Can a soldier be denied the right to wear a SSI-FWTS that he has earned a memorandum for?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 01:47:35 -0500

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

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2019 1:48 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 01:48:34 -0500

Received* I apologize for any grammatical errors

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2019 2:13 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 02:13:26 -0500

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.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2019 4:00 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 04:00:48 -0500

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)

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2019 5:26 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 17:26:57 -0500

670-1 has your answer, however SSI-FWTS is one of those things that people just wear whatever they believe they've earned. For example, there are way too many people wearing USMC combat patches that are not authorized them, but no one will correct them and they won't read the regulation.

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2019 10:46 PM

2LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 22:46:27 -0500

While deployed to Iraq from '06 to '07, our battalion fell under the command of four different elements, 1st MEF, 2nd MEF, 3rd ID, and another one. We were a combat engineer battalion and provided route clearance support to Ramadi, Fallujah, and the surrounding areas.
At the end of our tour we were given a memo granting authorization to wear all the patches of each command we had served under, including our own, signed by the O-6 Bn Cdr.
I choose to wear the 2nd MEF patch as my time working for them was the most significant and, as has been suggested, I have a lot of pride of that time in my career.

Response by MAJ Raúl Rovira made Mar 3 at 2019 5:03 PM

MAJ Raúl Rovira — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 17:03:36 -0500

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.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2019 6:12 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 18:12:38 -0500

I have no MFR for my SSI-FWTS patch. Rest assured it’s valid.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2019 7:20 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 19:20:42 -0500

You are not being denied anything, and which SSI-FWTS authorized by wear is established in AR 670-1. Based on your post, you deployed with your unit, so that is the authorized SSI-FWTS. Even though you may have been TACON to another unit, you were not OPCON, to that unit, nor were you assigned to that unit.
AR 670-1, a (7) (a) A deployed unit (company or higher) will wear its unit SSI as the SSI-FWTS, regardless of the headquarters element deploying and the unit alignment or OPCON during the period of deployment.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2019 5:38 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 17:38:27 -0400

The answer is black and white; but allow some history. Prior to the 2014 edition of AR 670-1 ALARACT messages governed the wear and authorization of the SSI-FWTS - sadly many leaders have not graduated beyond the pre-2014 era. Since 2014 the reg has been extremely clear: you only get one SSI-FWTS per deployment, there are no time-in-theater requirements, you wear your normal SSI as your SSI-FWTS (minus the provisions in 19-17), and finally, the orders, 1610, or that LES are all that’s required to prove eligibility. Anyone that isn’t the DCS G1 cannot approve multiple SSI-FWTSs, which means if you’re in the Reserves and your Bn has a different SSI than your company, and the BC writes you a memo to give you his SSI as a SSI-FWTS you can wipe with it because that’s how legitimate it is.