Kiowa Pilot Becomes First Active-Duty Soldier to Earn Extremely Rare Astronaut Device
27 Nov 2020
Military.com | By Matthew Cox
This month, Lt. Col. Anne McClain became the first active-duty soldier in Army history to earn the rare astronaut uniform device.
Gen. James H. Dickinson, commander of U.S. Space Command, presented the Army OH-58D Kiowa Warrior pilot and combat veteran with the device during a Nov. 10 ceremony at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, according to a U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command news release. The device is considered the rarest qualification device any soldier can receive.
Approved in 1983, it features a gold-colored shooting star with three contrails in elliptical orbit. It's designed to be placed on existing aviation badges.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/11/27/kiowa-pilot-becomes-first-active-duty-soldier-earn-extremely-rare-astronaut-device.html
