Does everyone need something "shiny" to make themselves stick out from other branches/services?

There should be no divisions! All casket handles are, "shiny" in the end!

I think it all started in WWI with this, keeping in mind the USMC had division patches too. It began as esprit de corps grew from there. -- "The 81st Infantry Division "Wildcat" is generally agreed to have been first U.S. Army unit authorized an SSI. In 1918, during World War I, the 81st Division sailed for France after training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. On their left shoulder the men of the division wore an olive drab felt patch with the silhouette of a wildcat - after Wildcat Creek, a stream that flows through Fort Jackson. When men of the other fighting divisions challenged the right of 81st soldiers to wear the patch, General John J. Pershing ruled that the 81st could keep this distinctive insignia. He also suggested that other divisions adopt shoulder patches of their own. This patch was officially adopted by the U.S. Army on October 19, 1918."

What kind of liberal horsehit question is this?Pay the admission fee,live up to the example and BOOM!!!!! Stand out.......

Yes, the Army may have a lot of badges (airborne, air assault, pathfinder, ranger, special forces, etc.), but they are earned. May I remind the Marines that when they attend the Army's jump school at Fort Benning, they get to wear the same airborne wings. Badges aside, what blows my mind are the number of "left side perfect attendance ribbons" I see on Air Force and Navy folks. I took my sons to see the USS Constitution in Boston. We saw five Navy CPO's walking toward us - all with 5-6 rows of ribbons. That's great, but the highest one any of them had was the Navy Commendation Medal (none of them with a "V Device" for Valor either). Six rows of ribbons, and nothing in combat! Astonishing! But, as Napoleon once said, "A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon." Don't get me wrong, I am all for (deserved) awards and decorations, but in this modern world of "everyone gets a participation trophy" the sheer number cheapens the significance. My Dad was in World War II (the BIG one) in Europe. He has four ribbons.

I remember reading a letter in the 'Marine Corps Gazette' about 30 or 40 years ago that was written, I think, by a 1st sgt or Msgt. His complaint was that the Marine Corps was quietly moving to providing a ribbon for everything that a Marine did. Complete a tour on the drill field....you got a ribbon. Complete a tour on recruiting......you got a ribbon. Marine Corps uniforms were beginning to look like costumes in a French opera. I don't remember if he made any suggestions but I have to agree that it does seem that there is a medal or ribbon for just about everything.

I served in the early to mid 60's and the only unit designation that I can recall at the time was the pogy rope for the 5th and 6th Marines and the little red square that the engineers wore on their utility trousers. I have to admit that as a member of 1-6 I was very proud of that pogy rope.

The more patches, badges, ribbons and other stuff on the uniform just gives an inspecting officer more to find wrong with your uniform during inspections.