Should we remove combat patches to be sensitive to those who don't have them?

In my day you sewed your patches on your uniform. I sure as hell wasnt going to remove my 3AD from my right shoulder while I was in 1st Infantry!!

The soldiers that earned those patches are listed on their DD-214, file, should be able to wear ever patch earned that is legal. That can also notated by Regulation by your UIC at your Battery, Battalion or Higher chain. I was a training NCO for a couple a units thats I was apart of and had access to regulatory information.

SPC Rick LaBonte - Very good point.

LTC Labrador,
If you were to tell me to violate a regulation over a policy letter, I'd be on your carpet listening why I'm cowtowing to appease a private's hurt feelings and my service in combat

I volunteered to go overseas, but wasn't allowed due to training injuries and when, as a 37 year old PFC saw the patch, I knew they truly put it all on the line and was proud to serve with them and THEY called me MOM! Try going to the PX and hear Hey Mom, you forgot my hug and it's a CSM or LT with a Col., who is smiling and then asks for a hug too and you are in uniform with your SSG? Man, then later there is the Post Gen. at your Platoon office asking about you cause you have tonsillitis and stepped on his foot at the DFAC and you try to apologize and you can't do anything but squeak. Thought I was had, but he wanted to make sure I WAS OK and let my command know that I was polite and ask how old I was cause he noticed some grey hair. They ALL had Combat patch-I didn't and didn't care cause that LT and SSG saved my life cause of a near fall OFF a piece of equipment and I respected them before, but MORE after that day-just wish I could find them and let them know that cause of them, I am now married and living happily.

The soldiers that earned those patches are listed on their DD-214, file, should be able to wear ever patch earned that is legal. That can also notated by Regulation by your UIC at your Battery, Battalion or Higher chain. I was a training NCO for a couple a units thats I was apart of and had access to regulatory information.

Well said Specialist Ivanov!

SSG Walter Corretjer -

Very well said! Many of today's young generation (but not all) have no clue what the military is all about nor any idea of what it means to EARN your Awards & Decs.

I wouldn't want to be a Drill Sergeant in today's Army. The Drill Sergeant would probably be reprimanded for yelling at a trainee. I forgot. They can't call them trainees anymore because it hurts their feelings.

The soldiers that earned those patches are listed on their DD-214, file, should be able to wear ever patch earned that is legal. That can also notated by Regulation by your UIC at your Battery, Battalion or Higher chain. I was a training NCO for a couple a units thats I was apart of and had access to regulatory information.

MSG Wally Carmichael - I met a 101st Troop who in his two turnaround tours to Nam, returned with a Silver Star for each tour. In one of those actions, a CMH was awarded to another Troop.

‘Chuck’ said he was not suited to Soldiering at Ft Campbell, when they ran out of schools to send him to, they sent him back to Nam.

i recieved combat patch from big red one, but because of the changes at the time of my service had to recieve CA combat patch, i wore the CA but cherrish the one, my uncle served ww2 big red one from start to end, and it is in his memory that i keep the certificate

MSG (Join to see) The 1st, ID's, big Red One is indeed legendary!

The soldiers that earned those patches are listed on their DD-214, file, should be able to wear ever patch earned that is legal. That can also notated by Regulation by your UIC at your Battery, Battalion or Higher chain. I was a training NCO for a couple a units thats I was apart of and had access to regulatory information.

SPC Cornelius Beale - Sometime after 2006 or 2007. But reflective gear had been creeping for quite sometime before that. IOBC had us each wearing reflective vests in 1997. While deployed to GTMO in 2004-05, there was no requirement for any reflective gear.

There were too many Soldiers getting hit while they were running, or walking on Camp Arifjan Kuwait. The resulting fix was the wearing of reflective belts during the hours of darkness.
While on LSA Anaconda/Balad AB, Iraq if you didn't have a PT belt on, you couldn't get into the rec center, the theater, or any other building that was recreational in nature. Being an Internal Convoy Escort Platoon for our Task Force we had to escort convoys from Ramadi to Balad a couple times a month. We would always have some dumb ass Private that would forget to bring a PT belt, and since we ran opposite hours, we were up during the dark hours with nothing else to do but go to the Rec Center. It go to the point we would bring about a dozen extra belts with us on those runs. Balad was so much like a regular city, they even had street sweepers, the MP's would run speed traps, they would lay stop signs down so drivers would go through without stopping, then get pulled over and get a ticket.
That's the mind frame that was behind the use of PT belts being used. Just a little bit of useless trivia.

