Posted on Mar 2, 2019
Can a soldier be denied the right to wear a SSI-FWTS that he has earned a memorandum for?
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During my tenure overseas I was attached to 4 troops. One being an entirely different brigade. Our mortar section was tactically attached to the brigade to complete the mission at hand. Once we had met all the criteria to recurved their brigade patch as our SSI-FWTS we sent the memo up through our chain of command and it was shot down at brigade level. There has been a lot of hate towards our brigade this whole deployment so it is believed that they don’t want anyone to wear anything besides our brigades patch. Ultimately, I understand the brigade commander calls the shots, but after meeting all the criteria and recieving a memorandum for the SSI-FWTS can our mortar section be denied the right to wear the patch? that
Posted in these groups: 
Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR)
CommandBrigade
11C: Indirect Fire Infantryman (Mortarman)
Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) CommandBrigade 11C: Indirect Fire Infantryman (Mortarman)
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 9
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AR 670-1 states that you cannot earn more than one SSI-FWTS during the same deployment and also states that your SSI-FWTS will be the lowest echelon possible depending on your situation. So if you deploy with your unit, your unit patch is the only authorized SSI-FWTS for that deployment period.
Reference:
AR 670-1 Chapter 19-17 Para (4) subpara (c) & (d)
Reference:
AR 670-1 Chapter 19-17 Para (4) subpara (c) & (d)
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SSG Keven Lahde
Yes you can. But a lot of units prefer you to wear theirs, nothing stopping you from wearing the you want.
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1SG (Join to see)
SSG Keven Lahde -
Correct, nothing, but integrity, will deter a Soldier from wearing something unauthorized.
What a unit wants a Soldier to wear is not relevant, and an authority not delegated to that unit.
Correct, nothing, but integrity, will deter a Soldier from wearing something unauthorized.
What a unit wants a Soldier to wear is not relevant, and an authority not delegated to that unit.
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SSG Keven Lahde
1SG (Join to see) TOP I couldn't have said it any better. That is a big issue today. People want to wear stuff too look cool or good instead of what is right.
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SGT (Join to see)
SSG Keven Lahde - Only if your previous SSI-FWTS was earned from a previous deployment allows you to wear whatever SSI-FWTS you'd like. The troop above was speaking about wearing a patch he had a memo for from a different unit on the same deployment, which is not authorized.
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Take a look at the ALARACT messages by HRC. Back in 2009 they published guidance stating that what you wear on your left shoulder is what you will wear on your right shoulder as SSI-FWTS. This is regardless of how many times your unit is ADCON, OPCON, Attached... you name it. The exception comes if you deploy as an individual or as a unit smaller than company size.
By company size that also means troop, battery, and detachment. I have to mention this as a smart ass CPT said to me in Afghanistan "I'm not in a company. I am in a detachment, therefore, this does not apply to me". Always looking for a way to rationalize what they want.
Last I check, combat patches are not surprise toys that come inside cereal boxes... "Collect all 20"
I've been out of the Army for some time now. I can only speculate that the intent in the ALARACT messages have been included in the 670-1.
Before 2009, things were different and the memo thing was running wild. I am not surprised why the guidance came out.
By company size that also means troop, battery, and detachment. I have to mention this as a smart ass CPT said to me in Afghanistan "I'm not in a company. I am in a detachment, therefore, this does not apply to me". Always looking for a way to rationalize what they want.
Last I check, combat patches are not surprise toys that come inside cereal boxes... "Collect all 20"
I've been out of the Army for some time now. I can only speculate that the intent in the ALARACT messages have been included in the 670-1.
Before 2009, things were different and the memo thing was running wild. I am not surprised why the guidance came out.
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1SG (Join to see)
In general, except OPCON to another service, and then, only with specific authorization by DCS, G-1.
Yes, the latest AR 670-1 superseded the previous SSI-FWTS ALARACTs, and was likely needed because too many people wanted to be special.
Yes, the latest AR 670-1 superseded the previous SSI-FWTS ALARACTs, and was likely needed because too many people wanted to be special.
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There is no regulatory requirement to have a memorandum of approval to wear the SSI-FWTS. If you have deployment orders and/or assignment/attachment orders to a unit that is deployed and meets the requirements outlined in Army Regulations then you can wear the SSI-FWTS.
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