Posted on Oct 30, 2023
How do I determine which combat patch I should put in a shadow box for my office?
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I am putting together a shadow to hang in my office. I want to ensure anything I put in is legit and in accordance to Army regulation.
My detachment supported the Army Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) Mission in southwestern Saudi Arabia on the Saudi-Yemeni border from December 2017-May 2018. During this time, we were operationally attached to SOCCENT and administratively attached to said artillery brigade. We were patched with both the artillery brigade and the SOCCENT patch. However, upon returning to Kuwait in June 2018, our command told us we were not authorized to wear the SOCCENT combat patch. They claimed was it was more for “tradition” and not an actual formality in accordance to Army regulation. Note, none of the command team was present for the patching ceremony, as it was only a squad sized element for this mission.
I’ve heard arguments from both sides on this. Any insights ?
My detachment supported the Army Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) Mission in southwestern Saudi Arabia on the Saudi-Yemeni border from December 2017-May 2018. During this time, we were operationally attached to SOCCENT and administratively attached to said artillery brigade. We were patched with both the artillery brigade and the SOCCENT patch. However, upon returning to Kuwait in June 2018, our command told us we were not authorized to wear the SOCCENT combat patch. They claimed was it was more for “tradition” and not an actual formality in accordance to Army regulation. Note, none of the command team was present for the patching ceremony, as it was only a squad sized element for this mission.
I’ve heard arguments from both sides on this. Any insights ?
Combat Patch (SSI-FWTS)
Army Regulations
Awards
Posted 1 y ago
Responses: 14
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If you deployed as a unit, you wear your unit patch, regardless of higher HQ or who you were supporting.
AR 670-1 Par 21-18 spells it out. But, with very rare exceptions, whatever you were wearing on your left sleeve going in, is what you wear on your right sleeve, coming out.
AR 670-1 Par 21-18 spells it out. But, with very rare exceptions, whatever you were wearing on your left sleeve going in, is what you wear on your right sleeve, coming out.
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SGM (Join to see)
well, yeah AR 670-1 states:
(a) A deployed unit (company or higher) will wear its unit SSI as the SSI–MOHC, regardless of the headquarters element deploying and the unit alignment or OPCON during the period of deployment.
And while AR 670-1 does not cover a shadow box, an SSI-MOHC is effectively an award. And if you wouldn't include an ARCOM you were not awarded in a shadow box, why would you include an SSI-MOHC you were not awarded?
On the other hand, I have a stack of patches that folks handed to me in theater between 2001 and 2018, (which is what essentially happened with you and SOCCENT), and as souvenirs, I could see how those might go in a shadow box somehow.
(a) A deployed unit (company or higher) will wear its unit SSI as the SSI–MOHC, regardless of the headquarters element deploying and the unit alignment or OPCON during the period of deployment.
And while AR 670-1 does not cover a shadow box, an SSI-MOHC is effectively an award. And if you wouldn't include an ARCOM you were not awarded in a shadow box, why would you include an SSI-MOHC you were not awarded?
On the other hand, I have a stack of patches that folks handed to me in theater between 2001 and 2018, (which is what essentially happened with you and SOCCENT), and as souvenirs, I could see how those might go in a shadow box somehow.
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COL Randall C.
SFC Casey O'Mally, "If you deploy as a unit, you wear you unit patch, regardless of higher HQ or who you were supporting" - that's partially true. It really depends on the unit that his "detachment" was.
If you're a Company or higher unit, you're absolutely correct .. unless that patch is one that belongs to one of those echelon-above-reality major commands (ACOM, ASCC or DRU), a National Guard JFHQ (formally called State Area Commands), or a non-deployable unit. Then you'll wear the SSI of the lowest Army echelon (Company or higher) in the deployed command or the senior command in theater if there isn't anything in-between. [ref: AR 670-1, para 21-18b(3)(a)&(b)]
For those below a company-sized element, they wear the SSI of the lowest Army echelon (Company or higher) in the deployed chain of command or the senior command in theater if there isn't anything in-between. [ref: AR 670-1, para 21-18b(3)(d)]
SGT Dalton West, you said your detachment was a "squad sized element", so that would fall into the category of the "below company-sized element" and wear the SSI of the lowest Army echelon (Company or higher) you were attached to.
However, it will depend on the written orders. Was your attached to SOCCENT? Attached to a "Company or higher" Army unit of SOCCENT (USASOC? A SF Group? etc.)? The Artillery Brigade? What do the orders specifically say regarding the unit you were attached to as it matters.
