Soldiers wearing combat patches they didnt earn!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[wrench98d]

i am in a national guard detachment that deployed to Kuwait in 03 in support of OIF/OEF. Upon returning they were authorized the 3rd Army patch as a SSI-FWTS. which was their highest command at the time. I believe i am correct in saying that the regulations stated that,(short and sweet) that's the patch you get. I was not with the unit at the time. I was in Iraq in the regular Army and went right back again 8 months later. i ETS and joined the guard(what was i thinking?) this unit is now deployed again. we are part of a unit out of Texas, but our detachment is out of Oklahoma. soldiers from my (Okla) detachment are wearing the 45Th Inf as a SSI-FWTS (combat patch) some claiming they earned it during their first deployment. Even some soldiers who have never deployed before are wearing the 45Th (thunderbird) on their right sleeve. Most of these soldiers know what they are doing is wrong. their command is aware they are wrong. but it is disgusting to see this. what can i do. what regulation can i site. these soldiers are disrespecting the soldiers who have actually earned the right to wear that patch ( i am not one of those soldiers) i wear the patch i earned, (1st AD) it means alot to me. but to see soldiers just put on what ever they want sickens me, its disgraceful. The 45Th Inf was praised by Gen. Patton during the Sicilian campaign, saying Your division is one of the best, if not the best division in the history of American arms.” The Division went on to Korea in Dec. 1951 serving in the  area, and in sectors fronting Old Baldy, Pork Chop Hill, Heartbreak Ridge, and Luke's Castle. and even in Iraq today. These soldiers in my opinion are dishonoring the memory and sacrifice soldiers from this division have made in the past and will make in the future. a few people in this unit that have "earned" that patch have refused to wear it so that they are not associated with the majority that do. what are we to do. the command obliviously doesn't give a rats @$$.

[vftb]

Hey Wrench, being a prior Coastie there's not much I can add to your question, other than every branch has it's posers and wannabes.  But, I can welcome you to the board  , and thank you for posting.  BTW you can actually spell out "ass" over here 

[Mudpuppy Sarge]

Short and sweet?

It's just a patch.

I could get butthurt that someone who served in Kuwait wears a combat patch, but what good does it do me?

It's just a little bit of cloth and velcro.
Actions speak louder than words, and patches.

[Mudpuppy Sarge]

As far as the actual policy goes?
Here:

AW ALARACT 055/2007
1. THIS MESSAGE SERVES AS IMPLEMENTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE
WEAR POLICY OUTLINED IN AR 670-1, APPENDIX F, SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIAFORMER
WARTIME SERVICE (SSI-FWTS). 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. THIS POLICY
CHANGE IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AND IS NOT RETROACTIVE. 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. THERE IS NO TIME-IN-THEATER REQUIREMENT
TO BE AUTHORIZED TO WEAR THE SSI-FWTS. 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. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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.
2

[TravelMug79]

You don't get better service than the real answer.  Good job Sarge.

[LineDoggie]

i am in a national guard detachment that deployed to Kuwait in 03 in support of OIF/OEF. Upon returning they were authorized the 3rd Army patch as a SSI-FWTS. which was their highest command at the time. I believe i am correct in saying that the regulations stated that,(short and sweet) that's the patch you get.

I was not with the unit at the time. I was in Iraq in the regular Army and went right back again 8 months later. i ETS and joined the guard(what was i thinking?) this unit is now deployed again. we are part of a unit out of Texas, but our detachment is out of Oklahoma. soldiers from my (Okla) detachment are wearing the 45Th Inf as a SSI-FWTS (combat patch) some claiming they earned it during their first deployment.

Even some soldiers who have never deployed before are wearing the 45Th (thunderbird) on their right sleeve. Most of these soldiers know what they are doing is wrong. their command is aware they are wrong. but it is disgusting to see this. what can i do. what regulation can i site. these soldiers are disrespecting the soldiers who have actually earned the right to wear that patch ( i am not one of those soldiers) i wear the patch i earned, (1st AD) it means alot to me.

but to see soldiers just put on what ever they want sickens me, its disgraceful. The 45Th Inf was praised by Gen. Patton during the Sicilian campaign, saying Your division is one of the best, if not the best division in the history of American arms.” The Division went on to Korea in Dec. 1951 serving in the  area, and in sectors fronting Old Baldy, Pork Chop Hill, Heartbreak Ridge, and Luke's Castle. and even in Iraq today.


These soldiers in my opinion are dishonoring the memory and sacrifice soldiers from this division have made in the past and will make in the future. a few people in this unit that have "earned" that patch have refused to wear it so that they are not associated with the majority that do. what are we to do. the command obliviously doesn't give a rats @$$.

1.- As Stated there is no time requirement for the SSI-FWTS "Combat Patch". You get off the plane, you technically earned the patch. I believe the only ones where that doesnt count is for TDY of a week or so. (Exception is A PSD on TDY of a week or less)

2.- You do have the option of not wearing it, though the command may decide you will if they tell you to. Been an Issue with some units.