Army Badge
The Army Badge is an Honour only awarded to those that have served with a specific Imperial Army Group or Space Marine Company on a specific campaign. Typically this will mean years of service and surviving until the army achieves victory over its enemies or completes its goals. However, in some instances, it can be awarded for surviving a notable battle, like a brutal and bloody siege against massive odds or a daring planetary assault against a sector capital.[1]
This Honour can take many forms, but is usually some variation on the device or symbol of the Army's commander or leader. Alternatively, it may commemorate a particular battle, such as featuring the silhouette of a famous battleship or the flag of a city or world. Whatever form it takes, an Army Badge is typically worn on the leg plates of a Space Marine's power armour, above the boot but below the knee joint.[1]
Bearing an Army Badge immediately identifies a Space Marine as a veteran of a certain campaign or combat action and creates a camaraderie between him and others who shared such a campaign, whether they are fellow Space Marines or members of other Imperial forces. Army Badges are also sometimes used as a mark of a Space Marine's seniority within his present company and can be used in instances when the most experienced among the gathered Space Marines must be deferred to for command. This can also be the case if the Battle-Brother finds himself in a situation when his Army Badge marks him out as a battlefield expert, like proving his experience against a certain foe or in a certain kind of warfare, and can lead to his commander selecting him for special duties or consulting him for his wisdom.[1]
Sources
- 1: Deathwatch: Rites of Battle, pgs. 206-211
