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NATO Patches - Post Them Here


Garth Thompson
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Garth Thompson

Everyone looks for an affordable type of insignia that has minimum fakery to collect. Here are some to think about. US military forces have been involved in NATO organizations since the very beginning through out the whole Cold War so there is quite a bit to collect. An excellent reference book is NATO FORCES An illustrated reference to their Organization and Insignia by Brian L Davis, a noted author on insignia. Here are a few examples.

 

#1 Headquarters Allied Forces Southern Europe (AFSOUTH), there is a lot of variation in the patches to be found.

 

 

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Garth Thompson

#2 Allied Air Forces Southern Europe (AIRSOUTH) and the Fifth Allied Tactical Air Force (FIVEATAF)

 

The gold edged badge is for Naval Striking and Support Forces Southern Europe (STRIK-FORSOUTH), there is a matching patch

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Garth Thompson

Finally 4th Missile Command theater made embroidered on wool and a Allied Land Forces-Southeastern Europe (LANDSOUTHEAST)

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Hey those are what I'm looking for! Now everyone else will too :D

 

Those are some great examples posted here. Thanks Garth!

-Johannes

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Garth Thompson

Affordable? Not really.

 

-Ski

Ski,

 

Nothing I pictured cost me over $20, most were in the $10 - $15 range. I call that affordable.

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  • 3 years later...

Okay, I'm going to hijack this thread a little. I wasn't even sure this was related to the US until I saw Garth's post above. Can someone tell me when and where this pin would've been worn?

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#3 Southern European Task Force (SETAF) and Allied Command Europe Mobile Force

 

I served with a Special Forces officer who just come off an assignment with ACE Mobile Force. It was some spiffy hotshot unit that was meant to be an international quick reaction force for whatever crazy contingency that came up. (Like, perhaps, a Bond villain getting hold of a nuclear device.) He went from there to becoming the S-4 logistics officer of a Maintenance Battalion! Talk about culture shock... at the time, the Army in its wisdom felt that even Special Forces officers had to spend time with a straight TO&E standard unit in order to be reminded of how the bulk of the Army actually worked. He used to tell me that they had the highest level of logistics priority and could basically request whatever they wanted and have it on hand within 24 to 48 hours or less depending on the mission! This was in the days before Fed Ex, and that just sounded unbelievable.

 

Even with all of is stories, it still took me years to figure out what t his mystery unit was, and where it fit in the force structure.

 

Here is some background. Apparently it functioned from 1960 to 2002. Garth, if I am not mistaken, I believe there is also a subdued version of that patch out there.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_Command_Europe_Mobile_Force

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Okay, I'm going to hijack this thread a little. I wasn't even sure this was related to the US until I saw Garth's post above. Can someone tell me when and where this pin would've been worn?

 

 

Unlikely as it might be, that might be a badge for some sort of Greek and Turkish combined authority. As much as the two countries detest each other, they still have to cooperate on certain issues, such as the administration of Cyprus. The white cross on a blue field is taken from the Greek flag. I would suspect this is more likely a civilian authority rather than military.

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Garth Thompson

 

 

Here is some background. Apparently it functioned from 1960 to 2002. Garth, if I am not mistaken, I believe there is also a subdued version of that patch out there.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_Command_Europe_Mobile_Force

 

Gil,

 

You are correct there is a subdued version of the patch but I haven't seen one in awhile.

 

Garth

 

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Okay, I'm going to hijack this thread a little. I wasn't even sure this was related to the US until I saw Garth's post above. Can someone tell me when and where this pin would've been worn?

 

It's a woman's scarf pin.

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Gil,

 

You are correct there is a subdued version of the patch but I haven't seen one in awhile.

 

Garth

 

 

Here is one with ME though

 

 

 

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  • 9 months later...
Salvage Sailor
On 1/3/2014 at 7:52 AM, Garth Thompson said:

Everyone looks for an affordable type of insignia that has minimum fakery to collect. Here are some to think about. US military forces have been involved in NATO organizations since the very beginning through out the whole Cold War so there is quite a bit to collect. An excellent reference book is NATO FORCES An illustrated reference to their Organization and Insignia by Brian L Davis, a noted author on insignia. Here are a few examples.

 

#1 Headquarters Allied Forces Southern Europe (AFSOUTH), there is a lot of variation in the patches to be found.

 

 

 

Aloha Garth,

 

Not Army but.......There is also a USN version of this patch which I have somewhere around here. It has the same design but with a dark blue background.

 

These are some other USN NATO patches from my collection, some are from my time aboard a Standing Naval Forces flagship (STANAVFORLANT)

 

STANAVFORLANT 001.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor
On 7/26/2018 at 2:53 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

 

Aloha Garth,

 

Not Army but.......There is also a USN version of this patch which I have somewhere around here. It has the same design but with a dark blue background.

 

 

On 1/3/2014 at 7:52 AM, Garth Thompson said:

Everyone looks for an affordable type of insignia that has minimum fakery to collect. Here are some to think about. US military forces have been involved in NATO organizations since the very beginning through out the whole Cold War so there is quite a bit to collect. An excellent reference book is NATO FORCES An illustrated reference to their Organization and Insignia by Brian L Davis, a noted author on insignia. Here are a few examples.

 

#1 Headquarters Allied Forces Southern Europe (AFSOUTH), there is a lot of variation in the patches to be found.

 

 

Blue Version of NATO ALLIED FORCES SOUTH (NAVAL) Naples Italy, Swiss Tex circa early 1970's

 

Regional Headquarters, AFSOUTH exercises direct command and control of Naval Striking and Support Forces, Southern Europe (STRIKFORSOUTH), which constitutes NATO's sole maritime permanent Regional Reaction Force Headquarters. STRIKFORSOUTH is commanded by a U.S. Navy three-star admiral who also commands the U.S. Sixth Fleet. The STRIKFORSOUTH staff, comprised of 93 allied officers and enlisted personnel (provided by Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, UK and USA), is located at RHQs AFSOUTH in Naples, Italy.
 
STRIKFORSOUTH's primary mission is to execute maritime power projection operations during peace or crisis in support of NATO objectives. It does this principally through the assets resident in Carrier Battle Groups, amphibious forces, and finally through its many cruise missile capable platforms.
 

NATO ALLIED FORCES SOUTH (NAVAL) Swiss Tex 001.jpg

 

 

STRIKFORSOUTH is the only Headquarters in the Southern Region which may be assigned the triad of air, naval, and land forces, all of which are capable of responding immediately to the entire risk spectrum facing NATO. Subordinate commands include Task Force 502 (Carrier Forces), Task Force 503 (Amphibious Forces), Task Force 504 (Landing Forces), Task Force 505 (Logistics Forces), and Task Force 506 (Special Operations Forces).

 

Task Force 502 (Carrier Forces) Also made by Swiss Tex, 1970-1980

 

6TH SIXTH FLEET CTF 502 001.jpg

 

6TH SIXTH FLEET CTF 502 002.jpg

 

NATO COMCARSTRIKFOR - Commander Carrier Strike Force, Naples, Italy. Made by Swiss Tex, 1970's

NATO COMCARSTRIKFOR 001.jpg

NATO COMCARSTRIKFOR 002.jpg

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  • 4 months later...

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