Given how important tabs are in the Army, should a prior service Marine now in the Army have a special tab indicating their background?

I don't think so. I might join the Army as an officer, and besides what I've earned, I don't think it's wise to find stuff or ask for stuff to tack on to a uniform to make you stand out; last time I checked, being a badge chaser is frowned upon. Even indicating past service while in the Corps might not be good in a cultural-wise sense. Standing out might make things difficult between you and whomever you're working with, as how you act may be viewed as completely dependent on what you learned while leading within the Corps. Suffice to say, there is a divide between our services culturally-speaking for some time despite our many commonalities. Perhaps if you had a Combat Action Ribbon and others looked at that while you're in your service uniform, that might mean something (even if you rate a CIB because of your training as an 03xx); otherwise, if people asked you where you've been for the past decade, maybe telling them about your experiences might help break whatever ice is left between you. If you haven't done so already, translate your experiences and views into COAs that can help better the Soldiers around you not in a parading way but in a humble fashion. Otherwise, the best thing to do is to stop being so self-conscious about what you've got and focus on the now. Resting on your laurels is never a good thing to do.

It does not matter where you go, (even in the civilian world) people identify you with what you have done and where you have been. Your first question upon meeting someone new is usually, "What do you do?". As a Marine who has been both enilsted and commissioned, I have always appreciated the relaxing of shoulders when my SNCO's and NCO's learned of my previous experience. But patches do not make the Marine or the soldier. Rest assured that there are people with plenty of decorations who I would never invite into my home. Show your worth daily and people notice your worth. Humility and competence go a long way in my book. Leave 'em in the dust on the PT field and get the job done. Let the glory hounds slobber over their patches and screw 'em.

No, that would just be silly.

What are tabs? I am not serious of course. I doesn't hurt my feelings that I did not even have the opportunity to do AB school or the fact I am without any tabs but do I really care? NO, I do not care one bit and when others have tried to shame me to boost their fragile ego because I didn't have any tabs I will show them and I let them know their tabs mean nothing to me. I think earning those tabs is awesome. It takes a lot of heart and dedication but to manifest an ego and confidence because others don't have any tabs is pretty shallow and weak. I always say something like, "I don't have any tabs for my bachelors or my masters degree". The same goes for others who have earn their AB and AA qualification. I look at them and ask, "So you weren't good enough to go to Ranger school or Special Force qualifications?" "Maybe you should have worked on college classes all these years". Don't get me wrong, I think all those Army schools are great but if someone is going to get cocky with me, I am going to try to shatter their ego because I feel like I have been challenged.

As I tell everyone who was a Marine who are now Army, This is the Army not the Marines and if they were all that, then why you get out? Hum?

First off I say this in good humor not trying to offend, but I've met so many former marines now in the army or national guard that want recognition for being a marine. My question is if being a marine meant that much to you, why are you no longer a marine and now in another branch? If you want a uniform that says marine on it I believe the USMC might issue one or two.

During the train-up for my deployment to Afghanistan, we didn't wear any badges on our ACUs. I was a young looking IRR SSG just assigned to a Utah ARNG unit. What they didn't know, was that I already had 18 years in (3 years active duty), Jump School, had three MOS, a senior aircrew member badge, and had been a SSG longer than some of them had been in the Army. I was treated like I didn't know a damn thing. Boy were they surprised when they found out my background.

I would have to say it is all part of the culture and have to admit that I do look to see if someone is wearing a patch on the right arm however I don't use it as a means to judge another's abilities, skills, or experience. I know people that don't wear their overseas patches. I alternate the two I have depending which set of ACU's I pull out of the closet that morning.

As for Ranger, Sapper, and any other tab it really doesn't matter to me. The badges do help to lend a level of quantification if a person is conducting a class on infantry based skills to be wearing a CIB as I would want someone teaching me about explosives to be wearing an EOD badge.

Oh! Almost forgot. I do know people who attend virtually every school possible to wear a badge that I wouldn't follow down a dark alley. Lots of bling to impress on the DA Photo but not a whole lot of common sense.

I have worked alongside marines, sailors and airmen and a few that crossed over to the Army as well. All the marines I know wore their marine division deployment patch In ACU's. And retained all their Marine ribbons and medals. However as a Ranger qualified infantryman I feel like all the badges and pins and BS people put on their uniform is just to feel like a special snowflake