The soldiers that earned those patches are listed on their DD-214, file, should be able to wear ever patch earned that is legal. That can also notated by Regulation by your UIC at your Battery, Battalion or Higher chain. I was a training NCO for a couple a units thats I was apart of and had access to regulatory information.

MSG David Johnson Thanks! That's one thing I don't miss. It conflicts with my notion of personal accountability.

MSG David Johnson - At this point I have nothing to prove to anyone.

Being a Combat Engineer for my entire career we were at one time considered one of the Combat Arms, then changed to Combat Support. From Desert Storm we were authorized 2 patches, from a tour in 2004/05 with a Transportation unit we were assigned/attached to 3 separate units, so 3 more patches. My last tour we were assigned to an Army Brigade for admin purposes, but worked directly for the Marines in Ramadi. From that tour we were awarded both the 1st MEF FWD, and 2nd MEF FWD patches. Yes, AR670-1 says which one we will wear, but there is a lot of leeway given from what I've seen over the years.
As for ribbons, yeah, I've got 7 "I Was There Medals" from 3 tours.
The only medals I really care about are my 2 BSM's, one with Valor device, and my PH. I also earned my SAPPER Tab in 1987.
You know the saying "You can have a hundred Atta Boys wiped out by one Aww Shit." Well, I've had lots of Aww Shits, so ended up with a couple dozen certificates of achievement instead of the ARCOM's and AAM's that had been submitted for the work I'd done for other units.
Oh well, I still made it to E8 and retirement. And! I'm proud of my service.
Ok, I'm done.

The soldiers that earned those patches are listed on their DD-214, file, should be able to wear ever patch earned that is legal. That can also notated by Regulation by your UIC at your Battery, Battalion or Higher chain. I was a training NCO for a couple a units thats I was apart of and had access to regulatory information.

I had a 1st Sgt in Germany, at that time 7th Sig Spt Bn. The top had a 101st patch on his right shoulder. When CQ one night I ask him about it. He had been Airborne once and tore up his knees and had to quit. But he earned the patch during Korea.

Amen.

Capt James Kerins - I knew a guy who was a radio operator in the JSOC TOC he had 4 BSM for Meritorious Service. Never left the base, was assigned to an SF unit, but was not SF qualified, but he was awful proud of those 4 BSM's.

It sounds like a different type of Stolen Valor while still serving.

When we went on leave back in the late 60's you should seen all the soldiers that were going home with a chest full of medals you know they didn't earn and they quickly were removed & some by a little persuading perhaps Even at the Airports.

Here's my thought, if we are asked to take off combat patches because younger less experienced soldiers can feel better about themselves then what's next our skill badges? Where does it stop? Why shouldn't I be recognized for the blood, sweat, tears, and personal sacrifice I have made to not only the Army but also to my family?

1SG (Join to see) - Yes. Exactly.

I am lucky. My daughter thanks me every Veterans Day for getting wounded. Her mother was an Army nurse that I met and schmoozed her off her feet. He father, a WWII vet, told her to not listen to that silver tongued SGT. My daughter wore one from the Gulf War. She was with in an ADA unit. HOOAH!!!!

MSG Loren Tomblin - It sounds to me like you have a wonderful daughter and obviously, a wonderful wife as well. The only thing better then one veteran in the house, is two or more veterans in the house. :-) My husband and I both served and met in the military as well. I wouldn't have it any other way. Blessings!

Its not Pvt. Snuffy running the Army, its our weak leadership catering to their undeserved request.

I can't understand how this is still being talked about.

Its all these Command Climate Surveys they have to do every 6 months to make sure the new Privates aren't being molested in their barracks rooms or harassed, or some other shyte. One of the main complaints is that they don't 'feel part of the team' because they don't have a patch.

The soldiers that earned those patches are listed on their DD-214, file, should be able to wear ever patch earned that is legal. That can also notated by Regulation by your UIC at your Battery, Battalion or Higher chain. I was a training NCO for a couple a units thats I was apart of and had access to regulatory information.

I want my Mommy!!!!

No doubt! Hey! What else bothers you guys? Saluting Officers? Saluting the flag? Deploying? Formations? Guard duty? Being away from home? Not enough video game time? Holy shit!