Ok, I know this subject has been beat to death, but since it happened to me specifically today I have to ask. I was told by my 1Sgt to remove the unauthorized combat patch from my right shoulder. BTW I am ARNG. My story…. I was deployed with BCT to Afghanistan in 2007. I was sent down range to an active duty command 3 days after arriving in country. I spent a little over 10 months with this command and about 55 days with a different command none of which were my BCT. I was given a letter from the command XO (O6) stating that I was authorized to wear patch X, Y and Z as combat patches. I was also given the patch of the unit that I was with for the last 55 days by the commander of that unit and was encouraged to wear their patch as my combat patch. I had that patch on today when the 1Sgt pulled me aside along with others in my company in the same situation. As I understand the regs, since I was “assigned to or having duty with” these commands I am authorized to wear these patches as combat patches. I told the 1Sgt that I have the letter and he told me that he didn't care about any F-ing letter and the decision was that of the Bn Commander and Bn CSM. Now does the Bn Commander and the BN CSM have the authority to override the Army Reg or did I miss understand the reg? I earned these patches so what do I do from here?
Thanks!

See below for your answer...

http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/...ssage%20055-2007.pdf

TELECOMMUNICATIONS(uc),OU:ALARACT RELEASE AUTHORITY(UC)
SUBJECT: ALARACT 055/2007
TEXT:
UNCLASSIFIED//
THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN SENT BY THE PENTAGON TELECOMMUNICATIONS CENTER ON BEHALF OF DA WASHINGTON DC//DAPE-HRPD-IRPD//
SUBJECT: AR 670-1, 3 FEB 05, WEAR AND APPEARANCE OF ARMY UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA
1. THIS MESSAGE SERVES AS IMPLEMENTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE WEAR POLICY OUTLINED IN AR 670-1, APPENDIX F, SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA-FORMER WARTIME SERVICE (SSI-FWTS).
2. SINCE 1945, THE INTENT OF THE WEAR OF THE SSI-FWTS HAS BEEN TO DENOTE SOLDIERS PARTICIPATION IN COMBAT OPERATIONS, AS DIRECTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY, WHILE SERVING WITH LARGE ECHELON DEPLOYED UNITS. BASED ON THE WAY UNITS ARE CURRENTLY DEPLOYING, THE WEAR POLICY FOR THE SSI-FWTS MUST BE REVISED TO CLEARLY CAPTURE THE WARTIME RELATIONSHIP WITH FIGHTING UNITS ON THE GROUND.
3. THIS POLICY CHANGE IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AND IS NOT RETROACTIVE.
4. THIS GUIDANCE APPLIES TO SOLDIERS OF ALL COMPONENTS (ACTIVE, ARNG, AND USAR) THAT DEPLOY DURING PERIODS OF SERVICE DESIGNATED FOR WEAR OF THE SSI-FWTS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH AR 670-1, PARAGRAPH 28-17.
5. THERE IS NO TIME-IN-THEATER REQUIREMENT TO BE AUTHORIZED TO WEAR THE SSI-FWTS.
6. A DEPLOYED UNIT (COMPANY OR HIGHER) WILL WEAR THEIR UNIT S SSI AS THE SSI-FWTS. THIS IS TRUE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE HEADQUARTERS ELEMENT DEPLOYS, AND REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF CHANGES TO THE UNIT S ALIGNMENT OR OPERATIONAL CONTROL (OPCON) DURING THE PERIOD OF DEPLOYMENT.
7. WHEN ECHELONS BELOW COMPANY LEVEL DEPLOY, MEMBERS OF THESE UNITS WILL WEAR THE SSI OF THE LOWEST ECHELON DEPLOYED UNIT (COMPANY OR HIGHER) IN THEIR NEW DEPLOYED CHAINS OF COMMAND AS THEIR SSI-FWTS.
8. WHEN THERE IS NO INTERMEDIATE UNIT (COMPANY OR HIGHER) IN THE DEPLOYED CHAIN OF COMMAND, DEPLOYED SOLDIERS WILL WEAR THE SSI OF THE SENIOR ARMY COMMAND IN THE THEATER AS THEIR SSI-FWTS.
9. SOLDIERS WHO ARE CROSS-LEVELED, ASSIGNED, ATTACHED, OR AUGMENTING DEPLOYED UNITS, AND SOLDIERS WHO ARE TDY ON ORDERS THROUGH THE USE OF DD FORM 1610 (REQUEST AND AUTHORIZATION FOR TDY TRAVEL OF DOD PERSONNEL) WILL WEAR THE SAME SSI-FWTS WORN BY MEMBERS OF THEIR DEPLOYED UNIT (COMPANY OR HIGHER) TO WHICH ATTACHED OR OPCON. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO MEMBERS OF TRIAL DEFENSE AND CIDC, WHO WILL WEAR THE SSI OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMANDS AS THEIR SSI-FWTS.
10. SOLDIERS AUTHORIZED TO WEAR MORE THAN ONE SSI-FWTS MAY CHOOSE WHICH SSI-FWTS THEY WEAR. SOLDIERS MAY ALSO ELECT NOT TO WEAR THE SSI-FWTS.
11. PRECEDENCE WAS ESTABLISHED IN VIETNAM FOR ELEMENTS ORGANIC TO, OR AN INTEGRAL PART OF AN ORGANIZATION TO WEAR THE ORGANIZATIONAL SSI AS THEIR SSI-FWTS.
12. SOLDIERS ATTACHED OR OPCON TO OTHER SERVICES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO WEAR OTHER SERVICES PATCHES AS THEIR SSI-FWTS WITHOUT WRITTEN APPROVAL FROM THE DCS, ARMY G-1 OR A DELEGATED REPRESENTATIVE.
13. POC FOR UNIFORM POLICY IS SGM K. EASLEY, DSN 225-5287; COMM. (703) 695-5287. E-MAIL IS KATRINA.EASLEY@HQDA.ARMY.MIL.
14. THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE DCS, G-1.
15. THIS AUTHORITY IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
16. EXPIRATION. THIS MESSAGE WILL EXPIRE UPON NEXT PUBLICATION OF AR 670-1.
17. EXPIRATION DATE CANNOT BE DETERMINED.
===============================================================

