President's Hundred Tab
| The President's Hundred Tab | |
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  Top: U.S. Army variant Bottom: U.S. Navy & U.S. Coast Guard variant |
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| Awarded by National Rifle Association | |
| Type | Tab |
| Awarded for | Awarded to the 100 top-scoring military and civilian shooters in the President's Pistol and President's Rifle Matches. |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Statistics | |
| Last awarded | Current |
| Related | Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Sapper Tab |
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The President's Hundred Tab is a badge awarded by the National Rifle Association to the 100 top-scoring military and civilian shooters in the President's Pistol and President's Rifle Matches. The tab is authorized for wear on military uniforms of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy (enlisted only), and U.S. Coast Guard (enlisted only). The tab is 4¼ inches (10.80 cm) long and 5/8 inch (1.59 cm) high, with the word "President's Hundred" centered in 1/4 inch (.64 cm) tall letters. It is currently one of four permanent individual skill/marksmanship tabs authorized for wear by the U.S. Army.[1][2][3][4]
[edit] History
The National Rifle Association's (NRA) President's Match was instituted at the NRA matches of 1878, as the American Military Rifle Championship Match. It was patterned after an event for British Volunteers called the Queen's Match, a competition started by Queen Victoria and initiated by the National Rifle Association of Great Britain in 1860, in order to increase the ability of Britain's marksmen following the Crimean War.[1] [5][6]
In 1884, the name was changed to the President's Match for the Military Rifle Championship of the United States. It was fired at Creedmoor, New York until 1891. In 1895, it was reintroduced at Sea Girt, New Jersey.[1][6]
The tradition of making a letter from the President of the United States the first prize began in 1904 when President Theodore Roosevelt, at the conclusion of the President's Match, personally wrote a letter of congratulations to the winner, Private Howard Gensch of the 1st Regiment of Infantry of the New Jersey National Guard.[1][6]
It cannot be ascertained as to when the President's Match was discontinued; however, it is known that it was not fired during World Wars I and II. It appears to have disappeared during the 1930s and during the Depression when lack of funds severely curtailed the holding of matches of importance.[1][6]
The President's Match was reinstated in 1957 at the National Matches as "The President's Hundred." The 100 top-scoring competitors in the President's Match were singled out for special recognition in a retreat ceremony in which they passed in review before the winner and former winners of this historic match.[1][6]
On 27 May 1958, the NRA requested the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel's approval of a tab for presentation to each member of the "President's Hundred." NRA's plan was to award the cloth tab together with a metal tab during the 1958 National Matches. The cloth tab was of high level interest and approved for wear on the uniform on 3 March 1958. The first awards were made at Camp Perry, Ohio, in early September 1958. The metal rectangular tab was never officially authorized for wear on the uniform by military personnel. However, the NRA issued the metal tab to military personnel for wear on the shooting jacket.[1][5][6]
In September 2008, the Department of the Army authorized a miniature metal tab to be worn on the new Army Service Uniform. This is a scaled down replica of the President's Hundred full-color embroidered tab of yellow tab.[1]
[edit] See also
- Marksmanship Badge (United States)
- Tabs of the United States Army
- Badges of the United States Army
- Badges of the United States Navy
- Badges of the United States Coast Guard
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h President's Hundred Tab, The Institute of Heraldry, Uniformed Services~Army, Tabs, last accessed 11 Nov 11
- ^ U.S. Army Regulation 670-1: Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia, Official Department of the Army Publications and Forms, dated 3 Feb 05, last accessed 11 Nov 11
- ^ U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations: Chapter 5, Section 3 Identification Badges/Awards/Insignia, Navy Personnel Command, last accessed 11 Nov 11
- ^ U.S. Coast Guard Uniform Regulations COMDTINST M1020.6F, Commandant United States Coast Guard, dated Feb 09, last accessed 11 Nov 11
- ^ a b U.S. Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, Official Department of the Army Publications and Forms, dated 11 Dec 06, revised 15 Sep 11, last accessed 4 Oct 11
- ^ a b c d e f A Short History of the President's Match and the President's Hundred, by Hap Rocketto, dated 19 Mar 08, last accessed 12 Nov 11
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