For many competitive shooters, the phrase “going Distinguished” carries a weight and reverence akin to climbing Everest. The Distinguished Rifleman Badge is not simply a piece of stamped metal—it is a mark of precision, patience, endurance, and elite marksmanship that connects the modern shooter with over a century of tradition.
The Origins: A Military Milestone
The story begins in 1884, when the U.S. War Department created the “Distinguished Class” to identify the very best military marksmen. By 1887, the first Distinguished Marksman Badges were issued, with the U.S. Army leading the charge. Back then, competitors fired the service rifle of the day—often the Springfield or Krag—from distances that tested their skill, grit, and shoulder strength.
With the passage of time and the founding of Camp Perry in 1903, the badge system evolved. That same year, the War Department formally split the original badge into two: the Distinguished Rifleman Badge and the Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge, each awarded for high-level performance in separate disciplines.
As Harold “Hap” Rocketto has so colorfully chronicled in his many humorous and historically rich articles, the early shooters weren’t just competitors—they were legends in khaki and canvas slings, laying the foundation of today’s marksmanship community.
From Military to Civilian: The Badge Goes Public
In the 1920s, civilians were officially brought into the Distinguished program through what would eventually become the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). In those early years, the CMP—then the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM)—oversaw qualification matches at the National Matches in Camp Perry, ensuring that both soldiers and citizens could pursue excellence in arms.
Over the years, many of the sport’s legends, including Olympians and national champions, earned their Distinguished Badges through years—sometimes decades—of effort.
International Distinction
In time, the badge system expanded to reflect the growing importance of Olympic-style shooting. The International Distinguished Badge was introduced to honor those who represented the United States in global competitions—Air Rifle, Free Pistol, 3-Position Rifle, and others under ISSF rules. Earning it requires consistent high placement in international events, a mark of both national pride and personal mastery.
For shooters who’ve earned the Service Rifle or Service Pistol badge, the International badge offers an even steeper summit—and many have risen to the challenge.
A New Chapter: The Distinguished Smallbore Badge
In a quiet but historic move, the CMP recently added another jewel to the Distinguished crown: the Distinguished Smallbore Rifleman Badge. For decades, smallbore shooters toiled in their own respected but separate world—shooting .22LR prone or 3-position matches across thousands of targets, but without the formal Distinguished path their high-power peers had. The NRA award wasn’t considered a “real” badge.
That’s no longer the case.
Now, shooters competing in recognized CMP Smallbore matches can earn “leg points” toward a Distinguished Badge identical in form to the Service Rifle and Pistol versions—but distinct in discipline. It offers new motivation to a generation of prone shooters and 3-position athletes. Even more exciting, it provides a second Distinguished goal for many accomplished Service Rifle shooters who thought they had topped out.
Indeed, imagine a shooter wearing two Distinguished Rifleman Badges—one earned under the hot July sun with a .223 across 600 yards, the other through the precise, technical endurance of a 6400-point prone smallbore aggregate. Two badges. One shooter. A truly distinguished resume.
The Road Ahead
While the badge system began in starched military uniforms, it has matured into a multi-discipline recognition that now spans high-power service rifle, service pistol, international competition, and smallbore.
With the CMP’s continued investment—electronic targets, expanded match schedules, and smart match programming—the opportunity to go Distinguished is more accessible and more motivating than ever before. The NRA may have been the historical steward, but it is the CMP that has breathed new life into a sport once slipping into the rearview.
As Hap Rocketto might say—half-seriously, half with a twinkle in his eye—“the only thing better than a Distinguished badge is two of them.” Now, accomplished rifle shooters finally have the chance.
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