How do you get an airborne tab?

You only get to wear an Airborne tab if you're serving in an Airborne unit - there is one exception to this, which is the 101st

• no longer an Airborne division, but they retain the tab for

historical reasons.

Even in the leg divisions, you can still be on jump status. Each division has a LRS-D (Long Range Surveillance Detachment), which is assigned to the Military Intelligence unit for that division. You will have to try out for it, when tryouts are open. Some divisions will require you to be jump qualified before you attend LRS-D tryouts - others may send personnel who are not jump qualified to the jump school at Fort Benning once they pass tryouts.

Or, you could simply enlist on an Airborne contract, and opt for an Airborne unit as your first duty assignment (82nd Airborne or 173rd Infantry Brigade are the main ones, as is any unit subordinate to SOCOM, including the 160th SOAR, Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs, etc.).