Simple answer, if you, by yourself or in a unit smaller than a company, went with these other units, then you did earn the those SSI-FWTS.

It a soldiers choice to wear any SSI-FWTS that they earned.

BUT

Top can make your life Hell regardless of what the actual regulations say.

Your call, your pain.

Me, because I'm an @ZZ, I'd wear what I earned and keep a copy of the reg with me.

9. SOLDIERS WHO ARE CROSS-LEVELED, ASSIGNED, ATTACHED, OR AUGMENTING DEPLOYED UNITS, AND SOLDIERS WHO ARE TDY ON ORDERS THROUGH THE USE OF DD FORM 1610 (REQUEST AND AUTHORIZATION FOR TDY TRAVEL OF DOD PERSONNEL) WILL WEAR THE SAME SSI-FWTS WORN BY MEMBERS OF THEIR DEPLOYED UNIT (COMPANY OR HIGHER) TO WHICH ATTACHED OR OPCON. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO MEMBERS OF TRIAL DEFENSE AND CIDC, WHO WILL WEAR THE SSI OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMANDS AS THEIR SSI-FWTS.

I would politely refer my 1SG to this and see what he says after that. I know that when we deployed my 1SG kicked my room mate out of the motor pool because he was wearing a combat patch from a previous deployment. He made peoples lives hell for not wearing the 25th patch. Is he allowed to do that? No. Can he? Yes.

Just to echo what Shuman said, your call, your ass.

What can your 1SG do, besides bend your dog tags and send you home? Oh wait! Your home already!

Do some research in here. There was an active duty SSG in the Stars and Stripes newspaper, that went through the same thing.

It's BS....it's nothing but big Army attitude arm twisting. I hate people that do that crap.

But, yeah...is it worth the fight? I would do it but, I'm a short timer and the unit I'm in doesn't care about big Army anyway.

I love how people cherry pick regulations so they can do what they want.

The applicable part of the regulation is probably Para 6 of the ALARACT posted by FEM- bottom line is what orders deployed you? If you deployed with a company size or larger unit from your BCT, you are authorized that patch, AND ONLY THAT PATCH. PERIOD, END OF DISCUSSION.

It doesn't matter what memos other people wrote you, you are still only authorized that patch.

Now, if you DEPLOYED as an individual, you are authorized other patched. Your 1SG probably knows what he is talking about.

Scroll above to my post and note the part I put in bold.

If you are opcon to another unit while you are deployed, then you wear the combat patch of, here let me put it in bold, THE UNIT YOU ARE OPCON/CROSS-LEVELED/ATTACHED/ASSIGNED TO.

Why wouldnt someone want to wear their unit patch as their combat patch? Do they not have pride in their unit? From OIF, Im authorized to wear the Puerto Rico NG patch, the 1st COSCOM patch and the 82nd ABN Div patch. I was serving with the 82nd so that is the one I wear. On my second trip to OIF we were opconed to USASOC, I still wear the 82nd patch because that is the unit I was in. I wasnt a bearded cool guy and I wont fake the funk and pretend I was anything other than a Paratrooper with the 82nd.

