Patches in action: Photos of SSI being worn by the troops.

[seanmc1114]

Here's one I don't understand at all. The commanding officer and Command Sergeant Major of the 3rd Brigade 10th Mountain Division are both seen in their official photographs posed in front of a flag bearing the SSI of the 10th Mountain Division. Yet each of them is wearing the SSI of the 36th Infantry Division.

 

If you click on the attached link for the 3rd Brigade's official website, it shows an insignia including the arrowhead device of the 36th with a MOUNTAIN tab. Plus, even though the page obviously refers to the unit as the 3rd Brigade 10th Mountain Division, the brigade history on the page is for the 4th Brigade 10th Mountain Division.

 

http://www.jrtc-polk.army.mil/4-10/Patriot_History.html

 

However, if you click on the links for any of the subordinate units of the brigade and go to the photographs of their commanders, they are wearing the SSI of the 10th Mountain Division.

 

But on top of that, if you go to the unit's Facebook page, all of the photos seems to show the members wearing the SSI of the 36th with many wearing the 36th SSI as a combat patch and others wearing the 10th Division SSI as a combat patch.

 

https://www.facebook.com/pg/10thMTNPatriots/photos/?ref=page_internal

So I found the answer to the question posed in my previous post. According to this article, the 3rd Brigade 10th Mountain Division is participating in the Assoociated Unit Pilot program that aligns it with the National Guard's 36th Infantry Division and thus the members of the unit wear the 36th's SSI. It sounds like a sort of reverse Roundout program.

 

http://www.kalb.com/content/news/Fort-Polks-Patriot-Brigade-selected-for-another-Army-first-Associated-Unit-Pilot-389999901.html

 

Also per the brigade's Wikipedia entry, "The brigade reactivated at Fort Polk, LA in 2015 by reflagging the assets of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, which was inactivated." So even though its official designation is the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, it appears to carry the lineage of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.

[VolunteerArmoury]

Here's one I don't understand at all. The commanding officer and Command Sergeant Major of the 3rd Brigade 10th Mountain Division are both seen in their official photographs posed in front of a flag bearing the SSI of the 10th Mountain Division. Yet each of them is wearing the SSI of the 36th Infantry Division.

 

If you click on the attached link for the 3rd Brigade's official website, it shows an insignia including the arrowhead device of the 36th with a MOUNTAIN tab. Plus, even though the page obviously refers to the unit as the 3rd Brigade 10th Mountain Division, the brigade history on the page is for the 4th Brigade 10th Mountain Division.

 

http://www.jrtc-polk.army.mil/4-10/Patriot_History.html

 

However, if you click on the links for any of the subordinate units of the brigade and go to the photographs of their commanders, they are wearing the SSI of the 10th Mountain Division.

The Army aligned some brigades with commands of other components a couple years ago give or take i.e. in this case the 36th Division of Texas Army National Guard having command of this Bde from the 10th. Another that I can think of is the 48th Brigade wearing 3rd ID (which shortly after I transferred out began wearing 24th ID as another alignment attempt). I believe it's been confusing for most all & many active duty guys don't like wearing a NG patch. I know I didn't while active but back when I was Reserves I liked having an active duty patch. There's a chart that was put out about who would wear what and such. I don't recall what this integration program is called.

[VolunteerArmoury]

So I found the answer to the question posed in my previous post. According to this article, the 3rd Brigade 10th Mountain Division is participating in the Assoociated Unit Pilot program that aligns it with the National Guard's 36th Infantry Division and thus the members of the unit wear the 36th's SSI. It sounds like a sort of reverse Roundout program.

 

http://www.kalb.com/content/news/Fort-Polks-Patriot-Brigade-selected-for-another-Army-first-Associated-Unit-Pilot-389999901.html

 

That's it exactly. Here's another link about it. Interesting to me that Benning's 1-28 Infantry wears 48th's SSI whereas the 48th wears the 3rd's TV patch which I saw when I visited my old BN last year.

 

https://www.army.mil/article/164792

 

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 24, 2016) -- Select National Guard and Reserve units will soon train more closely with active Soldiers in a program known as "Associated Units."

 

This pilot program was announced by the acting secretary of the Army, in a March 21 memorandum: "Designation of Associated Units in Support of Army Total Force Policy."

