Posted on Jun 19, 2017
Is wearing a flag patch on a backpack against regulations?
293K
2.03K
625
346
346
0
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 358
As a retired CSM I will say that one of my pet peeves all my time in the Army was with those who stated that something was "against regulation" when in fact they didn't know or were wrong. One of the great things I find with the internet is that regardless of rank you can usually find what in fact the Reg is along with all kinds of other info on awards etc. One word of caution however is to be sure you are viewing the latest version of the regulation as they do change!!
(372)
(0)
SSgt Wallace Smith
It does we did it at Crete to prove when we ironed and starched the uniform you leave a great thermal image vs just a light press with an iron
(1)
(0)
MSG Anthony Clayton
Is this regulation and a foreign country where they don't want to endanger the welfare of the soldier. If it's in the United States I think the CSM it's totally wrong. The military is allowed too many civilians to control with the military does that has never served in the military. The military is turning into a woke military.
(2)
(0)
CSM William Payne
I’m in Kuwait, 2006, getting ready to ship north into Iraq. Out of the cleaners comes a SGM carrying several sets of freshly starched ACUs. . . WTF??!! Now we had just made the conversion from DCUs to ACU when we were deployed. I asked him why he had his ARMY COMBAT UNIFORM starched? He said it was on the orders of the Camp Mayor. He didn’t want his Soldiers looking like a soup sandwich. Me and the Camp Mayor had an interesting conversation before I departed.
(0)
(0)
Not even a little bit.. some CSM's tend to equate their preferences for doctrine...
(117)
(0)
MSgt Marvin Kinderknecht
I am afraid you are right. I know a kid who misses\d "roll call" and was court martialed. He beat the trail because they had the wrong charged. They got him later for an unbuttoned shirt.DON"T EVER PROVE A SUPERIOR WRONG. Although I did chew out a Captain because he went against my decision. I promptly went out and put the aircraft on a RED CROSS.
(3)
(0)
SSG Gregg Mourizen
MSgt Marvin Kinderknecht - You can prove a superior wrong, if you do it correctly. Sadly, not every superior can be corrected, correctly.
(7)
(0)
CPO Larry Cowden
MSgt J D McKee - I encountered a similar but altogether environment! There is a DEEP divide between the submarine vs Surface vs Air fleets. A divide beyond being anything close to professionalism! I first qualified Submarine Surface Warfare. That entitled me to wear the SSW "Dolphins". Later I was transferred to the Surface Fleet. I made CPO, E-7, based on qualifying for Enlisted Surface Warfare. I was sent to a Submarine Electronics training school as an instructor. I continued to wear both pins on my uniform. The SSW above the ESW as stipulated. The CO of Sub School commenced an undocumented personal attack on me for my ESW pin despite Naval uniform regulations that followed me to my next command with both a personal call to my next CO and negative evals I did not deserve! That blocked any future advancement no matter how well I performed. Today, I would still have decked that CO into total disability for life! It left a very bad lasting impression on the ability of any senior officers to function without personal bias against any enlisted personnel whenever they wanted too without question! I have seen too many other cases where this also applied during my time in service! I am still proud of my qualifications. But I would NEVER degrade or denigrate ANYONE under my command for qualifying across the board like I was subjected too!
(0)
(0)
You aren't wearing it backwards. There is a long history about the flag being "backwards" that dates back to the revolution. The reason the flag is that way is because the stars lead into battle. If you look at history, there was a soldier that carried the flag in battle! If you hold a flag pole with a flag on it and run, the flag follows the pole. That's the reason behind the deployment play being the way it is!!!
(36)
(0)
PO3 B Al Eisen
I heard this a couple of years ago. I looked into it. The blue field always is in the forward direction of whatever it is placed on. I never got a good answer concerning horizontally placed flag decals on rocket bodies.
(2)
(0)
PO1 Everett Holstein
United States Flag Code outranks any tradition or military reg. The problem with your pole comment is; the patch isn’t on a pole, it is a stationary symbol and therefore should be worn IAW the US Flag Code.
(1)
(0)
When will you all stop worshipping a SMAJ as if they are a living god?
Put your faith and awe where it belongs and follow his holiness Saint Mattis instead. Semper Fi
Put your faith and awe where it belongs and follow his holiness Saint Mattis instead. Semper Fi
(31)
(1)
CSM John Mead
CPT (Join to see) yes sir. Politics and opinions should always be kept to oneself. You never know who'll be listening.
(2)
(0)
SSgt Ken Baldwin
Wow! This thing grew legs from when I first posted a looonnnggg time ago. To be clear, this was 83% in jest because I have a connection to General Mattis: he signed my enlistment documents and administered my first oath when he was the Recruiting Station Commander in Portland, Oregon. I also served directly with him in the first Gulf War and briefed him several times on my intel products. I was and will always be honored to have served with him in ground combat. CSM John Mead- perhaps you favor prior commanders like Gen Betrayus, Gen Powell, Gen Milley, Gen Dempsey, Adm Mullen, and Gen McRaven who turned coat and inserted their opinions when they should have remained silent? Would you condemn them as you do Mattis?
