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

[Haze99]

81st Readiness Division (Wild Cat)

100th Army Band Tab

CW2 Brook Woods and Spc. Declan Bingham, saxophonists with the 100th Army Band perform various military songs, during the Salute the Troops show at the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, Tennessee, May 20, 2025. The Grand Olde Opry held a special salute the troops concert not only in honor of its 100th anniversary but also in conjunction with the U.S. Army’s upcoming 250th birthday. The 100th Army Band is a U.S. Army Reserve band from Fort Knox, Kentucky. Music has been a critical part of the Army's success. Whether it's a ceremonial performance or a concert to boost the morale of Soldiers, U.S. Army Bands members serve their country while making music. The 100th Army Band is a musical organization of the 81st Readiness Division. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Roldan).

[Haze99]

U.S. Army Reserve Legal Command SSI

[Salvage Sailor]

59 minutes ago, Haze99 said:

U.S. Army Reserve Legal Command SSI

 

 

[seanmc1114]

U. S. Army Futures And Concepts Command

[patches]

A Close Up of a GI of the the 101 who's been captured in Normandy, this from a German newsreel. Patch and Tab haphazardly hand sewn we see, small spread out  tack threading with probably khaki thread really. Patch is a Bando Type Whatever LOL.

[seanmc1114]

Commanding officer of HHC, 3rd Special Operations Support Command (Airborne) at Fort Clayton, Panama, 1993-1994. The unit was part of Special Operations Command, South. Note he is wearing the Training And Doctrine Command SSI with an AIRBORNE tab and the flash of the 3rd Special Operations Support Command (Airborne).

[seanmc1114]

5 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

Commanding officer of HHC, 3rd Special Operations Support Command (Airborne) at Fort Clayton, Panama, 1993-1994. The unit was part of Special Operations Command, South. Note he is wearing the Training And Doctrine Command SSI with an AIRBORNE tab and the flash of the 3rd Special Operations Support Command (Airborne).

I've been corrected on another site. It's actually the U.S. Army South SSI he's wearing, which makes more sense.

[Haze99]

Soldier attending the Basic Airborne Course, Fort Benning, Georgia.

Wearing the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team SSI. 

[Haze99]

U.S. Army Spc. Darrell Mitchell, assigned to the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, reads his compass while conducting land navigation during the U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) Best Squad Competition at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, August 2, 2024.

Soldiers from across U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) will compete in the year's Best Squad Competition in Grafenwoehr, Germany, July 31 - Aug. 9, 2024. Teams representing units from across USAREUR-AF will test their tactical proficiency, communication, and overall cohesion as they compete for the title of Best Squad. Winners of this competition will advance to compete at the U.S. Army Best Squad Competition. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gianna Elle Sulger)

NOTE: SSI of the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade.

Source credit: AtreMorte45

[Salvage Sailor]

On 9/28/2024 at 7:55 AM, Salvage Sailor said:

Ryukus Command aboard USS SALISBURY SOUND (AV-13) in January 1951 during gunnery exercises off of Okinawa

 

 

 

 

 

Ryukus Command

Port visit, USS RENDOVA (CVE-114) 1951

[mysteriousoozlefinch]

40th Army Band of the Vermont National Guard wearing the Army National Guard Training Center Garrison Command patch and Fortieth Army Band rocker.

[seanmc1114]

More full color 196th Infantry Brigade SSI worn in Vietnam in 1972 when the unit was back once again an independant brigade after the Americal Division had been deactivated. 

 

[seanmc1114]

First issue subdued twill 196th Infantry Brigade SSI with brown flames on the ends of the double headed match worn as a pocket patch.

[seanmc1114]

1st Cavalry Division sergeant in Vietnam around 1970-1971 striking a vaguely familiar pose.

[seanmc1114]

A couple of newpaper clippings from 1942 on Major General Omar N. Bradley while commanding the 28th Infantry Division.

[seanmc1114]

12th Support Brigade with AIRBORNE tab

[Capslok Spelczech]

On 1/31/2026 at 6:47 PM, Ranger-1972 said:

 

That was not my experience when I served in Recruiting Command, but given the organization has brigades / battalions / companies scattered across the country, there is a good amount of variation in how individual units operate. The rules for recruiting are pretty strict, because recruiters (and their chain of command) are entering into a legally enforceable contract with those who are joining the Army.

