Posted on Jun 19, 2018
Combat Patch Regulation (SSI-FWTS), Fact vs Fiction?
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I’m an IMA soldier and while joining my active component unit for my 30 days of Annual Training, I was sent to a country considered to be in the AO for one of the ongoing Operations. A fellow officer mentioned I was authorized to wear our unit’s patch as a SSI-FWTS. He stated one day on orders in that country, in support of the Operation met the requirement to wear the patch as my SSI. I read the regulation and that seems to be the case but that just doesn’t seem right for three weeks in an Op Center. Just wondering if this is true or am I understanding this wrong? I’m asking because when he approached me he was stating I was out of uniform when I returned and gave me the explanation above. He was joking of course and it was in his own way recognizing I had been gone and was back. I realize the wear is up to the soldier but I’m not sure if the senior officer was correct in his interpretation as I’ve always heard it required being in country 30-90 days. Does anyone know the real deal? I never want to wear anything I didn’t earn.
Combat Patch (SSI-FWTS)
Deployment
DA Pam 670-1
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
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You read the regulations correctly. Even if you were only there for 1 day you are authorized to wear a patch. To my knowledge there has never been 30 day requirement, even before March 2014 when major changes to AR 670-1 were implemented regarding SSI-FWTS. That is just a traditional timeline that many units use for the patch ceremonies.
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Sir thanks much, I truly appreciate the response. That really clears up where the 30 day “phantom policy” had originated.
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SSG (Join to see)
I believe the 30 day thing stemmed from SOME units doing a "Patching ceromony" at 30 or 60 days in country and as many things in the Army a young Solder or NCO takes that as regulation and tries to uphold "We did it this way at my last unit." statement.
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SSG (Join to see) - I think the 30 day thing came from the regi saying the campaign needed to be over 30 days old...and people interpreted that as their time in country versus them saying like GWOT needed to last 30 days.
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It doesn't matter if you serve a day or an entire deployment. The SSI just shows that you were deployed on OPS with that unit, if you had spent the full tour, then medals/ribbons would have followed.
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Sergeant Major thank you for your comment. I updated my post with more detail and appreciate you clearing that up. I always thought you had to be in country a specific amount of time.
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We had this question come up on my deployment a lot and the answer is yes 24hrs for the patch. However campaign medals its 30 conservative days or 45 inconsecutive days in country. Seeing that you said you were only in country 3 weeks you would not be authorized the campaign medal for the area of operation.
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CPT (Join to see)
I could be wrong but I thought the campaign reference was to the duration of the campaign not your time in country for the campaign. You don't need 24 hrs in...30 seconds in and it's over, like it or not.
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