As a state-level marksmanship award for members of the U.S. Army National Guard, the Governor’s Twenty tab may be worn on U.S. Army Uniforms only when the wearer’s unit is operating under state status.
Originally created in 1968 the Missouri National Guard, the Governor’s Twenty tab is awarded to the top 20 marksmen serving in the National Guard in participating states. Not all states sponsor a Governor’s Twenty competition; the number stood at 14 after the Virginia National Guard announced its approval of the tab on 21 July 2014.
Each National Guard organization establishes its own rules and procedures for the Governor’s Twenty Tab, and the structure of the competition can vary from state to state. In the Louisiana National Guard competition, for example, Guardsmen compete individually and/or as part of four-mean teams. The Texas National Guard, on the other hand, awards the tab to eight riflemen, eight pistol marksmen, two snipers, and two machine-gunners.
An extra benefit for Guardsmen serving in states that have approved the Governor’s Twenty tab is that the competitions have been approved by the Marksmanship Advisory Council as qualifying for Excellence in Competition (EIC) points, with the top ten percent of all competitors earning EIC points even if they did not earn the Governor’s Twenty tab.