General: GIs can wear combat patch of choice

[unhappycamper]

General: GIs can wear combat patch of choice
By Nancy Montgomery, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, June 01, 2008

HEIDELBERG, Germany — Word came down from on high last week reaffirming that soldiers at Camp Speicher, Iraq, and elsewhere may wear whatever combat patches they’ve earned.

"By regulation, Soldiers who have been on multiple deployments with different units have the option of wearing their unit combat patch of their choice based on war-time service," Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, the commander of the 1st Armored Division and Task Force Iron in northern Iraq, wrote in an e-mailed memo Monday. "I encourage leaders at all levels to inform soldiers on the provisions of AR 670-1 ... and ensure they know they can adorn their uniform with the authorized combat patch of their preference," the memo said.

Hertling’s message was some small comfort to Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Minor. Minor, attached to the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, and ordered to wear a 1st Infantry Division patch, had waged a lonely battle to be able to wear his patch from the 173rd Airborne Combat Team and an Afghanistan deployment.

Minor in April wrote a letter to Stars and Stripes noting the order defied Army regulations. After it was published, he received a counseling letter for "not using his chain of command," which warned of legal action against him if he did it again.

Minor, a "super soldier," according to his previous first sergeant, felt bad.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=55240



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