When I made this post, I was frustrated with the comments coming down essentially saying to love, honor, and cherish the CSM as if they were a walking deity. T'was in jest my friends! Jim Mattis has stepped in it since then, and all you arm-chair quarterbacks got the win on this one.
Thanks for playing along!
When I made this post, I was frustrated with the comments coming down essentially saying to love, honor, and cherish the CSM as if they were a walking deity. T'was in jest my friends! Jim Mattis has stepped in it since then, and all you arm-chair quarterbacks got the win on this one.
Thanks for playing along!
(1)
(0)
CSM John Mead
SSgt Ken Baldwin - Oh, we were playing? I didn't get that memo, but none the less, my opinion of Mattis holds. Concerning the other flag rank officers, my input is to stay out of the political arena. Once you're in it, the past will not support you if you screw up. Once retired, they thought that they were beyond touch and let their mouths and actions run amok.
(0)
(0)
No.
But this reminds of when I was a young officer and an NCO stopped me in the parking lot as I was going to class, and informed me that I was wearing my backpack with both straps. Apparently that was wrong because at the time AR 670-1 explicitly stated that backpacks were tro be worn "over the shoulder," meaning only one shoulder. I thanked him politely then went about my business.
Point is, regs like 670-1 are very often open to interpretation. If your hooah unit forbids flag patches on backpacks, take the damn thing off and find another hill to die on. When I was a Battalion Commander, my CSM and I stopped enforcing stupid shit like that because, well, it's stupid shit.
If your squad leader counsels you because of the infraction, take it like a man/woman and carry on. If you don't like it, wait six months and one of you will move on anyway -- or else, just embrace the suck and know that when you are in a leadership position, you get to decide what's important and whether or not you explain it to those in your charge.
I hope that you do choose to explain it, because that is part of not being a toxic leader.
But this reminds of when I was a young officer and an NCO stopped me in the parking lot as I was going to class, and informed me that I was wearing my backpack with both straps. Apparently that was wrong because at the time AR 670-1 explicitly stated that backpacks were tro be worn "over the shoulder," meaning only one shoulder. I thanked him politely then went about my business.
Point is, regs like 670-1 are very often open to interpretation. If your hooah unit forbids flag patches on backpacks, take the damn thing off and find another hill to die on. When I was a Battalion Commander, my CSM and I stopped enforcing stupid shit like that because, well, it's stupid shit.
If your squad leader counsels you because of the infraction, take it like a man/woman and carry on. If you don't like it, wait six months and one of you will move on anyway -- or else, just embrace the suck and know that when you are in a leadership position, you get to decide what's important and whether or not you explain it to those in your charge.
I hope that you do choose to explain it, because that is part of not being a toxic leader.
(27)
(0)
SPC July Macias
I once witnessed an E7 tell an E4 that wearing both shoulder straps is forbidden. I corrected her, and was told to prove that I'm correct. We both double checked the regs, and she ended up admitting that I was right.
(0)
(0)
Ok folks. Are there 13 stripes with 50 actual stars on the flag patch or is it a rough resemblance and you're trying to apply a regulation to something that is as different at apples and oranges. I'll point a very couple of simple differences between The Flag and the Patch you're sniveling and quibbling about. A Flag has two sides, the flag doesn't have an embroidered yellow edge, a flag can be folded. I think we have bigger fish to fry and cry about.
(21)
(0)
If AR 670-1 does not have a clear answer, then you need to check DA Pam 670-1. But, as an FYI, I have a flag on my backpack and my BN CSM never said anything to me.
(19)
(0)
If you are overseas you might not want to wear the US flag on your pack. It could make you a target for people who don't like the US.
(15)
(0)
CPT (Join to see)
True. In the same vein never wear any uniform off-post overseas unless it is a duty requirement. It is hard enough to not look American without making it easy for the adversary.
(3)
(0)
Suspended Profile
I volunteer with Team Rubicon, a Disaster Response organization and we are told zero camo when we travel internationally - not even for our personal sleep space inside because of how a foreign military can be perceived. I would assume that would apply to having an American flag too.
AR 670-1 shows and describes the placement of the flag as being on your right sleeve. The fact that it doesn't say anything about it going on a backpack or anywhere else in itself means that it doesn't belong there.
(15)
(0)
SFC Kenneth Hunnell
MAJ (Join to see) I believe that when you refer to a back pack, they are referring to one's carried while in uniform or part of it
(2)
(0)
CPT William Jones
If it is not against the written regs you may do it. A service member can only get in trouble for violating a reg. If issue is not covered there is no foul. The commander may make a rule for next time but you get a pass on the first time when I was in as o2then o3 I caused that to happen twice. Once with a BG. He was pissed but by 1700 it was against post regs. I did get jacked up but wasn’t the first time n
(1)
(0)
PO1 Everett Holstein
Who made the army the go to? Read the US Flag Code, Leave it to the Army to muck up such a simple rule on something so precious to every veteran.
(1)
(0)
CSM Charles Hayden
CSM Richard StCyr That is a better depiction of Hannity’s Flag pin than what I am able to see on TV. I believe it is a wrongful addition to the Flag pin.
(2)
(0)
Read This Next