 

Shortly after the announcement, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley said: "Much of America's Army's capacity is resident in the Reserve components and we must rely more heavily on them to meet the demands of a complex global environment.

 

"The Associated Units pilot allows us to leverage the capabilities and capacities of the Active Component, Army Reserve and the Army National Guard as one Army," he said.

 

Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley said: "The Associated Units pilot facilitates readiness and strategic depth across components. These units will train, build readiness and ultimately fight as one Army."

 

HOW IT WORKS

 

If a reserve-component battalion is associated with an active brigade combat team, the BCT commander assumes responsibility for approving the training program of the reserve-component unit. The BCT commander will assess manpower, equipment and resources requirements needed for the training.

 

In addition, there will also be active-component units associated with RC headquarters. For example, the 1-28 Infantry at Fort Benning, Georgia, will be associated with the 48th Infantry BCT of the Georgia Army National Guard, or ARNG. In this case, the National Guard Infantry Brigade Combat Team commander will approve the training of the active-component battalion.

 

KEY ELEMENTS

 

An annual evaluation will be made by the higher commander regarding the compatibility and capabilities of the associated unit during the pilot.

 

Another key element of the pilot is the exchange of personnel between the units -- a small number of active officers and non-commissioned officers will go to the RC units and vice-versa.

 

ADDITIONAL TRAINING

 

RC units selected for the pilot will conduct up to 15 additional days of training each year, above the one weekend-per-month and two weeks of annual training. Some of this time will be spent at the combat training centers to maximize benefits to readiness.

 

"Readiness is increased by the number of training days for these units," said Col. Brian Ellis, chief of the Organizational Integration Division, Force Management Directorate, G-3.

 

"A sustainable readiness model has been built for each of these units, something we're trying to get back to as an Army. We're transitioning from the cyclical base of readiness where we take a unit to a CTC, and deploy them, and drain the readiness that was built up. Now we're trying to sustain that readiness over multiple CTC rotations in the event of a deployment."

 

WHY THE PILOT

 

"This is how we'll fight in the future," Ellis said, explaining RC units will operate alongside the active component. It's about building relationships prior to mobilization, he said.

 

"We will train as we fight," he said. "It makes sense to train as one Army."

 

WAY AHEAD

 

The pilot program will last for three years and after that time an assessment will be made for how the program could expand.

 

The 27 units for the pilot program were selected "with multiple criteria in mind, including geographic location and capability gaps," Ellis said.

 

Associated units in the program will receive additional resources, he said. "If we expand, we'll determine where those resources will be coming from."

 

Units participating in the Associated Units pilot are:

 

--3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana, will be associated with the 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard

 

--86th Infantry BCT, Vermont ARNG, will be associated with the 10th Mountain Div., stationed at Fort Drum, New York

 

--81st Armored BCT, Washington ARNG, will be associated with the 7th Infantry Div., stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

 

--48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia ARNG, will be associated with the 3rd ID, stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia

 

--Task Force 1-28 Inf., stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, will be associated with the 48th

IBCT, Georgia ARNG

 

--100th Bn., 442 Infantry Reg., an Army Reserve unit, will be associated with the 3rd BCT, 25th ID, stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

 

--1st Bn., 143 Inf. Reg., Texas ARNG, will be associated with the 173rd Airborne BCT, stationed in Vicenza, Italy

 

--1st Bn., 151 Inf. Reg., Indiana ARNG, will be associated with the 2nd BCT, 25th ID, stationed at Schofield Barracks

 

--5th Engineer Bn., stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, will be associated with the 35th Engineer Bde., Missouri ARNG

 

--840th Engineer Company, Texas ARNG, will be associated with the 36th Engineer Bde., stationed at Fort Hood, Texas

 

--824th Quartermaster Co., a North Carolina-based Army Reserve unit, will be associated with the 82nd Sustainment Bde., stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina

 

--The 249th Transportation Co., Texas ARNG and the 1245th Transportation Co., Oklahoma ARNG, will be associated with the 1st Cavalry Div.'s Sustainment Bde., stationed in Fort Hood

 

--1176th Transportation Co., Tennessee ARNG, will be associated with the 101st Sustainment Bde., stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky

 

--2123rd Transportation Co., Kentucky ARNG, will be associated with the 101st Sustainment Bde., stationed at Fort Campbell

[seanmc1114]

7th Army Reserve Command

[seanmc1114]

Full color and subdued Human Resources Command SSI worn by an honor guard member

[seanmc1114]

Army Reserve Command

[seanmc1114]

Full color 3rd Infantry Division SSI worn on the ACU

[seanmc1114]

501st Military Intelligence Brigade

[seanmc1114]

66th Military Intelligence Brigade

[taucco]

JSA panmunjon (korean DMZ)

 

 

2nd id on Korean Service Corps member.

