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

No way, before I retired, I deployed with 3 different units, and while deployed assigned to units in which I was given a patch, each of these patch have different memories for me, some good, some bad. If we go to just one patch this might notherwise mean as much to the new generation of Soliders.

SSG (Join to see) This is not a badges and patches problem. It's a training issue.

Marines are fuckin' Marines. Each and every one. whatever else you want to say about the marines. (a lot of back and forth banter, we all know it, we've all done it) The marines know how to train their recruits. They take civilians of all kinds just like we do in the army and reprogram their minds to become marines. Even still now as I have to sit and listen to a Army trainee tell me that no one told him that a DS would yell and he can't handle it and has ptsd and needs to go home (literally. actual patient) These new Marines I treat are simply better. Discipline, respect, personal pride. confidence. The marines build that into their recruits.

a little fun observation I made of differences between the two and I think it explains it perfectly.

lets say I've two patients coming into my clinic to be seen. I tell patient A(army) and patient M (Marine) to take off their tops for an IV.

Army guy will usually toss his PC onto a bed or shoved in a pocket etc, drop the top and throw it on the bed. Throw it over the Uprest etc but nearly nine out of ten times with the Marines when I had that scenario play out I'd tell the Marine to go ahead and take it off.

carefully they'd removed their arms out of the rolled sleeves. Their PC would be placed down gently. Meticulously that top would be folded and placed down somewhere and the PC again moved and gently placed on top. Like a ritual.

If we in the army are going to start comparing ourselves to the Marines. Lets actually identify good shit we can take from them.

Badges? Not a soul taking that right patch off my sleeve.

The other services should adopt the combat patch. It would be a little different in the Navy/Marines as most patches would be Ship patches.

Keep them. They increase unit pride. Here are two examples. When I was with the 101st, we ran into a group of 82nd. Both groups engaged in a lighthearted "Who's better" battle that included "Your Mother" jokes. I was with the 2nd ACR, we crossed paths with some Big Red One infantry boys, they shot first with, "If you ain't infantry you ain't S!@#!" One of us fired back with, "Go fall out of an airplane freezing your a!@ off then walk 24k to your objective! I'm going to sit in my FLA with the heater on!" Just as how every branch of service makes fun of the other, it's one family verses the other.

The Marines are a Corps, the Army is a branch. They have their traditions, we have ours.

Keep the patches. With patches comes proud history and tradition of each unit in the Army. What soldier was not proud of the All American, Old Abe, Cav, 2nd Div. or any of the patches they wear or wore?

One reason people don't ask a Marine that question could be they are afraid. Kidding. First thought: People think the Marines have one primary function. They don't have to ask. People know that Soldiers have different jobs, are assigned to different units and/or places. Maybe, to help the Army image, they should change the regulations concerning when to wear which uniform. I always believed the Marine dress uniform was pretty cool looking.

No

I think if you want to be a Marine, go join the Marine Corps, SSG Recruiter....

I would like the option to sew everything on, regardless if there are parches or not.