Should the Army do away with Patches and go to one universal Symbol like the Marines EGA?

Leave the patches. The history of these patches, and the sacrifices made wearing them, makes it feasible to leave them in place. It is ok with me for civilians to ask "what do you do?" It opens up dialog to something most people do not know much about. For instance- when I am asked this question, my response is always the same "I blow s**t up" then I explain what Field Artillery is and how it works and the response back is always "that's awesome!" We are not the Marines for a reason!!

As a recruiter back in 2000, we had the same issue. Marines will always win out in the image war with the Army. That is their primary product, an image of some romanticized ideal. I have a great respect for Marines, and certainly like them around when the bullets start flying, but that is all image. The Army is no better or worse than the Marine Corps, just different. I think we need to embrace that difference. The difference you are outlining is really based in the two services identities. Marines identify with being Marines and their history is discussed in terms of what the Marine Corps has done in war. Soldiers, on the other hand, identify with their unit, and the history of the Army is discussed in terms of units. The 82nd is remembered for its combat jumps. The 101st among other things is remembered for the Battle of the Bulge, The Cav for its actions in Korea and and being the Airmobile Division in Vietnam. Even the 86th CSH will be remembered for its identity in OIF as Baghdad ER. Each unit carries its own distinct history, and those patches remind those who have served of the contributions made by those who came before. Wearing that patch on the right sleeve forever ties the soldier wearing it to the combat history of that unit. Let's not water down our history for the sake of competing with the Corps. Let's honor our predecessors, and those who gave the last full measure under those colors by wearing our individual unit combat patches with pride and honor.

I was a recruiter in Lincoln, Nebraska. Most civilians couldn't tell the difference between Soldiers, Marines, or Bus Drivers.

No. We are individualistic in our units, and that patch denotes this. Not knocking the Marines since they don't wear them on their uniforms, but that is a choice THEY made. I'm kinda on the fence about wearing colored patches in Garrison. It's not a bad idea being the BRO can be worn under specific times in garrison. Maybe what the real focus the Army should be dealing with is the massive drawdown that is breaking the force slowly, the massive loss of experience without a knowledge base to capture what these leaders know so it can be applied later. Plenty of flag officers have this. Never saw this with NCO's, and that is where the biggest lessons learned come from.
Patches, smatches.....we don't need no stinkin patches......BUT I WANT my stinkin patch.

What communist heathen would put Up Paratroop unit patches without the airborne tab above it: it's part of the patch!

Army needs to keep their traditions

The difference in image between the Marine Corps and the Army has nothing to do with patches.

I love the Army's patches. So much history

Someone needs to go to the pentagon, go into the subterranean hideout of the "GOOD IDEA FAIRY" and crush its skull with a lead pipe, dismember the body and then burn it to ashes. From that day forward anyone looking to re-invent the GOOD IDEA FAIRY needs a similar treatment.

Stop wearing your ACUs to the station and come dressed for success. If you want to compare the ARMY to the Marines your going about all wrong. It's not about patches it's about how they come to work! I don't know how they do it now a days but it was shortly after I became a recruiter that they started letting army wear ACUs instead of your dress greens/blues whatever. There was a huge decline in success when that happened. If your too comfortable you give off a lazy stigma to those walking through the door.
With my station commanders permission I asked if I could come in some days business casual as long as I had an army logo shirt or pin. Days we had PT I came in my ACUs and then changed into my greens.
I would even go into other recruiting branches in civilian clothes and pose as a potential looking for information. I found out what the other branches thought about the army recruiting station. People respond to professionalism. It's not about patches, it's about your appearance!