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

Ah, NO,WTF the BN Cmdr thinking

No problem, throw out tradition, respect honor and everything we hold most dear along with it. Let just rack up core values and respect to our elders as well. Notice a curve downward yet, just wait.

No

On the flip side, some of us will never have an acknowledgement to particular services. Simply because of the classified nature. So E1's and E2's stop bitching for nothing.

It should not matter to the new greenhorns!
We deployed, We were in a COMBAT THEATRE, We did our tour there, We Came Back Home Safely and Returned to our units, And WE Earned our spot to be classified as a COMBAT SOLDIER!
They should have No discord about that because eventually, they will get their chance also! AND YOU LITTLE STIFFS BETTER NOT TRY TO WEASEL OR CHICKEN OUT OF A DEPLOYMENT EITHER!! IT'S WHAT YOU SIGNED ON THE DOTTED LINE FOR TOO!

Does it make sense that if you worked 500+ hours to receive recognition for hard work and received an award for your work, that your little brother receives the same award for your work? The answer would be obvious, but we as humans do not think about the state of others around us, we only think about ourselves. To remove the Combat patch (which specifically is designed to recognize those that have been deployed and thus giving recognition to those that have experience that the army can use to pass down) resembles that we are adhering more to emotion than we are to a proper logical approach to maintaining a good fighting force. I know it's cliche to say, but the enemy will not care how we "feel" when in battle, and the enemy will utilize our weaknesses against us (just as we do against them). While E1s and E2s feel "left out" what should be replaced with that is the motivation to succeed when the chance comes to them, rather than feel dis-satisfied that they do not have something they have not earned yet. The military force should not focus primarily on providing satisfaction to those who join - we all sign the dotted line to give our lives in the defense of the nation. There are incentives, and rewards, and experience to be obtained and earned, but life is not easy or fair to everyone, and those that think that it's unfair that something as simple as a combat patch (which is not about them, it's about those who have earned it and how the experience has help them progress in their own career and life experience) should remember that not everyone can join the military in the first place, and that becoming part of the military is already an achievement that 90% of the population will never do, which has it's own accolades. But it doesn't stop there, and the more experience you want to achieve, the more you can earn in respect and experience, so go out there and earn it, instead of complaining you don't have something that you have not earned yet.

I do not have a combat patch. I never felt left out by soldiers with combat patches. We all worked together. The Cold War Era soldiers understood and honored those who had seen the bear. The new generation needs to understand that this is not modern kiddie sports where everyone gets a participation certificate...

WTF? Nope, And hell no. What you earn is yours. I’ve never heard of this. I have seen unit specific patches only allowed at specific units or while assigned to specific units. Whoever said go join the AF, must be a bit long in the tooth. We are everywhere baby. I love the banter. You May have more from one component or another, but combat loves em all. That’s how it is now, in case you didn’t know. Lol

So I’m sure they don’t have airborne wings, aerosol wings, CA be, they have to earn it. They’ll be just fine in the sensitive army we have today. Lol

I remember when i first enlisted and saw who did and did not have Combat patches. It was an honor if you had one. In my opinion tough cookies if you dont have one. Those who had one earned them and those who didn't strive to earn one. It is what it is and in my opinion NO LEADER has the right to take it away. I think it was wrong of the leadership to do it.

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.