Well that's the thing though. You have the option of wearing a PRNG, COSCOM or 82nd patch. When you take that option away from a soldier when the regulation says different is when people get ****y. Some people don't get to make that choice because they are just joe schmoe E4 and have dickwad 1SGs, CSMs, Battalion Commanders et cetera who will make their life hell if they do not comply with their own little rule set.

If I go to combat with another Infantry Div, I would wear their combat patch as well.

And that is fine, you can do what you want. And that is exactly the point. Big Army says that when it comes to combat patches, the ones you are authorized to actually wear, you can choose which one you want to wear. If you want to choose to wear the one of the unit you are deployed with then that's great, but all we are asking is don't force it on everyone else. My 1SG almost got in my ass because I wasn't wearing any combat patch. They use the excuse that it's to build camaraderie but all it does is create dissent.

quote:

Originally posted by Erikwithak86:
My 1SG almost got in my ass because I wasn't wearing any combat patch. They use the excuse that it's to build camaraderie but all it does is create dissent.

Camaraderie and Esprit de Corps is something that must be fostered, it can not be forced. Some people don't get that.

Erik, the original poster was does not meet the criteria of para 9- he deployed with his BCT, as stated in the original post.

Its not freaking hard, its plain English. Some people just want to collect combat patches-

quote:

Originally posted by FormerEmbassyMarine:
6. A DEPLOYED UNIT (COMPANY OR HIGHER) WILL WEAR THEIR UNIT S SSI AS THE SSI-FWTS. THIS IS TRUE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE HEADQUARTERS ELEMENT DEPLOYS, AND REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF CHANGES TO THE UNIT S ALIGNMENT OR OPERATIONAL CONTROL (OPCON) DURING THE PERIOD OF DEPLOYMENT.

The only "exception", if it can be called that, is if a NG unit deploying is normally assigned to the State's STARC. STARC patches will not be worn as SSI-FWTS since States do not deploy. Word has it that will be specifically spelled out in the next 670-1 revision.

Being that the OP deployed with a BCT, that would'nt apply

I can't speak for the others here, Rhino, but I know exactly what you mean. Some units have a special meaning for people and wearing their patch has personal significance - I exclusively wear the one that means the most to me. The rule was implemented because things got out of hand, both with the proliferation of SSI-FWTS that followed the rules and those that did not.

I'm not your 1SG, so I'm not going to tell you what to wear or not wear, but you did ask the question, and by the info provided you do fall under the changes in ALARACT 055-2007. It sucks, but what can we tell ya? 1SG can't make you wear one or decide among those that you are authorized, but he can point out if you are not authorized a particular patch since he is familiar with your deployment history.

quote:

Originally posted by rhino-3-1:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by FALightFighter:
If you are referring to me as a patch collector....QUOTE]

Not you, particularly, but alot of people in general. I can't count the number of times I've asked people wearing the 82nd patch who they were with in Division, and gotten a blank stare, then some mumbo jumbo about "well, we were attached to them....". Both the old reg and the new ALARACT said basically the same thing- if you deployed with a unit, you wear that unit patch. The old reg had something about organic elements of a unit authorized a patch (basically meant Division or separate BDE, for most people). Another example, the battalion we replaced in OIF I had sent a company to an SF company to pull security for an operation that was scrubbed. You couldn't count how many SF combat patches there were there, from the 3-4 days they were "attached" to the SF- planning the scrubbed mission.

My take, be proud of YOUR unit, and wear that patch. For 99% of people, that is all that's important- I realize that there are the 1% exceptions, which it sounds like you are.

quote:

Originally posted by rhino-3-1:
If you are referring to me as a patch collector, with all due respect, that is not who I am. I was asking the question to find out what was right and what was wrong. The reg that I read must have been the one prior to the posted reg. To me, it is what it is and I will comply like it or not. I got my CIB and Bronze Star fighting with the guys whom I was attached to, not my BCT. That would be the only reason that I would want to wear their patch as my combat patch. HOOAH!

Look, per the Army G-1 (who is the proponent for said reg), you wear the patch of the UIC you deployed under. Not "attached to", not "served under", not "emotionally connected with". As others here have posted, SSI-FWTS got out of hand. People were coming back wearing Special Ops unit patches because the FOB they were at had a special ops unit there, and some dillweed in the unit "authorized" everyone to wear it. Hell, troops in my NG BCT came back thinking they were authorized FOUR patches.

You deployed with your BCT, you wear your BCT's patch. Besides, you'll always remember the guys you actually worked with in your mind and in your heart...that's where it matters, not on your right shoulder.