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

We're all tracking now. We learned the same thing recently with the new updates to AR 670-1. Good to keep updated on these regs. Thanks!

Negative SGM, that depends on the unit. Plenty of Soldiers got patches w/o documentation. There is no universal standard. Some units just stick them on, some write it up. I've heard others say the memos are more of a Guard/Reserve thing.

1LT (Join to see) 82nd,75RGR,XVIII corps all issued unit orders coving the award of Combat pstches.

SGM Bill Frazer - Roger. There is no dispute to that. What I am saying is that there is no universal standard for what units do to award the patch. Some have memos, some have orders, some have nothing. I'm speaking more in regards to the fact a young Soldier may have nothing and yet be eligible to wear the patch without knowing where to find the proof or if they have proof at all. I've seen a Soldier trying to wear a patch with no proof and they only received authorization because another Soldier was able to provide proof and they were together.

Memorandums were sometimes given out, and sometimes not (I have only two such memos for multiple deployments since 2003, but was told I was authorized many more patches, and even given them in ceremonies). For an active duty unit deploying as a unit, this is not a problem as a record of their deployment exists. However, for reservists and individual augmentees, this creates a problem because they are often given a combat patch with no documentation to prove it. Sure, there should be orders and a DD-214 proving their combat service, but more often than not they have their home units listed and get attached/OPCON in-country.

There is no regulatory requirement to provide a memorandum authorizing a patch. However, the SM's personnel file should support the wear of it. I'd look at their assignment history/overseas tour data. It shouldn't be too hard to determine if they spent the necessary time in a combat zone to warrant it.

Its not about that for reservists sir. I am merely one example, but know many reserve/national guard soldiers that were attached to active duty units in-country, and told they qualify for their combat patch (and given to them) with absolutely no documentation as their DD-214 after the deployment (as well as their orders) only reflect their reserve/guard unit. There may very well be (in at least some of those circumstances) orders/unit orders showing they were attached, but many times those Soldiers are not given copies of those orders. For instance, one of my first tours in Iraq I was attached to the 82nd Airborne, and many others from my home unit were later attached to the 1st CAV. There is no record of it that we can find even though in-country we were given that as a combat patch in a ceremony with the rest of our active duty counter-parts. Its the primary reason why I never wear those as a combat patch, because I cannot prove it. In contrast though, two of the units I was attached to/deployed with in other activations provided me with "Statements of Wartime Service" which were iPERMed for me giving me documentation. And another I actually have TCS orders for. Maybe things have gotten better because those were later deployments though.

Travel voucher...receiving IDP proves your time in country. I've seen a BDE SOP where you have to get IDP to be authorized a patch.