 

The recruiter's badge comes in several levels, earned by how well a recruiter has accomplished the mission over time (earning points for individuals who sign a contract & ship to basic training (with more points for higher-quality recruits), and losing points for individuals who drop out of the Delayed Entry Program before shipping. The lowest level is the silver Basic Recruiter Identification Badge, which everyone wears (including officers commanding companies, battalions and brigades). The criteria for earning higher level Recruiter Badges has changed since I was in USAREC, when recruiters could earn gold achievement stars on the Basic badge and then sapphire recruiting stars on the Gold badge.  Most recently (2022) it took 2,400 points to earn the Gold Recruiter Badge (that represents having put a lot of folks into uniform). Earning the Master Recruiter Badge is even more challenging, requiring testing and competition.

 

The silver and gold Recruiter Badges were initially approved in 1966. The Master Recruiter Badge established in 2011.

 

The Army's Master Combat Infantryman's Badge, Master Combat Medic's Badge, and Master Combat Action Badge all have gold wreaths, and are 'higher' awards than the CIB, CMB, and CAB.

 

The history of why 'silver' outranks 'gold' in Army officer rank insignia is worth a post of its own.  For a long time, each officer rank had both a 'gold' and a 'silver' variant, depending on whether someone was in the infantry or in the artillery / dragoons / cavalry. An infantry colonel wore a gold eagle on his silver epaulette, whereas an artillery colonel wore a silver eagle on his gold epaulette (see images). Majors had no 'leaf' on their epaulette, and there was no rank insignia for a 2LT. The two were differentiated by the width of the fringe on their epaulettes (field grade officers had thicker strands of fringe than company grade officers (see images showing the difference). In 1851, shoulder straps (vice epaulettes) worn by officers finally became standardized, with a gold wire lace border around a strap with the color of the officer's branch, and the insignia of rank embroidered on the strap. Second lieutenants had no insignia of rank until WWI. First lieutenants and captains wore gold insignia of rank. Lieutenant colonels and above wore silver insignia of rank. In 1872, majors adopted a gold oak leaf, with the rank for all 1LTs and CPTs becoming silver. In 1917, a single gold bar was adopted for 2LTs.

 

This is a useful site for the history of Army officers' insignia:  https://www.germandaggers.com/Gallery/USRo.php

 

The colors of badges has no correlation with the color of officer's (or NCOs') rank insignia over time. There were plenty of badges that were gold in color, like the Distinguished Rifleman and Automatic Rifleman Badges and Distinguished Aerial Gunnery and Bomber Badges and the various versions of the Coast Artillery and Field Artillery's First Class Gunner Badges.

 

 

 

   

 

  

 

 

 

You weren't by any chance in the Army Band, were you?  Musician, perhaps?

[Ranger-1972]

21 hours ago, Capslok Spelczech said:

You weren't by any chance in the Army Band, were you?  Musician, perhaps?

No, I was in the Field Artillery.  Spent time with units that had division bands and lived on Ft McNair for a short time, just around the corner from The Army Band (Pershing's Own).

[atb]

1 hour ago, Ranger-1972 said:

No, I was in the Field Artillery.  Spent time with units that had division bands and lived on Ft McNair for a short time, just around the corner from The Army Band (Pershing's Own).

Big corner? The Army Band is at Ft. Myer. I spent time at Cameron Station, Ft. Myer, and Ft. McNair as Soldier and as a civilian Army employee.

[patches]

One more colored 196th Inf Bde (Sep) this time in June 27 1972,

 

An interesting one, says at Phu Bai Air Base and soldier is going home, which jives as the brigade does leave at this time, there in lies the curiosity, as he totally geared up for the field, steel pot (On backwards) rifle, web gear etc. We all now know that, not like in the movie, you know the one, coming right out of action or a FB and boarding a airliner covered in blood and mud, dried or wet LOL, just turning in the gear and weapons, So could this be a case that the unit is leaving as as unit and turn in gear here, or since it seems they will be flying out USAF to say Hawaii first and turn in stuff there??? 

[patches]

The old 101st Training Division once again, a summer month during the Korean Conflict.

[patches]

A 1919 illustration of a Red Diamond Division Doughboy Corporal Walter E Gaultney,  by noted artist Joseph Cummings Chase,

[Salvage Sailor]

War Department Message Center, Munitions Building, Washington D.C.

 

 

AF - Allied Forces

 

GHQ - General Headquarters Southwest Pacific

 

ASF - Army Service Forces

 

[Ranger-1972]

On 3/22/2026 at 11:47 AM, atb said:

Big corner? The Army Band is at Ft. Myer. I spent time at Cameron Station, Ft. Myer, and Ft. McNair as Soldier and as a civilian Army employee.

Correct -- my mistake. We lived on one of the historic quarters on Lee Ave (built in the 1890s for captains commanding cavalry companies) on Ft Myer, just around the corner from the Army Band building (while I was on active duty), and I later taught at the National War College on Ft McNair (as a civilian). Fat finger mistake.

[patches]

Color Cav, 1967