Question about combat patch

[chris eckert]

I was wondering if the combat patch goes on the class a uniform. I have seen soldiers wearing their class as and some have the same unit patch on their left arm as their right. I have also seen some with a different unit patch on their right as their left. Basically i am asking do soldier wear their unit patch on their right arms after returning from combat on their class a's and can it be the same unit patch as their left arm? I am just confused. If you can help that would be awesome.

[SpongeJuan]

You just confused me by trying to explain what you are confused about. It is a good thing that the only thing that we put in our Uniform is an EGA and our awards.

[66MP1]

The unit patch goes on the left shoulder and the combat patch on the right shoulder. I guess what you are trying to say is for example: A soldier in the 82nd Airborne does combat and comes home, does he wear 82nd patches on both sleeves,,, yes is the answer. Or at least it did when I was in, I don't think it has changed. Some of the active duty folks or some that have been in lately witll have to answer for sure.

[chris eckert]

Thanks 66MP1 that was exactly the answer i was looking for and i am not confused anymore. Also to everyone out there i am going to be re enlisting in 6 months as that is when my medical is up. Thanks guys.

[Grimmy]

Hope everything works out to your wants and expectations in the re-enlisting.

[Turtledrive]

Look in the AR 670-1. That will give you exactly what you are looking for as well. I am going to confuse you a bit. You can wear the combat patch and unit patch on the dress greens (Class A's) but you can not wear either on the blues. Just for future reference if you end up buying a set.

[rburtnick]

Hey it's been 40 years since I got out of the Army, so I looked around the net for confirmation of what I was pretty sure was the complete answer. (Perhaps the complete answer was given but I was too thick to perceive it.) You know I can't really recall what I wore before I went to Vietnam. It was a short period of time and I'm thinking it may have been a First Army patch on the left. Then when I was in Vietnam, and I was in the 1st Logistics Command (aka leaning shithouse), that insignia was on the left. Then when I was back in the States (likewise for only a short time), we replaced the 1st Log patch with the USRV patch which was then worn on the right shoulder, and the First Army patch was once again back on my left shoulder.

The rule: current unit on the left; prior combat unit on the right.

I assume it was regulation, but frankly none of us wanted the 1st Log when we were authorized to wear USARV.

[ScreaminChief]

Another thing that can be confusing for a newbie is the fact that you can be authorized several different combat patches. If you serve multiple combat tours with different units, or if you were assigned to different units during the same combat tour. Usually it is your choice which combat patch you wear, as long as you served with that unit in combat. However, sometimes your current unit's chain of command will make the choice for you. I served with an E7 in Iraq that had been in Mogadishu with the 10th Mountain Division in '93. He had always worn that combat patch, but when we completed our tour with 4th ID they made him wear the 4th ID patch for the return ceremony. He was not happy.

Anyways, for the newbies, don't worry too much about combat patches. You'll get yours. It's pretty hard to find anyone in the Army over the rank of E4 these days without one.