Can you wear your Marine unit patch as an Army combat patch if you deployed with the Marines? Policy appears to say no.

If you deployed with the Marines...as a Marine you are not allowed to wear that as a combat patch if you switch to the Army. Check the regulation.

No is the correct answer!

I remember a NYNG guard member who had been USMC during Desert Storm who wore 1st MARDIV patch on left shoulder. When I questioned him about it, he told me that his CO in the NG told him he was required to wear it as it was a combat tour

Marines don't wear combat patches, not unless they've changed in the past 50 years. So why would you want to wear a Marine unit combat
patch on an Army uniform?

Is it a US Army unit? No. Why is this difficult?

This discussion doesn't end. I responded earlier and gave an explanation of why I thought it inappropriate to wear a USMC patch on an army uniform so I won't repeat myself. I do have a question for everyone who says it is OK. What about when you are attached to a foreign unit? Could you wear a British, Polish, French, Iraqi, or Aghani unit insignia? Which patch would take precedence? Keep in mind that I am a jarhead, so I know almost nothing about army regs or customs.

Short answer- NO. Long answer- AR 670-1 21-17 (d)(2) Personnel who served in a designated area as a civilian or a member of another Service, but were not a member of the U.S. Army during one of the specified periods are not authorized to wear the SSI-FWTS.

The following is an excerpt from AR 670–1 • 10 April 2015 page 33

I am a Marine who served in Desert Storm in 90-91. That was wartime service as a Marine not under any Army command. The regs are quite clear on this. If you participated as a Marine in a combat zone and not attached to an Army unit you do not wear a Marine Division patch. I have not met anyone who is currently wearing a Marine division patch on their Army uniform that meets the criteria stated below. Look at paragraph 3 specifically. Remember you must have been a Soldier assigned to a Marine Unit at the time of deployment.

Shoulder sleeve insignia–former wartime service
a. General. Authorization to wear a SSI indicating FWTS applies only to Soldiers who are/were assigned to U.S.
Army units that meet the following criteria in subparagraph (1) below:
(1) Required criteria—
(a) The Secretary of the Army or higher must declare the theater or area of operation as a hostile environment to
which the unit is assigned or Congress must pass a Declaration of War.
(b) The units must have actively participated in or supported ground combat operations against hostile forces in
which they were exposed to the threat of enemy action or fire, either directly or indirectly.
(c) The military operation normally must have lasted for a period of 30 days or longer. An exception may be made
when U.S. Army forces are engaged with a hostile force for a shorter period of time, when they meet all other criteria,
and a recommendation from the general or flag officer in command is forwarded to the Chief of Staff, Army.
(d) The Chief of Staff, Army must approve the authorization for wearing the SSI for FWTS. Note: Units are not
authorized to modify their SSI or SSI–FWTS without prior approval from the DCS, G-1. A mirror image SSI-FWTS is
considered a modification. In addition, TIOH must approve the design of any modification and authorize its manufacturing
in accordance with paragraph 2–3.
(2) Personnel who served in a designated area as a civilian or a member of another Service, but were not a member
of the U.S. Army during one of the specified periods are not authorized to wear the SSI-FWTS.
(3) Unless otherwise approved by this regulation, Soldiers attached or under operational control (OPCON) to other
services are not authorized to wear their patches as their SSI-FWTS without written approval from DCS, G-1 or a
designated representative.
(4) Soldiers of all Army components (Active, ARNG, and USAR) who deploy during periods of service designated
for wear of the SSI-FWTS are authorized to wear a SSI-FWTS. There are no time-in-theater requirements for
authorization to wear the SSI-FWTS. Soldiers may not earn more than one SSI-FWTS during the same deployment.
(a) A deployed unit (company or higher) will wear its unit SSI as the SSI-FWTS, reg

This would be great if the Marine Corps had recognized unit insignia authorized for wear which they do not. Three versions back of AR 670-1 outlined this clearly in referring to WWII service authorizing them for wear. We currently have a writing of the regulation that allows wear of these insignia on a uniform for Army Soldirs only. Marines are not even authorized the wear. Unfortunate that we have written a regulation to appease someone that wanted to feel special.

Why would someone that's ALL YOU CAN BE Army would want to wear a Marines patch?