What would you do if you observed unauthorized wear of Badges/tabs, awards, decorations or SSI-FWT?

Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 13:13:30 -0500

What would you do in this situation if you were either his senior, peer or subordinate? and Why?

Is this Soldier wrong and does he have the right to carry on wearing things he did not earn? and Why?

Hypothetical Synaposis:

You walk into work call one morning and you observe the new Soldier in your platoon. You greet the new guy and welcome him in. You know this Soldier from your previous duty station because you were both deployed to RC-East. Same company, but different platoons and same battle space in RC-East. As you casually catch up on old times, you observe him wearing an SSI that you know you both did not earn while on the previous and only deployment.

Same scenario but he is wearing a skill tab or some type of badge.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Feb 4 at 2014 1:32 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 13:32:12 -0500

Make sure you're right though, who knows what they've done since you last saw them...

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2014 1:45 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 13:45:25 -0500

I would bring it up in conversation asking "when did you attend (i.e. airborne school)?" and use follow up questions depending on the SM's answer. There are certain indicators when someone is faking the funk most of the time. I would definitely get clarification before I question the SM's integrity.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2014 2:09 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 14:09:36 -0500

I saw a picture of an E-2 with a 1st ID patch, a long tab, and a sniper tab. He should be launched into the sun for being that stupid. If you're going to fake something, know a little about it. 

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2014 2:11 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 14:11:49 -0500

If I were senior like say PSG, I would have his/her ERB to verify.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2014 2:14 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 14:14:13 -0500

Heaven save us from Privates let loose in Clothing and Sales for the first time after graduation from basic. LOL

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Apr 7 at 2014 12:28 AM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 00:28:10 -0400

Wow that is a bugger boo isn't it. If I was dead sure of myself I would officially counsel him in the errors of his ways. Having said that, I'm a communicator, I handled the messages for OPNAV INST which stated who can where what when where and how, I have seen the dates change back and forth, I have seen the qualifications change back and forth so rarely am I so sure of myself and I am reminded of CNO Adm Boorda who commited suicide over something very similar.

Response by CPT Jacob Swartout made Apr 13 at 2014 5:10 PM

CPT Jacob Swartout — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 17:10:54 -0400

Record the Soldier's conversations about how he/she went to all the extremes to wear them and claims that he earned them. Take a picture of him/her in the uniform. Verify everything on record and if SSI is not authorized, get with the Chain of Command for guidance on the next step and seek your Legal Office guidance too; if necessary.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 1 at 2014 8:44 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 08:44:45 -0400

I'd tell him to take his SSI off an put on the right one. Sometimes Soldiers just don't know, it happens a lot. Once you let them know they usually do the right thing.

I'd be even more annoyed if I ran into to tell a Soldier wearing a special skill tab that they didn't earn. I would tell that Soldier to take it off. If they didn't I would elevate it to the CoC.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 1 at 2014 10:05 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 10:05:02 -0400

If it is a SSI I would verify that this Soldier had no other deployments other then the one we were on together. If his answer was no, then I would inform him of the old ALACRAT message from 2007?. It amazes me to this day how many Soldiers still pull the "I have a memo signed by a LTC from X BN awarding me X combat patch, we fell under them for 3 months during my last deployment in 2011." 9/10 this Soldier is just confused on the regs.

As an MP we tend to deploy as company size elements and we fall under infantry BCTs or in my case right now an MP BN from a different post. The MP BDE that we relieved in JAN handed out a Memo to a ton of MP companys that fell under them for as little as 30 days. Awarding them their patch. Totally against the regs.

As for tabs and badges? Hammer comes down. You ether know or don't know if you went to AA or Airborne school.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2014 10:02 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 10:02:19 -0400

I would say that you would have to be positive of what you are doing. I have seen this go both ways.

One of the funniest stories I have heard was when a soldier from the 10th MTN LRS Unit went to into the guard. Now the LRS is airborne and they wear an airborne tab over their mountain tab, which is their unit patch and is authorized. When he got to his guard unit a LT saw this and locked him up. The LT would then cut off his Airborne tab. End result, the soldier from the 10th MTN LRS unit was in the CO's office and the LT was doing push ups in there also.

On the other hand I had a soldier that went to another unit and on his FB page he was tagged in some photos, by his girlfriend, wearing wings and a tab that he never earned. When questions by some of us he never responded and the took down the pictures.

It is infuriating to me to have people wear awards that they didn't earn.

Response by SFC Laura Whitehead made Jun 2 at 2014 6:07 PM

SFC Laura Whitehead — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 18:07:15 -0400

On June 3, President Barack Obama signed into law The American Legion-backed Stolen Valor Act of 2013, which now makes it a "federal crime for an individual to fraudulently hold oneself out to be a recipient of any of several specified military decorations or medals with the intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit."

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2014 9:34 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 21:34:10 -0400

I chaptered a guy for wearing an award he didn't earn. Turns out he had other integrity issues as well.

As for the Combat Patch prior to 2007 I always said "wear what you feel". If you fell under that unit and that's the unit you feel you were a part of, Hooah.

Today, the standard is clear.

I'm not sure how many Patches I can wear under the old reg but I have two Division patches a go between. (I did wear the Third Army Patch when my old office had "POG Patch Mondays"). Every Patch I wear was worn on my other arm on a deployment.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2014 11:36 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 23:36:20 -0400

I have had experienced similar situations. First off set the tone as none accusatory as they may not be doing it out of malice but out of not knowing. Pull out the regulation and inform them what it is. Give them a chance to do the right thing. If they do not then begin to start other actions. All the times it took a little nudge here or there but they corrected themselves.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 24 at 2014 4:36 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 16:36:31 -0400

Try to get a refund.

Response by SSG(P) Matthew Bisbee made Dec 6 at 2014 4:48 PM

SSG(P) Matthew Bisbee — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 16:48:24 -0500

While I was still on Active Duty at Ft. Bragg, an alert PFC in the PAC section noticed that a SSG did not have documentation for a Ranger tab in his records while conducting a records review with the SSG. He asked the SSG if he had documentation...to which the SSG replied that he got it for going through a Ranger course in Vietnam and that "we didn't have time for paperwork." The SSG had been wearing this unauthorized tab from 1971 until 1987 without having been confronted. The SSG threw a fit in the Squadron HQ. The SSG ended up not only removing the Ranger tab from his BDU's and Class A's, but he removed his SSG rank and sewed on SGT rank in its place.

Bottom line, I would ask the soldier for documentation on the skill badge or tab. If the soldier is able to produce it, great. If not, I would direct the soldier to remove it. If the soldier becomes disrespectful, that is what Article 15's are made for.

Response by SGT Kenneth Wheeler made May 25 at 2015 7:14 AM

SGT Kenneth Wheeler — Mon, 25 May 2015 07:14:54 -0400

On the spot correction , but not to bring addition to the individual or urself. Let him do the correcting or do rjet right thing and help out