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Uncommon and Obscure Combat Patches Being Worn.


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Sergeant major of the 1st Aviation Brigade wearing a subdued 1st Cavalry Division SSI as a combat patch with full color sleeve insignia on a first pattern jungle jacket in 1966. Note one of the soldiers in the background is wearing a full color reversed 1st Cavlary Division SSI as a combat patch.

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1st Cavalry Division SSI with AIRBORNE tab worn by an instructor at the Infantry School in 1967. Note that he's wearing the Parachute Rigger Badge. Also note that he wears the Master Parachutist Badge as a Sergeant E-5. He may also have a Recondo patch on his right pocket.

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82nd Airborne Division combat patch worn in Vietnam by a 1st Cavalry Division soldier in 1965 or 1966. The soldier in the foreground is James Richard Cumberpatch, Jr. whose tour started on December 22, 1965 and who was killed in action on June 23, 1966. If the NCO in the background served with the 82nd in the Dominican Republic, he would not have had very long between his tour there and Vietnam.

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Here is John S. Barrick Jr in his Army uniform. Obviously he had prior service in the Marines. This 8 x 10 photo dates to the late 40's based on the arrangement of his collar disks.

 

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One more 11th Infantry Brigade (Sep) patch worn as a combat patch instead of the Americal, here at Ft Campbell in the summer of 1975, 1/501st 101st Air Assault Div.

 

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A great example of the 5th Infantry Division combat patch worn for service in the 1st Brigade 5th Infantry Division (Mech) by a GI serving again in the division in the 70s, here in 1975 when the division was reactivated at Ft Polk. Just like in the 101 and 1st Inf Divs in this time period, the autherized full color is worn on the organizational side, but a subdued one had to be worn on the combat side. Believe this one here, a Spec 4 served in the 1st Bde 5th Inf Div (M) in 1971.

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  • 2 weeks later...

1st Cavalry Division SSI with AIRBORNE tab worn by a soldier attending jump school AFTER serving with the airborne brigade of the 1st Cav in Vietnam.

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1st Cavalry Division SSI with AIRBORNE tab worn by a soldier attending jump school AFTER serving with the airborne brigade of the 1st Cav in Vietnam.

Do we know he concretely served in the 1st Bde (Abn) in Nam? Maybe it's one of those unauthorized AIRMOBILE tabs??

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28th Infantry Division with AIRBORNE tab. Probably from service in a long range surveillance unit.

Maybe from the 28th Pathfinder Det., 28th Aviation, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Pa.

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4th Infantry Division with AIRBORNE tab. Considering he is wearing jump wings, my guess would be that he served with a LRRP unit assigned to the 4th in Vietnam, but the tab would certainly be unauthorized.

Phil was a Life member of the National Pathfinder Association.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Came across this photo I posted in another topic in regards to a Georgia NG unit, the 214th Coast Artillery Regiment in the DUI forum, but now noticing the Staff Sergeant in the this 1958 photo is wearing that Ex Navy patch as a combat patch.

 

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11th Aviation Command. As this soldier served only until 1995, I assume this was for service during Desert Storm. However, note that he has none of the ribbons for any of the service medals authorized for DS (National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Kuwaiti or Saudi Arabian Liberation of Kuwait Medals).

 

The 11th Aviation Command carries the lineage of the old 11th Aviation Group that served with the 11th Air Assault Division at Fort Benning then the 1st Cavalry Division at Benning and in Vietnam.

 

I'm quite sure this is a 1991/early-1992 photo. My best friend was in 1st ID and two cousins were in 101st ABN during Desert Storm/Shield, and none of them received medals/ribbons right away. They DID get immediate authorization for the combat patch while still in Saudi. As I recall, it took months, possibly a little over a year, to get the ribbons/medals distributed. Those were the SW Asia, Natl Def., and Saudi Arabia Liberation of Kuwait (which took longer than the first two). The Kuwaiti Liberation of Kuwait Medal and Ribbon took far longer, like 5 years, and all but one of my friends/relatives were out of the service when those were issued.

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  • 3 weeks later...
mysteriousoozlefinch

TRSdlZg.jpg

Not sure this counts, but the US Army Health Services Command patch being worn as a combat patch in 1982 by a member of Company B (Medical), 157th Support Battalion.

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TRSdlZg.jpg

Not sure this counts, but the US Army Health Services Command patch being worn as a combat patch in 1982 by a member of Company B (Medical), 157th Support Battalion.

Believe this is a reserve image ozzle, the gas mask, it's worn on te left hip rather than the right, as seen here on yours truly in May 82 in Alaska.

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TRSdlZg.jpg

Not sure this counts, but the US Army Health Services Command patch being worn as a combat patch in 1982 by a member of Company B (Medical), 157th Support Battalion.

 

Believe this is a reserve image ozzle, the gas mask, it's worn on te left hip rather than the right, as seen here on yours truly in May 82 in Alaska.

Definitely a reversed image as you can see the letters U.S. on the gas mask bag are reversed. Here it is the right way.

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mysteriousoozlefinch

Ahh, see, I should've noticed that. I can remove the post easily enough. Guess they're probably an individual augment to the 187th then.

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I always thought the Individual Ready Reserve SSI for reservists not assigned to a particular unit who would be assigned to a unit if called up. Yet here we see the IIR SSI worn as a combat patch. ???

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I always thought the Individual Ready Reserve SSI for reservists not assigned to a particular unit who would be assigned to a unit if called up. Yet here we see the IIR SSI worn as a combat patch. ???

Interesting

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VolunteerArmoury

I always thought the Individual Ready Reserve SSI for reservists not assigned to a particular unit who would be assigned to a unit if called up. Yet here we see the IIR SSI worn as a combat patch. ???

 

Interesting

There were some folks at Camp Shelby in 2010 while I was there wearing these as current assignments while preparing to go over & some wearing them as combat patches whilst demobing with one I recall wearing the IRR SSI as book ends.

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  • 2 weeks later...

82nd Airborne troopers from a 1969 recruiting pamphlet. The staff sergeant on the left is wearing a reversed 1st Cavalry Division SSI as a combat patch and it looks like he is also wearing an AIRBORNE tab with it. Also note that the staff sergeant on the left is wearing his overseas stripes correctly on his right sleeve while the sergeant on the right appears to be wearing overseas bars on both sleeves. The ones on the left sleeve may be service stripes, but they appear too small and look just like overseas bars.

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82nd Airborne troopers from a 1969 recruiting pamphlet. The staff sergeant on the left is wearing a reversed 1st Cavalry Division SSI as a combat patch and it looks like he is also wearing an AIRBORNE tab with it. Also note that the staff sergeant on the left is wearing his overseas stripes correctly on his right sleeve while the sergeant on the right appears to be wearing overseas bars on both sleeves. The ones on the left sleeve may be service stripes, but they appear too small and look just like overseas bars.

Nah those are Service Stripes, you can see the angled cut of them when you look for a bit.

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  • 3 weeks later...

First Special Service Force SSI worn as a combat patch by Louisiana Adjutant General Raymond Huff. He is also wearing the FSSF shoulder cord which is better seen in the second picture.

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