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[Story from April 2015] Soldiers Being FORCED to Remove Combat Patches From Uniforms
Army Times and Colorado Gazette via The Federalist Papers ^ | March 2 , 2016 | Robert Gehl

Posted on 03/05/2016 1:22:30 PM PST by george76

Soldiers are livid after being told to remove their combat patches in an attempt to be “welcoming” to new recruits.

It’s an insane move that goes against the unofficial combat patch creed: “You earn it. You keep it. You wear it.” But that’s apparently the policy now for Fort Carson’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

Soldiers are told to strip their uniforms bare to the bone, only showing the name, rank, American Flag, U.S. Army tape and the 4th Infantry Division insignia, the Army Times is reporting.

According to officials, the move is designed to promote a “unified army culture.”

Brigade Commander Col. David Hodne issued the requirement. He told the Colorado Gazette it’s not about making new recruits feel jealous.

...

Hodne’s unit, which has seen a radical reorganization over the past year from tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles to eight-wheeled Strykers, is loaded with brand-new privates whose uniforms are bare of insignia. Instead of standing out, the new guys look like everyone else in training.

...

U.S. Army Iraq war veteran Drew Norman:

“This was obviously started by officers without combat time. This isn’t about making the new guys feel welcome, it’s about making the new officers feel superior.

The fact that we have 22 year old college kids ordering 18 year multiple combat tour veterans and lecturing them on war tells you all you need to know about how broken our commissioning system is.”

U.S. Army Afghan war veteran Stephen Carroll:

“I think it’s an absolutely horrid idea. Simply because some of them don’t fall into the group of those who have gone down range doesn’t mean that everyone else should hide what they’ve done. It’s the military, not a group of middle school students.”

U.S. veteran Michael Mumford, who used more colorful language:

(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalistpapers.org ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; US: Colorado; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: 1ststrykerbrigade; combatpatches; fortcarson; soldiers; stryker; strykerbrigade
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To: george76

To keep female officers from feeling inadequate?


21 posted on 03/05/2016 1:39:03 PM PST by buwaya
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To: All

Hopefully, the beginning of a huge change is less than a year away...


22 posted on 03/05/2016 1:39:19 PM PST by JBW1949
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To: george76

Bull.


23 posted on 03/05/2016 1:39:31 PM PST by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink)
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To: sheik yerbouty

Many have, when they put a un flag insignia on.


24 posted on 03/05/2016 1:40:09 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Marie

I think it’s a very good idea. New recruits will not have their self-esteem bruised if they wear the same outfits that the “hero’s” do.

It’s the way of the world today: Everyone is equal no matter what they have accomplished. Self-esteem trumps everything.

It’s just like the government today: FAIRNESS is the motto and buzzword. No need to compete since everyone gets a participation trophy.

I’m glad I lived back in the old days where you were what you were and there were no participation awards.....because.....in real life there aren’t any!


25 posted on 03/05/2016 1:40:53 PM PST by DH (Once the tainted finger of government touches anything the rot begins)
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To: george76

Bull.


26 posted on 03/05/2016 1:41:04 PM PST by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink)
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To: lee martell

She is a creature of Soros..


27 posted on 03/05/2016 1:41:11 PM PST by sheik yerbouty ( Make America and the world a jihad free zone!)
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To: george76

Everyone gets a trophy or no one does.


28 posted on 03/05/2016 1:42:15 PM PST by Crucial (At the heart all leftidsts is the fear that the truth is bigger than themselves.)
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To: george76

REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS

It’s the trend


29 posted on 03/05/2016 1:42:30 PM PST by LeoWindhorse
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To: george76

The ultimate result of the “Everbody Gets A Trophy” mind thought.


30 posted on 03/05/2016 1:43:12 PM PST by Iron Munro (Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the mouth -- Mike Tyson)
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To: george76

if you earn it you own it

refuse the illegal directive


31 posted on 03/05/2016 1:43:27 PM PST by LeoWindhorse
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To: george76
A cursory search shows that this guy is a prog who "doesn't look to the Army's past, but to its future."

Mr. niteowl77

32 posted on 03/05/2016 1:43:49 PM PST by niteowl77 (I do not think "Gott mit Uns" on their belt buckles means what you think it means.)
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To: george76
Have not you heard that combat is so Twentieth Century. The military is now a force for good and social change. Breaking things and killing enemies in defense of our nation is so, so brutish! (sarcasm)
33 posted on 03/05/2016 1:43:49 PM PST by buckalfa (I am feeling much better now.)
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To: george76

That’s evil, treasonous...

the new recruits look up to those who have earned the patches...

they are inspired by them...

the heroes are an example to the young soldiers...

who are they going to cop-y ???

who will they want to emulate ???


34 posted on 03/05/2016 1:44:29 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: jagusafr

Is this for BDUs (or whatever they call them now) or flight suits? I got out in 1998 but I can image some of our morale patches would be seriously frowned upon today.


35 posted on 03/05/2016 1:44:32 PM PST by Azeem (There are four boxes to be used in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury and ammo.)
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To: george76

Esprit de corps is a very fundamental morale factor in a fighting force. You’d think young troops when seeing their leaders are war veterans they’d look up to them, especially when it’s their turn to go to a war zone.

The left is doing everything possible to destr0y our armed forces. This leftist brigade commander should be cashiered out of the army.

If new officers do not feel superior by virtue of their rank, it’s their problem, not the army’s.


36 posted on 03/05/2016 1:45:05 PM PST by redfreedom (Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil.)
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To: george76

To quote the latest buzz phrases: Not in my squad. Not in our Army.

I’d wager his first platoon sergeant and a few squad leaders had to suffer his no-time-in-grade shiny butter-bar butt ordering them around. Still hasn’t learned to listen to his NCOs. Where’s the Division & Brigade CSMs on this?

LTC, EN, USA (Ret.); 1980-2012


37 posted on 03/05/2016 1:45:26 PM PST by castlebrew (Gun Control means hitting where you're aiming!))
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To: sheik yerbouty
Next, they’ll be told to remove the American flag!

It could offend or hurt the feelings of illegal alien recruits, muslim terrorist recruits and others who hate America.


38 posted on 03/05/2016 1:46:02 PM PST by Iron Munro (Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the mouth -- Mike Tyson)
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To: george76

At least Hillary will fix the problem - there won’t be an Army.


39 posted on 03/05/2016 1:46:31 PM PST by oldbill
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To: george76

The age old problem of inexperienced officers and their hurt little feelings. I’ve seen this scenario plenty of times, and will admit to pondering exactly why some JO thought he had to reiterate some regulation, as some form of sage advice, to me as if I hadn’t known about it 15 yrs earlier.

Truth is, it’s all in the leader. A good JO will see senior, experienced folks as true resources, and respect them as such. A bad one tries, but fails to be the boss. On the flip-side, it’s a senior enlisted person’s job to teach and protect that JO from humiliating him or herself (at least in public, in front of the most junior troops). Some JO’s get that, some don’t.

I’ve never met an Admiral would didn’t respect his Chiefs. That’s because nobody ever gets that far, acting like a snot nosed kid who doesn’t appreciate good council.


40 posted on 03/05/2016 1:46:33 PM PST by Greenpees (Coulda Shoulda Woulda)
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