Helicopter Pilot & Aviation Safety SME/Speaker/Educator | Helo Girls™ Children's Books Author | Combat Veteran | Aviation Doctoral Candidate
I have been going through my military records today, and it got me thinking: What is your shoulder sleeve insignia for former wartime service and what does it mean to you? In case you do not know, the shoulder sleeve insignia for former wartime service, commonly known as the "combat patch," is a distinctive patch worn on the right sleeve of the uniform by US Army soldiers who have served in combat. It signifies the individual's participation in a designated wartime period or campaign. The importance of the combat patch lies in several aspects: Recognition of Service, Unit Cohesion, Tradition and Honor, and Combat Identification. A combat patch connects soldiers to the long history of the military and the sacrifices made by those who have served before them. It represents a sense of duty, valor, and pride in one's service. Overall, the combat patch holds significant symbolic and practical importance within the military community, representing both individual service and collective sacrifice in defense of the nation. My patch, you ask, is the Special Forces Patch awarded on 18 July 2007. #avgeek #military #aviationlovers #aviationdaily #aviationsafety #specialforces #helogirls #mentorshipmatters #militaryservice #veteran #combat
I was with 7th SFG when they ran CJSOTF-A in 2012-2013. Extremely proud to wear that SSI. Deploying to Afghanistan was a career goal. With the US military possibly having to reacquaint itself with that theater in the near future, those of us who were there before will be critical for that intellectual continuity. It's interesting how some choose not to wear their SSI because they don't like being in a separate category from those with no deployment experience. Paul Merklinger and Ryan O. wrote this article back in 2019. Good read on the topic. EXCERPT: "Whether its creators understood it at conception, the US Army’s SSI-FWTS serves two purposes: it is a means of signaling and an influence on group dynamics... However, in today’s competitive environment, our credibility signal is out of balance, because the Army’s emphasis on combat experience inefficiently communicates performance below the threshold of armed conflict."
II & III MAW, 12th CAB, 82nd Airborne, 101st Air Assault, 13th COSCOM and one or two more. I loved seeing quizzical looks from fellow Army Soldiers who would ask what unit was my Marine Aircraft Wing patch from.
10th mountain is the one i wear. Afghanistan 2002
Thank you for your service kodey!
I didn't know this. Thank you for sharing, and Thank you for your service.
Helicopter Instructor Pilot / Flight Test and Delivery Pilot / NASCAR Ride-Drive Instructor / Green Beret
6mo5th group I hope, my first unit. Many moons ago.