Can anyone tell me what this pin is?

[ipscone]

This was my brother's. He passed away one year ago. Today I found this pin. He was a smoke jumper for the forest service for many years, working out of Alaska.

My best guess is it's a 50 jump pin, but I'm not sure.

The almost invisible writing says
"Department of the Interior" with
"Bureau of land management" under it.

He worked for them in the late 70s and 89s.

Mike

 

[BBob]

 

[bpa556]

I believe that is the 50th Anniversary Smoke Jumper pin. It signifies the 50th anniversary of the program, not an employee’s time-in-service. I could be wrong…


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[7mm-08]

I believe that is the 50th Anniversary Smoke Jumper pin. It signifies the 50th anniversary of the program, not an employee’s time-in-service. I could be wrong…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This very well could be the correct answer, but a 50 jump milestone may also be the answer to the OP's question. What I will say is that no Smokejumper could ever work 50 years as the retirement plans covering federal firefighters and law enforcement officers require them to retire by age 57.

 

[ipscone]

This very well could be the correct answer, but a 50 jump milestone may also be the answer to the OP's question. What I will say is that no Smokejumper could ever work 50 years as the retirement plans covering federal firefighters and law enforcement officers require them to retire by age 57.

I know for sure it was not a 50 year pin. He was a smokejumper for at least 10 years though. He made a lot of jumps and eventually called it quits. He saw many of his friends get injured. He told me once he felt it was inevitable he would get injured or killed.

So he switched to mountain search and rescue, where he suffered a double compound fracture of his leg and was medivaced, off of Mt. Rainier. Go figure.

It could have been a 50 jump pin, or a 50th Aniversary pin of the program.

 

[turbobrick]

Your brother was a badass, may he rest in peace. The way that the area around the ‘50’ is shiny makes me think maybe it was for jump milestones, they could keep a box of the medal on hand, then have the number added as needed.