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

I had to at least answer the poll here because just the subject line made me laugh. Did this actually happen, or are you just trolling us? Like, I question that something this idiotic would ever happen.

Then again, I've seen a lifetime of stupid actions, so maybe it's actually believable.

These soldiers earned their combat patches, you want one you go earn it. Smh some people! Ridiculous

That is absolutely f*ing hilarious! Thank you so much!

Come back, sit them down, stroke their back, ask them how they feel, hold their hand and ever so softly scream at the top of lungs SUCK IT UP!! And pass them a butthurt card to fill out while doing dead cockroaches!!

They did something similar when we had to have change of command... Getting in our dress blues. Everyone was to not wear our ribbons/medals. They story we got was the officers were intimidated by many of us enlisted. We had been in and had served! Sorry many of the officers didn't.

My answers to your questions - Suck it up! Wear what you have and stand tall!

NO! Earn like we all did!!

I first thought this was a troll, but my God, it appears to be for real. Can a BCT even order that without permission from the Chief of Staff of the Army? Per Army Regulation 670-1, Soldiers are authorized to wear the combat patch of their higher headquarters. The patch is a testimony of sacrifice and loyalty to the individual's unit, the Army, and part of a rich Army tradition. When I was active duty and deployed to the NTC in 1987, there weren't too many combat patches around. So, as a young officer, I had the occasion to work around two senior NCOs from the 101st with double eagles, 101st combat patches and that was there current unit. It didn't make me feel bad or left out, it made me want to aspire to get one.

No, as someone that served post Vietnam, and during the times of the Panama Invasion and Desert Sheild/Desert Storm but did not participate in any of these operations I did not wear a combat patch. Feelings should never come into play in the military as to whether someone wears what has been earned.

E-1s & E-2s don't have combat patches and they are crying about their brothers and sisters that wear the ones they earned. I have been out of the military longer than you have been alive. Maybe twice as long. I can tell you this: when I was serving, if I would have brought up an issue like this, my life would have been hell. This is like asking a person with a Purple Heart not to wear their ribbon because you haven't had a chance to get shot. Jumping Jehosaphat!

How about servicemembers making fun and using terms like "slick sleeve" to those who dont have a combat patch. We all volunteered by freely joining, know the consequences. The vast majority who have deployed, were made to. While I'm glad they made it back, talking negative about fellow service members who havent gone down range is wrong imo.