(READ UPDATE!!!) How do you handle a situation where a Soldier is wearing a deployment patch they did not earn? What are the repercussions?

Combat Patches for soldiers is hard enough to figure out, it gets even more complicated for soldiers who served with Marine Units, Marines who left their service and joined the Army Reserve or National Guard who think they are authorized a combat patch, and aren't, but see Soldiers wearing Marine Patches that may be authorized (I say maybe, as the last time I read 670-1 it was for those who were attached to Marines for the first 30 days of the Invasion, not for the next ten years. But some USMC Commander gave them orders so now it must be legal). it does get confusing and really it should be more cut and dry then it is.

I joined the SF national guard unit after Nam for about one and one-half years. I receive a combat infantry badge from them. They said my time in Nam as a marine counted. I felt uncomfortable wearing it because of who I had served with. After the fall of Nam, I threw all the medals away.

Yikes! I had that happen on an Iraq deployment in 2005. I rated a USMC combat patch because I was USMC when I earned it, downrange and deployed during the Gulf War in 1991. I wore it. A Ssg in my unit was attached to a USMC unit for a week and came back wearing their combat patch. The BC ripped it off of his sleeve in my presence. Ssg started to complain that because I wore a 2dMarDiv patch, he could as well. BC set him straight. I don't understand why the Army is slacking on the requirements now, maybe because combat awards, in general, are slacking and slow in coming?

Something doesn't sound right about that, but the best way to make sure you right is to go talk to JAG about it.

Gee that's a Tough One "Not" as senior elinsted take the person aside in private & speak to them about it & then tell to remove not a tough descion & I have been retired almost 20yrs.

Thanks for the update. I earned multiple patches during my first deployment. While I was still in, I wore whichever one I felt like wearing that day. However, if I saw a soldier (rank immaterial) whom I KNEW was wearing a combat patch, badge, or other item I KNOW they didn't earn, I'd call them out on it. Rank junior to me, immediate action. Rank senior to me, remind them of their commitment to "do what's right, legally and morally." Often times, I'd get told (insert expletive or derogatory comment here) and that would make me either email them a copy of the section of the regulation that pertains to the particular infraction, show them a hard copy of the section, or in the most extreme cases, take it up with their senior. All because you outrank me doesn't mean I won't tell you that you're wrong, nor will it stop me from reminding you that these junior soldiers who want to be leaders one day are looking at you for the right example. If you fail them on the little things, who's to say that you won't fail on the big things? (Yes, I've seen it happen...and lost troops because of it.)

The so-called Soldier is in violation of Art. 134 “Service Discrediting Conduct” and “Conduct Contrary to the Good Order & Discipline of the Armed Services”.

Jack this one up with a Charge Sheet. When it shows up in the Art. 15 Hearing the outcome needs to be reduction in rank, forfeiture of pay and confinement to barracks.

Suspend the punishment for 3 months. That way when he defies Army Regulations again, the suspension is vacated and you get to bust, fine & confine all over again.

Everyone who works with this guy knows he is a wannabe dirtbag. If the Command doesn’t address it, then the C.O. is obviously weak and should be replaced. If the measures are followed, the other 98% of the Organization will not want to screw up.

Also, Administratively Separate the malcontent for failure to adapt to the military lifestyle.

If everything else fails go by the Regs, after all that's what they are for. DAPAM 31-10 will never let you down tells where you can find anything.

Active duty soldiers are processed to wear any and all declarations applied to and/or sewn into their dress attire and sewn in declarations are on all military attire. Declarations worn on a military uniform any other way is a fraud, disrespect to the uniform, and dealt with at the discretion of anyone who observes it although a formal action is to report it to your next chain of command when you are not a commissioned officer yourself.
I say the perpetrator is the merchant who sells military paraphernalia in their store, it shouldn't be allowed at least medals and awards that soldiers risk life and limb to receive.

So I have met an individual that brags about being a combat expert to the platoon, but I have seen his ERB and the only overseas I seen on there is Korea overseas. He claims he was deployed to Iraq but I didn't see the Iraq campaign. I think situation like that are a bit depressing because young soldiers look up to individuals like that.

Interesting. Nothing is sacred anymore. Use to be a thing of honor and prestige to earn and wear a combat patch. I had once heard a story while on AD that a young solider fresh out of AIT wrote a letter home to his mother to complain that no one in his new unit would talk to him because he was new and had not deployed or had a combat patch. His mother wrote a nasty letter to the State Representative of their district and gave him hell. Supposedly he in turn when back to Washington and approached the committee and talked about the letter and they way new soldiers were being treat at their units because they were new and had not earned a combat patch or CIB or CAB. So, there was a new order implemented to have all AD soldiers to remove their patches and CIB and CAB off their uniforms so that the new soldiers would feel that they fit in with the others. Anyone else heard or know of a unit that this took place? It did at Fort Hood with I was on AD. But, it was let to Command as a directive.

If soldier is wearing anything on his uniform that he didn’t earn and is not in his records he can be required to remove it. Inform his chain of command. In this day use your phone take picture and you hav evidence to show. Then let the chain handle it.

You Know,,,,,, You really don't get to wear a CBT "Patch" until you've rotated back to CONUS... unless this is your 2nd tour, then it don't matter;;;;;;;; but that's the way it was back in the day, pre 'Desert Storm'.