[patches]

 

Two views of George Kenney with his big 5th Air Force patch, I assume it's Australian made. In the one group one, him and Mac are talking to the CO of the 503rd Parachute Infantry, Colonel George Jones.

[rd12]

Full color 3rd Infantry Division SSI worn on the ACU

 

Here is a similar pic - this time Rangers wearing full color SSI during an award ceremony. I wonder if this is something that is done at Ft. Benning now?

Also note they are wearing color, not subdued badges.

[atb]

The Army as a whole adopted the practice of full color SSI wear in garrison some time ago. It's done at the commander's discretion.

[patches]

The Army as a whole adopted the practice of full color SSI wear in garrison some time ago. It's done at the commander's discretion.

And I think that's nifty idea, it must be exceptionally popular with the troops too I would think.

[rd12]

The Army as a whole adopted the practice of full color SSI wear in garrison some time ago. It's done at the commander's discretion.

Ahhh, I didn't know. I agree wth patches, I think that's a neat idea.

[CNY Militaria]

501st Military Intelligence Brigade

Small world! I went to college and was in ROTC with this officer!

[Teamski]

 

Here is a similar pic - this time Rangers wearing full color SSI during an award ceremony. I wonder if this is something that is done at Ft. Benning now?

Also note they are wearing color, not subdued badges.

 

 

The Army authorizes the use of what are called "garrison" patches. Basically, the base commander can authorize the wear of full color SSI on the OCP or ACU while a unit is at home station. This is the only way you will ever see color SSI survive as there is obviously no other way they can be worn. It also answers why we are starting to see colored SSI with velcro on E-Bay. I am personally thrilled to see it as I think the removal of colored SSI from the service uniform is downright blasphemous.

 

-Ski

[Teamski]

The Army as a whole adopted the practice of full color SSI wear in garrison some time ago. It's done at the commander's discretion.

 

Doh!

 

-Ski

[seanmc1114]

II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward)

 

http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Catalog/Heraldry.aspx?HeraldryId=11877&CategoryId=7114&grp=2&menu=Uniformed%20Services&ps=24&p=0

[seanmc1114]

Sorry, that last one should have been in the topic on rare and obscure combat patches.

[seanmc1114]

This is one I don't completely understand. After the 75th, 78th, 85th, 87th and 91st Training Support Divisions were reflagged as First Army Division East, which provides training and readiness oversight, and mobilization operations for an area of responsibility spanning 27 states and territories east of the Mississippi River, and First Army Division West that does the same for the states and territories west of the Mississippi, each of the former divisional brigades was reflagged as a separate brigade. First Army Division East commands the 157th, 174th and 188th Infantry Brigades, 177th Armored Brigade and 4th Cavalry Brigade. First Army Division West commands the 5th Armored Brigade and the 120th, 181st and 189th Infantry Brigades.

 

Each of the brigades is authorized its own SSI. However, from what I can tell, the members of these separate brigades wear the the SSI of First Army and not the brigade to which they are assigned.

 

Why would the brigades be authorized their own SSI if the members are not going to wear them? And does that mean the First Army SSI is now a divisional insignia?

 

Here are some examples of key personnel posing in front of their unit flags bearing the brigade insignia but wearing the First Army SSI.

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20070625002726/http://www.first.army.mil/pao/2006_Articles/112806_TSBtoReflag.htm

[seanmc1114]

As a follow-up to the previous post, here is a change of command ceremony for HHC 189th Infantry Brigade. The approved SSI is displayed everywhere but on the uniform which shows First Army.

[patches]

A WAC at Long Binh in 1968 wearing a U.S, Army Vietnam patch fob, no idea how it is attached, perhaps a button sewn under the collar. Note the other one, see how high her ranks are sewn on the sleeve.

 

 

[patches]

Patton in Hawaii.

 

Sorry for such a small image.

 

[Teamski]

A Texas State Guard patch in action!

 

-Ski