The Democratization of the Army Uniform

[Trip_Wire]

Yes, J. A. B. I was! Thanks it's been corrected ;)

 

[Wolf_1_1]

I got my CIB, and I'm proud to wear it. That being said, I'm not going to walk into the room with my left pocket leading the way.

The ones that I give serious BTDT cred to though, are the CMB guys. It takes guts to run into the firefight with an aid bag and not your rifle. I saw them in action when my team leader took one in the leg. He was laying over him while we were laying down fire. My hats off to that man.

As to the ACU, I never got to put one on, but I think pin on badges are a bad idea. Doubly so when you put body armor into the mix.

 

[Viper1]

When I was at Bragg I would see soldiers (mostly from the Eighty-Deuce but a couple guys from Group) wearing every thing they could pin on their chests (save foreign wings) and never really got it... I really dont understand the need for wearing pin-on/sew-on skill (scare) badges on the ACU's or BDU's for that matter. I also didnt, and still dont, understand the issue about Branch insignia for O's on the ACU.

I do wish they would go back to sew-on name and Army tapes and unit patches/tabs.

Ditto your feelings about the sew-ons....

Don't really care one way or the other on the branch insignia for O's... although my dad still wears his engineer castles on his Akubra hat. I still keep a set of crossed rifles on my bag and was proud when I got those. Pride within a branch I guess.

For the other badges, I just always wore them, never gave it thought. Until the day my neighbors young kids sat on my lap and asked me what they meant. They're not old enough to understand the CIB or ABN wings, but they caught their attention long enough to ask me about them. I left a set with them. I remember being that age and wanted to have a CIB like my Dad..... My opinion is it's not so much so other guys can see my badges, you just never know what little kid is looking up to you thinking in his head "I want to be like him" (and of course, that also comes from the way they see you carry yourself, act, talk, etc :))

Thanks. My 2:2c:

 

[Marauder06]

I've said it before (maybe in this thread) but as far as I'm concerned the only things that really matter are the things you wear on your sleeves. I'm quite happy not to wear my scare badges. If we're going to add anything else to the uniform, it should be subdued combat stripes worn over the right wrist. In the absence of that, I'm quite content to wear my unit patch, combat patch, rank, nametape and US Army (would wear my tabs- but that's right I haven't earned any ;) )

 

[Trip_Wire]

Marauder06:

You are entitled to wear what you wish, as long as your unit commander, etc. doesn't prescribe what will be worn on which uniform and when. ;)

If I was still on active duty, I would always wear my two tabs and at the very least my Master Para wings and CIB. :2c:

 

[Viper1]

When the head of the USMA english dept retired in spring 2001 after nearly 40 years of AD service, he wore his A's, with unit and combat patch, Ranger tab, crossed rifles, Master Parachutist Wings and CIB. No ribbons. One last hurrah for the old school.

 

[EverSoLost]

k......In two years I've bought badges twice....This is two badges per 4 sets of uniforms simply because of tarnishing, chipping, etc. I dont like "re-blacking" because it never maintains IMO. approximately 60 bucks after shipping.

I remember my wife sewing them on being much cheaper. So I'm not seeing the cost savings.

But I dont live in a good relative proximity from a Post so that may be the issue.:2c: Either that or maybe it's irrelevant anyhow.

The good news is the Army is going back to Buttons in some areas! Woo Hoo!

 

[HeloMedic1171]

In the National Guard or Reserve Forces, especially in the past, (Before regular Combat deployments.) experienced Officers and NCOs wearing their badges on their fatigues, etc. would give a recruit or fellow soldier, some idea of ones expertise and qualifications to lead as well as confidence in their individual abilities. To some extent this applies to regular forces as well.

that's true. I still think combat patches are more relevant to most joe's simply because how in the hell are you going to tell me, when I'm on my second tour, how to do my effing job when you haven't deployed EVEN ONCE. had that experience.

I do wish they would go back to sew-on name and Army tapes and unit patches/tabs.

me too. nice thing about aviation - you can. they don't want you pinning holes through the nomex flight suits so instead, they allow sew-on badges on the A2CU.

Also, unlike in the past ACUs are worn off post every where, to include travel. I seldom see a soldier now days in Class A's. IMO ACUs look like crap off post in CONUS and travel. They would even look worse without the Badges, Tabs and other stuff we're talking about here.

IMO, officers should still be able to wear their branch insignia. :2c:

they're everywhere because "we're a nation at war" and it's impractical as shit to pack your A's in a duffle bag with you to deploy so to make it more streamlined, you can travel in ACUs. however - I don't know about you guys, but my most recent set of PCS orders to Hood said "travel in Uniform is authorized, uniform for travel will be Class A uniform."

Honestly, there aren't many awards/ badges/ tabs that I put much stock in it without knowing the individual and circumstances. Our award policies are broken and it has cheapened the results.

yup. you have a hard time arguing successfully to me that EVERY PLT SGT in a BN deserves a BSM. I just don't buy it. and everyone below that gets an ARCOM? fuck you. if I didn't need the promotion points (because medic points are, you guessed it, 798) I'd give it back out of principle. Yes sir, that's correct, it would be my first award.

IMO, the top Army badges are:

1.) CIB/CMB (Not a school)

2.) Master Parachutist wings/Master HALO Wings

3.) Combat Diver badge (Or the New Special Ops. Diver badge)

4.) Pathfinder badge

5.) Combat Action Badge (Not a school, I do have some doubts about this one.)

thing about the combat action badge, is it was long overdue. only Infantrymen and Medics had their own badge, but we're not the only ones who see combat. there needs to be an award that an MP can wear to show that "yeah, mutherfucker, I did my time in the suck" just like the grunts and docs. more divirsification (sp?). the problem I have is the same problem the grunts and docs everywhere else have. I hate that some people get a Combat Action Badge when they were near a mortar that landed in the FOB. or, they heard gunfire in the distance, but weren't shot at, but yet, they get a Combat Medic Badge. or everyone else was engaged in fighting, but when the QRF truck rolled up, everyone was getting ready to roll out and charlie mike.... but they get a CIB. it cheapens it. I have two tours counting the one I'm on currently, and I have yet to be in the exact right place at the right time for my CMB. I'm not upset about that, my time will come when it comes, and this tour NO ONE has gotten shit. that's a good thing. I just hate that the real meaning behind the badge is lost because someone cut corners in the awards process for glory hunting.

k......In two years I've bought badges twice....This is two badges per 4 sets of uniforms simply because of tarnishing, chipping, etc. I dont like "re-blacking" because it never maintains IMO. approximately 60 bucks after shipping.

I remember my wife sewing them on being much cheaper. So I'm not seeing the cost savings.

But I dont live in a good relative proximity from a Post so that may be the issue.:2c: Either that or maybe it's irrelevant anyhow.

The good news is the Army is going back to Buttons in some areas! Woo Hoo!

yeah - I'm tired of having to ditch ACUs because it's too expensive to fix the worn out velcro..... gimme back buttons anyday. and my take: if I had the badges, I would wear them, but IF I had them, I'd only make a point of wearing three: Aircrew Wings, CMB, and jump wings. those are really the only ones that have a lot of meaning to me.