Is wearing a combat patch required? Did you feel you earned it in a support MOS?

It's called the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia for Foreign Wartime Service for a reason (despite the "combat patch" label we all use being more aesthetically pleasing). If you served in wartime in a foreign country, you earned it. That being said, if you don't feel comfortable wearing it, don't wear it. By regulation, you don't have to wear any decorations or awards. Just don't discount the time you spent away from home supporting the effort.

This is an echo of the "what is a veteran?" discussion.
Army regulations are clear as to who is entitled to wear a SSI-FWS. You don't have to wear it, but watch the difference with how a Soldier with one is treated vs one without.
Yes, you did your job in a hostile fire environment, and thankfully none of that fire hit your vicinity. Thank your lucky stars and move out smartly.

We didn't see combat , but we saw the after math of combat , whether you were a cook , grease monkey, or trans-po, if you were in a combat zone, for more than 90 days, you deserve to wear the combat patch. My unit was Transportation we supplied the units that were fighting with water , ammo, food , and what ever they needed. Every time I went out the wire I was risking my life and my battles life and I went on every mission since our unit hit the ground. And yes if you are asking me am I proud to wear my combat patch ''then yes I Do .

A combat patch is also a statement saying you sacrificed for your country and family. You don't have to go in combat you are a soldier and serve. You should feel proud to wear a combat patch cause so many others don't or have avoided the mission. Be proud

Have deployed to a combat zone and putting yourself at risk and leaving your family for an extended period of time=wear the damn patch and don't feel as if you need to justify it to any "door kickers" that deployed as well.

Everyone plays a vital role, combat or not.
Wear it and be proud.

One you don't have to worry about not being toe to toe with the enemy. Did your birds take the fight to the enemy, or rescue injured troops? Did you make sure you did the best you could for the birds and the people who flew them?

I wear mine proudly because all it would have taken was a a stray mortar and the building I worked in may have been blown up! There was an Iraqi worker in the base that was caught pacing off the distances to the housing area I lived in (just like the Vietcong guy in John Wayne's "Green Berets" who when caught was slugged in the face "hello charlie") to get coordinates to aim a mortar. Support Soldiers can become statistics too. I also did Hospital Security and saw my share of the aftermath of action so while I wasn't a grunt I wasn't isolated even though I never left the base!

I would wear it, currently all the prior service soldiers from other services are not authorized to wear any patch. As a former marine who deployed, I get a few looks when they see an empty sleeve, but a short conversation fixes that.

Petraeus used to say when I was in Afghanistan that the combat patch was not too important unless you did not have one (or were the only one on your team without one).