Prior to WWI there were only a handful of enlisted aviators, and they were never officially recognized as pilots. Most were mechanics that flew aeroplanes: they would check them out to make sure that they were safe for the officers to fly. The consensus among those who have seen this wing is that the early enlisted pilots wanted a badge similar to the 1913 MA badge worn by the officers, and came up with this unofficial design.

The list of enlisted aviators prior to 1917 is very short. They were:

Sgt. A. A. Adamson

Sgt. D. M. Jones

Sgt. Herbert Markus

Sgt. William Ocker

Sgt. A. J. Ralph

Sgt. B. S. Robinson

Sgt. Felix Steinle

Cpl. Ira Biffle

Cpl. Vernon Burge

Cpl. H. A. Chandler

Cpl. S. V. Cole

Cpl. Leo Flint

Cpl. G. Floyd

Cpl. Samuel Katzman

Cpl. J. S. Krull

Cpl. William Lamkey

Cpl. A. D. Smith