You could ask the person about it. No need to make a problem for the person. Could be a mistake of some kind. But ask in a nice way, don't bring up anything like stolen valor. Just ask first, talk nice.

Same kinda thing happened many years ago in 1989. A plane with military personal from the pentagon flew down to panama during operation just cause conflict there to get a combat patch...

This is a thing? Who cares... on the piece of paper is all the matters. Someone will eventually call em out and that douche will cry he's being oppressed, etc..

It’s 24 hours in country for deployment patches

On the spot Corrections, his next higher will make that call and file it in his 201

True.

We had a sit-rep that was about a Rapid Deployment Team Logo. and I side with the AMN . We’d been deployed to Sudan at Khartoum for Operation Arid Farmer ( this was about support for Chad when Libya’s dictator in ‘83 went ‘takeover’ there. Our F-15s were able to beat the Libyan’s back.. with some well placed missiles) The Airman was on team 3 that remained at Ramstein in Germany. We licks them up on the way home when we went back through Ramstein. Somebody had said 3d team wasn’t Eligible to keep the logo because they never entered the support site in Sudan.. The way i Interpreted it was team 3 was as good as in when they came to Germany (Staging Base)with us. There were no prerequisites they had to “Be in Sudan” .
I think somebody that didn’t get to go
(Team 4) was butt-hurt and when they found out team 3 didn’t get in Sudan..
Team 4 had their B-4s packed too and at the orderly room .. I search around and we had a Reserve support Squadron that was not part of deploy team.. They were at base to maintain and support the base and supply sections with Airmen from different career fields to keep the base operating as if we were all there.. They supplied our section with 18 Cooks that were pulled for the operation and had them on site within 18 and 24 hrs. I. Found that out when I returned.. So everybody did their job as required.. it seems everyone else wants their pat on The back.and wants it as quick as those that were the first to hit the tarmac.. Any Actual documented recognition didn’t come down for about a monrh . And I couldn’t act on recognition of the Reserves until TAC authorized it. By then some of them retired. The good part was the retirees were with 8 to 10 miles of Langley.. and two of them worked on Langley AFB.. So we set up a recognition lunch at the Airman’s Dining Facility and their Command along with ours gave godmothers their accolades for their very speedy response . It just takes time . I surmise the clock can tick very slow when waiting .for s’thing they think that only has to travel across base. Actually had to go all the way to Congress for release . The public and media didn’t hear about for another month. The base PAO couldn’t release to base media So it was kind kept on down low.. when Public media got it they were totally perturbed that they didn’t get it like they thought. The sitrep with the Navy jets knocking the Libyans down got out quicker.. We had got some Ts made up off base at a printer: U.S. 2. Libya 0 . They showed the Navy Jets flying off and the Libyan Jets crashing/burning . I tucked mine away .. Word got out it would create a diplomatic upset.. among butthurt Libyan Nationals..in the U.S. I don’t know what the Navy was doing in Norfolk and other areas.. I know we were asked(interpret as told) not to wear them if we got them.. for awhile.., that came from up top and from base .. Some Libyans at consulate already raised a diplomatic ruckus..
I went up to Cold Lake CFB on a contingency support Maple Flag ‘83.
(I also had appropriated Ts from that.)
One of the eve’s I was off After late feed for our Security Police and Canadian M.P.s I got back to barracks and got my bright yellow T with the U.S. 2, Libya 0
and put it on and went to the JR. Ranks club..and had a great time. I didn’t hear no comments about the “T”.. Next day after I got off work at the Mess I got changed and went to the Exchange and wore the “T” .. a few of the Canadians there pointed and gave a thumbs up ..
A little guy started to and mommy knocked his arm down.. I got what I wanted and got back to the barracks.
I hadn’t seen the sign in the exchange window that No Ts worn openly in the exchange. I seen a paper later on the bulletin board at the barracks it also said printed colored Ts.. included as out of bounds. Hmm the door greeter didn’t say anything... no prob, will not do it again .. one of the polo shirts I got had a Canadian Symbol on the pocket and a collar.. So that was ok.. I was at work finishing up cleaning after lunch.. There had been a meeting at the base theater and one of the topics was the “T” that I had .. they knew somebody had one and a Canadian dependent complained somebody brazenly walked in flaunting the “T” that bragged on the U.S. heavily armed Jets shooting 2 human beings down.in unarmed Jets(explain to the Navy pilots the Libyans were unarmed, sure they’d like to be made aware of that fact)
I got to see the Canadian paper .. read the whole thing and seen only 2 U.S. Jets shot down 2 Libyan Jets and that was it..
A “whiskey-tango-Foxtrot” moment !
I’m glad I was going home in a week..
It’s family day at the Junior ranks Club!
Tomorrow.. I know.. Maybe wear the Yellow “T”!... I decided to wear the
Maple Flag ‘83 shirt .. with our Flag and the Canadian Flag crossed on the Left sleeve.. I wonder.. I think our side had these done.. Our U.S. Flag was leaning to the front... I’d have to look at that again..
hmm.. i’ll Look on s’body’ else’s shirt..
yeah the Canadian Colors was in the right spot..