Posted on Feb 28, 2019
SSgt Geospatial Intelligence (Geoint) Analyst
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Currently under the AFI USAF members who are authorized to wear morale patches with their flight suits. With the OCP uniform like the flight suits having Velcro, making it extremely easy to change out patches, what would be your thoughts on extending the ability to wear morale patches on the OCP uniform? This is merely a hypothetical question and I know the policy isn't likely to change in the near future. Just doesn't make sense to me on why only the flyers get morale patches.
Posted in these groups: 4276e14c UniformsIncreasingmoraleretention Morale
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SGT Fire Team Leader
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Just accept the fact that not all jobs in the military really warrant morale patches in the first place. Example: cooks wearing "kill 'em all" tabs. Or an S1 clerk with a Punisher skull. Or a finance soldier rocking a claymore patch on an operator ball cap. In the words of Captain America: "Son, just don't"
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1SG Retired
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LOL.
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SGT Retired
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“S1 clerk with a Punisher skull.”
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MSG Frank Kapaun
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Or a parts clerk with a “Fuck It, We’ll Do It Live.” morale patch.
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MAJ N/A
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To quote Tommy Lee Jones from "Under Siege", "This is not the work of a cook." Maybe the cook wearing a "kill 'em all" patch refers to the Soldiers he / she is serving food to?
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IMO, it should not happen. It would be distasteful and have an extreme unprofessional look.
MSgt Michael Smith
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Morale patches are not a given for all flight suits. It largely depends on the squadron, wing, etc. Also, when aircrews fly combat missions, flight suits are sanitized (no patches). So here is the thing --what you are dealing with is a cultural issue. Flying squadrons (and many other squadrons) have traditions, customs, cultures that are unique. Remember that the Air Force came from the Army, a special division called the Army Air Corps. Morale patches are are part of that culture. Flying squadrons represent the core of culture and tradition, cause they were the first part of the Air Force. That is just how it is, so they act and get treated a little differently. There is a reason why most Generals in the Air Force are also pilots --tradition. OCPs have nothing to do with tradition, they are all about the mission. the mission does not have to do with tradition.
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What would your opinion be on extending morale patches to the OCP Uniform?
CPT Senior Instructor
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I'm really not a fan of this at all. Some organizations make poor decisions and their patches may not reflect well. I have seen soldiers wear individual morel patches with symbols that would offend the locals or something stupid that sexual. My battalion does have a unofficial patch but it is never worn on a uniform. The symbol of the patch was used in world war II for the Battalion.
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CCMSgt Aircraft Armament Systems
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As it stands in the 2903 Commanders approve morale patches...and of course they should be in good taste. Allow the same standards for the OCO given to the FDU. Allow Commanders to lead and make decisions they feel are in good order and discipline with common sense. Morale can exist across all units...not just FDU wearers.
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MAJ N/A
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Not a good idea. Someone is going to put an offensive patch on their uniform, it's going to get photographed and posted on the web, someone is going to complain, and heads will roll.
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SSgt Geospatial Intelligence (Geoint) Analyst
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But do we not run that same risk with morale patches on flight suits? And the AFI authorizes them for that uniform on Fridays.
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It all depends on the content. Fun meters are one thing. But there are plenty of other patches out there that are bound to run afoul of regulations. Look at what has happened to COs who don't nix flight plans for drawing . . . well, morale boosting designs.
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1SG Retired
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Nope.
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SSG Byron Hewett
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Go and buy a flight jacket you the type that you can turn insideout and it will be a bright orange so your easily seen if you lost and the right side out is usually OD green or black. I know a lot of my battle buddies I was in the army with long before I had retired had bought these flight jackets and had unit patches, moral patches, and veteran patches from the VFW and Legion organizations all sown on the Jack's some guys have bought the POW MIA leather vests and have done the same thing. So your right policy probably won't change but there are ways to improvise and adapt... so go to it and improvise and adapt to the situation do something fun that doesn't break policy or regs.
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LCDR Joshua Gillespie
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Here's my useless $.02-"Morale" patches evolved as a "passive aggressive" hit at the "regular" Military and it's regulations. They were a way for irregular units, doing irregular things to build their own set of individual recognition and esprit de corps-as well as prove that the risks they faced outweighed the ability/desire of "Higher" to hold them to conventional regulations. Maybe aviators feel a part of that tradition... and maybe other units feel they are welcome to it.

Personally, I feel that if I have to ask the question...I probably already know the answer.
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