Posted on Sep 26, 2015
Can you wear your Marine unit patch as an Army combat patch if you deployed with the Marines? Policy appears to say no.
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Are there any other former Marines turned Army who don't agree with this ? (Have to look like a boot LT until I deploy with the Army)
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 257
On my first rotation to OIF3 We were deployed under the 2nd MEF(forward) and we’re giving a Exception to policy that Authorized us to wear 2nd MEF(forward) as our FWS-SSI. The fact that the commanding general of 2nd MEF and the Commandant of the USMC wrote letters to US Army HQ and requested this is why I wear it.
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This reminds me of the ACU / BDU changeover, when ACU name tapes and rank weren't authorized, soliders had to rip off their bdu tapes and see Velcro on them. AR670-1 moves at the speed of Congress.
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I had a guy in my OBC class in 1980 that did. The rule was that if it was authorized for wear by the Marines it was allowed. During Vietnam the Marines did wear a combat patch.
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Yes you can. I knew an Army Colonel that went
To
Desert Storm with 1st Mar Div and that was the patch he wore
To
Desert Storm with 1st Mar Div and that was the patch he wore
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Vietnam era you could wear a marine division patch from Vietnam. There were a number of former marines that displayed them. However, the army banned this around 1975 because some soldiers were sewing on CIB that had combat action ribons. This was around the time GEN Rodgers banned berets and other non issued headgear.
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Depends. I deployed to iraq with my unit 3rd id. And we were also attached to marines. Secondary exhibition task force and only the unit I was with more allowed to either wear the attachment patch of the secondary Expedition task force or the 3rd ID patch on the right arm only as a deployment patch we shared a fob with the Marines in ramadi and Fallujah areas of operation controlled by the Marines not the army we were attached and helped out the Marines they were pretty cool
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If you we deployed in direct support/ joint ops with a MEF, your unit has to get authorization to wear the combat patch. 1AD 1BCT for instance got authorization for II MEF when we worked with them in Ramadi 06-07. Some units in direct support were also awarded a NUC that was approved by the Army years later, but I'm not sure about the wear of that since I ETS'd.
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If that was the unit you in combat it's allowed. I know people assigned to MIT teams who wear USMC patches. It was the unit they supported in combat.
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SSG David McPherson
Patches to signify a specific deployment meant for espirit de corps, not for combat
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Usually there us a written policy about these unique situations. When by Army BCT was deployed under I MEF in Ramadi, we were authorized to wear the I MEF (FWD) patch or the 1AD patch, even though the division HQ element did not deploy.
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SGT Brian Watkins
1AD 1BCT!!! Yeah we were authorized to wear it and got a ton of shit for it when we redeployed back to Germany (WAAF). It was also just recently our unit was authorized the NUC we were recommended for by the Navy 7 years later lol.
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I personally don't care about if someone wears it or not. I choose not to wear mine I know where I have been and who was there. If it's that important. who ever needs that information can just ask.
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People should spend more time worrying what is going on in America, instead of worrying about dumb patches that only fools worry about!!! But that's just my 2 cents on this.
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I wear the IMEF patch in my ACU's ...will continue to do so until a salty SMAJ tells me not to
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Why you will wear a Marine Unit Patch (marine don't wear patches in uniforms,only marines transition to Army do wear a patch)...I think you should be proud of your unit patch....
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Marines don't identify by Division like the Army does. If you ask a grunt who he's with he's going to tell you 1st Marines. 2nd Marines etc. So if we did wear a unit patch it would be a regimental patch as opposed to a Division patch. There are only 4 Marine divisions and all of the west coast would be identifying as 1st MARDIV. That's kinda counterproductive.
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I wear 1st Marine Division as a combat patch sometimes. I was in the Army when we got that awarded to us, though. We supported them in Fallujah, and the Marine G1 sent something to the Army G1 to award that to us. It was in 670-1, too.
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I'm sorry, but if you are in the Army, no. If I was a Lt. In combat due to battlefield commission, and then was reverted back to enlisted, would I still be allowed to wear officers uniforms?
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C Co 1-214th, Al Asad 2007-2008. Deployed wearing the USAREUR patch and we were awarded that as well as 2nd/3rd MAW patches for wear as a combat patch. I can't remember how many people told us we couldn't wear any of those 3 as a combat patch. Got the orders to prove otherwise. I wore them all and was proud of each one. We were the first (and only as far as I know) to wear the USAREUR patch on the right shoulder since WWII. We also saved many Marines lives that deployment. So if someone as a problem with our pride in service, I say go pack sand.
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LTC Paul Labrador
It's a rarity though as only the guys who were OPCON to the Marines during Fallujah would be authorized to wear it.
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When I was in the Army reserves we had many former Marines who had seen combat in Vietnam, and they wore their Marine combat patch on their Army uniform. Then the Marine Corps contacted the Army and explained that in the corps, marines who had been in combat, did not get to wear their combat patch until they retired. The Army issued an update to AR 670-1 the uniform regulation that no Marine Combat Patches were to be worn on Army uniform until the menber had retired, per Marine Corps Regulation. Hope that clears it up, the change occoured between 30-35 years ao.
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