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

Yo, you were in a dangerous situation. You EARNED IT . Did you Volunteer or were you Drafted. ??

You are authorized to but not required as I understand. I myself stopped wearing awards (on the odd occasion I had to wear Class As) because I considered them essentially "perfect attendance" awards with little thought or meaning behind them. My TAC NCO at my basic course decided not to wear his CIB from Desert Storm for much the same reason as you with your combat patch. While I have the utmost respect for service members who have laid it all on the line, I've also seen plenty of inflation and increased awarding of awards and medals, from the watering down of the CIB (not to mention the creation of parallel expert badges to the EIB), to the creation of the CAB, to complaints about "not enough" MoHs, so one's perspective as to the worth of each is both relative and subjective. To me, it's a personal decision.

You deserved to wear your combat patch. The infantry could not do their job without support. I don't care what it is it still supports the mission. Be proud.

Combat patch is optional to wear let your concise be your guide. During Desert Storm new replacements came to KKMC Saudi Arabia and were there less than a month never left the base but get to wear the combat patch and did not even get a rifle. As General Patton would say "When you are asked, What did you do in the War hope your answer is not shoveled horse shit in Kentucky.

As a "Cold Warrior" who served with the 2ID in Korea in '76, the 82d from 77-80, then 3AD from 80-83, I always wondered why the powers that be never awarded us with the privilege of wearing a deployment patch upon return - especially after all the 'less than peaceful' experiences in Korea. That aside, I can only respect everyone, regardless of MOS who served during the hot wars of the 90's and beyond. That recognition of your service is no less than those who spent their young lives in North Africa, Europe, or the Pacific in WW2, Korea in the never-ending war, or Vietnam.

No it's not required, yes I feel I earned my 3 patches. Each time was a different mission, but fully earned!

Here is my Question to you while working did you have Indirect fire?

It's not what you did, it's about where you did it .

Sp James-wear your combat patch with pride-remember that about 2/3d of any deployed force does not see direct combat,but your support made an important contribution,plus it shows you were deployed-some never even achieve that.
thanks for your service

Its honestly up to you on what you choose to wear. Earned patches, tabs, and badges do not need to be worn if you choose not to. I usually do wear a patch but I rarely wear the two badges that I am authorized. Patches and badges don't make you a Soldier. The important thing is that you do your job. You are entitled to wear your patch because you were deployed to work in a support role and if you did that job to the best of your capabilities then you should not feel like you didn't earn it. We all have a role to do whether its knocking down doors, patching up bullets, or turning wrenches. Without one the others cannot succeed.