Combat patches: Are they for show or do they really mean something??

It means something it's not just a patch it's unit pride u weather proudly by seving in combat with your brothers

that patch means you are part of a team. If that means nothing it means you did nothing.

I can say that not having a combat patch does not effect promotion but when you are in a leadership position such as a First Sergeant. Your soldiers do look at you and question weather you have knowledge to lead to battle. I have volunteered to go on two separate missions but Uncle Sam kept me state side both times.

For those of us who have been, no explanation is necessary. For those of you who haven't, no explanation is possible.

I guess the Army's changed since I was in, ('69-'71). Those of us were, and still are proud of the "right sleeve" patch we earned in Vietnam. This reminds me of another discussion elsewhere in this forum where soldiers claimed not to care about their CIB's. My question is, just what is it soldiers actually do care about these days?

I can tell you from many years of experience in the training arena that once trainees and new Soldiers understand what the patch means, they are more likely to listen and respect a trainer that has been there, done that and has a combat patch.

It speaks of real world experience and when that trainer tells you that this may save your life someday, it actually has weight behind it. It's not something your trainer learned by learning the POI or by reading it in some Army training manual or FM.

Believe me it does make a difference.

It depends on how you earned your combat patch. I know to me mine means something.

To me its just a patch I think if you deploy in any operation that is for your country and keeps your from your family you should get a patch. I see alot of soldiers now that have deployed to many training missions and have nothing to show for it but an AAM. Atlantic resolve mainly right now. So many people value their combat patches so much but if you really saw combat or if your life was really in danger you would have a CIB or a CAB to show for it. Men and women that have seen real combat wear these along with their patch.

First of all, a deployment to Kuwait does mean something. One is away from their family for a significant amount of time and serving the interest of the United States. It has been decided that Kuwait no longer rated a combat patch, but that does not mean previous deployments to this zone where not somewhat risky to hostile fire. Seems to me that the Army takes great care to decide which location should rate a combat patch or not. Hopefully Iraq and Afghanistan will no longer require a combat patch. Second, any combat patch is well earned. It is good news of a Soldier comes home alive, after a job well done, and does not require the award of a CIB, CAB, or much less, a purple heart.

I wish more SMs realized that patches and insignias are little more than "merit badges" in the Boy Scouts. They cost no more than $2-3, but yet we spend so much time worried about getting them. We waste unit budgets in sending people to "career progression" courses, only to end up losing them once they graduate. We can't keep the talent we have because we sell them off for a silly piece of cloth. I get the symbolism, but we need to stop taking it so literally. There are plenty of good leaders with less badges, and really toxic or unprofessional leaders with many. I never understood why the Army says "one fight, one team," and then promotes this toxic individualism at the same time.

SFC Mikolajczyk