications but for their continued role in sustaining and moving combat power across the Indo-Pacific region.
SGT Deneisha Owens-McParland
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