By the way, "operationally attached to SOCCENT and administratively attached to said artillery brigade" does not make sense. You would have been attached to a single unit but could have had a designated support relationship to another (which usually happens if you are attached to a non-Army unit).
Since an attached unit can be designated OPCON to another unit, you would have been "Attached to the SF unit with ADCON designated to the Artillery Brigade" or you would have been "Attached to the Artillery Brigade who then further designated you OPCON to the SF unit" according to your statement.
You could have been attached to the Artillery Brigade and they further OPCONed you out to the SF folks (you wear Artillery Brigade) or you were attached to the SF unit with ADCON provided by the Artillery Brigade (you wear the SF folks).
If your command is saying the Artillery Brigade is your SSI-MOHC, then it sounds like the first case (they could be wrong of course, but I defer to the unit commander unless proven otherwise).
Additionally, since the regulation is very clear that you can only earn one SSI-MOHC per deployment, you couldn't have officially "been patched" with both units. Only one of those patches counts as a SSI-MOHC. The other is a "Thanks for being here! Here's a patch to remember us by."
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* AR 670-1 - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30302-AR_670-1-000-WEB-1.pdf
If you're a Company or higher unit, you're absolutely correct .. unless that patch is one that belongs to one of those echelon-above-reality major commands (ACOM, ASCC or DRU), a National Guard JFHQ (formally called State Area Commands), or a non-deployable unit. Then you'll wear the SSI of the lowest Army echelon (Company or higher) in the deployed command or the senior command in theater if there isn't anything in-between. [ref: AR 670-1, para 21-18b(3)(a)&(b)]
For those below a company-sized element, they wear the SSI of the lowest Army echelon (Company or higher) in the deployed chain of command or the senior command in theater if there isn't anything in-between. [ref: AR 670-1, para 21-18b(3)(d)]
SGT Dalton West, you said your detachment was a "squad sized element", so that would fall into the category of the "below company-sized element" and wear the SSI of the lowest Army echelon (Company or higher) you were attached to.
However, it will depend on the written orders. Was your attached to SOCCENT? Attached to a "Company or higher" Army unit of SOCCENT (USASOC? A SF Group? etc.)? The Artillery Brigade? What do the orders specifically say regarding the unit you were attached to as it matters.
By the way, "operationally attached to SOCCENT and administratively attached to said artillery brigade" does not make sense. You would have been attached to a single unit but could have had a designated support relationship to another (which usually happens if you are attached to a non-Army unit).
Since an attached unit can be designated OPCON to another unit, you would have been "Attached to the SF unit with ADCON designated to the Artillery Brigade" or you would have been "Attached to the Artillery Brigade who then further designated you OPCON to the SF unit" according to your statement.
You could have been attached to the Artillery Brigade and they further OPCONed you out to the SF folks (you wear Artillery Brigade) or you were attached to the SF unit with ADCON provided by the Artillery Brigade (you wear the SF folks).
If your command is saying the Artillery Brigade is your SSI-MOHC, then it sounds like the first case (they could be wrong of course, but I defer to the unit commander unless proven otherwise).
Additionally, since the regulation is very clear that you can only earn one SSI-MOHC per deployment, you couldn't have officially "been patched" with both units. Only one of those patches counts as a SSI-MOHC. The other is a "Thanks for being here! Here's a patch to remember us by."
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* AR 670-1 - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30302-AR_670-1-000-WEB-1.pdf
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It's for a Shadow Box. It's not like you're trying to actually wear it on your uniform. It's a patch in a box surrounded by other patches/ribbons. Why not have BOTH the SOCCENT and Artillery BDE patches in that box? And, if anyone asks, you can easily explain that the BDE had ADCON and SOCCENT had OPCON. Or, in other words..."I worked for these guys but I reported to those guys."
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MSG (Join to see)
Good answer, I fell into something like this when I deployed with the 38th but did some work with ODA 3113 in a different place.
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SSG Ralph Watkins
My unit in Iraq was ADCON, OPCON, & TACCON by many commands in Iraq. From JSOC, the 1st MARDIV, to the 1st CAV with multiple others controlling us in one form or another. When we were leaving country we were told we can wear just about any patch we want. Certain army commands don't like us wearing the 1st Marine Division patch yet we do have the orders & we saw the heaviest combat when assigned to them. I think certain Army commanders are just jealous.
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