What is the official ruling on the wear of combat patches via assigned and the unwritten rule of wear?

Question

I was with the 3rd ACR battalion and attached to the 1st ID brigade but I wear my 3rd ACR patch. However, I have met people who are ridiculous with the combat patches. For example, my brothers NG unit was the option to wear 7 or 8 patches ranging from 1st ID, 101st, 3rd ID, 42ID, and so on because they did "missions" with these units. So, what is the official military standing, I've heard officially you are supposed to wear your combat patch on a company level, i.e. if your company of 3ID soldiers, you wear 3rd ID patch. I have also heard the unwritten rule that whatever patch you wear on your left shoulder during war is the patch you wear on your right shoulder. So please let me hear your voices, comments, concerns, and sources for this combat patch matter. I just see combat patches should have orders like everything else, this whole fradulent citation with Cpl. McClanahan has raised my concern.

Answer 1

See AR670-1 Dated 3 Februry 2005 Appendix F pg 327; this is the official policy regarding the combat patch.

You might have been 'patched' by another unit because of being OPCON with that organization however it is not be worn in the same manner as a combat patch.

Answer 2

You are all over it....but when you read the most current regulation it basically states if you deploy in a company or higher unit level you will wear that units SSI....no matter how many times the unit may be reattached or assigned. When there is no intermediate command you will wear the SSI of the highest in theater command. When a unit below company level deploys they will wear the SSI of the lowest echelon in their new chain of command. This means if your platoon deploys as a mess kit repair platoon for 3rd SF group, they will wear the group patch. This also means if your platoon deploys with your company and they are assigned to 25 different brigades thoughout the rotation...they will wear your units patch.....bottom line, that is what is spelled out in the link I provided.

I read in the Army times about that PX soldier. Seriously I dont think he would last a day with those tabs and badges as a E4 in a real unit. As a SFC the first thing I would do would be to pick at his brain...come on, a long tab??

Answer 3

Its not just doing a mission with a unit, you have to be attached to the unit. In some cases, such as a Civil Affairs Battalion, I saw one team that was attached to 4 different units. Sometimes with support units, they can be traded around a lot, but there has to be an actual attachment to the unit, you can't just do a mission under Operational Control (OPCON) with them and get thier patch.

In your case, you could probably wear either the BRO or the 3ACR.

I believe you are correct in that its where your company is at, but if your company is attached to another unit, you can wear that patch. I have seen soldiers who were part of an Army division, but attached to a Marine division, so they could wear their Army patch or the Marine patch, because thier company was on orders attached to the Marine division. Today the Marine division patches are only worn by the Army.

Another example with myself about the orders. I was assigned to the BRO at Ft. Riley. I was sent as an augmentee to 2nd Marine Division to CJTF Horn of Africa. However, since 2nd Marine Division was not deployed as 2MARDIV, but as HQ CJTF Horn of Africa, we were awarded the CENTCOM patch as our combat patch, all because the orders were written as CJTF HOA.

And for your buddies, tell them to look at thier ORBs/ERBs. If the unit isnt mentioned on the list of assignments, I wouldnt wear the patch for a board or board photo. For example, if it says something along the lines of 2nd Battalion 3rd ACR/ HQ 101st Airborne OIF I wouldnt wear the Big Red One patch on the photo.

Answer 4

I have been retired for 14 years now, after 21 years service. Unless things have changed, which ever unit you are ASSIGNED to is the patch you wear. If you are assigned to the 3rd ID and attached to say the 1st ID for operational purposes, you would still wear the 3rd ID patch.
Now, as in Viet-Nam, if you were assigned to a unit as a REPLACEMENT (new in-country), then that would be your unit, since that is who you were assigned to.
If things have changed in the past 14 years, please correct me, someone, anyone.

Answer 5

I believe the official regs are that as long as you are "assigned" to a unit in an immanent danger zone, you can wear it on the right shoulder. If you were in the zone, you are authorized to wear the patch that you wore on your left shoulder, the division you were assigned to, and the theator of operations you were assigned to.

Answer 6

3id Patch

Answer 7

you wear the patch of the lowest unit you deployed with so if you deployed with your company you wear that one if you were an augmentee you where the one of the lowest unit of assignment. so if you were assigned to a BN that is what you wear.