It's the badge that permits access to the nonpublic areas of the airport - the OP is a ramper at an airline - and thus is allowed to access many "sensitive" areas that are off-limits to the rest of us. Random drug tests and a ten year clean criminal history are among the requirements for the access.

To the OP: I am very sorry. This is no longer the country that I helped defend, although I'm sure there are more recent vets who would disagree with me (although to be fair they'd probably disagree if I said the sun will indeed rise in the east each morning).