Are Army soldiers allowed to wear USMC combat patches?

2018-04-30T15:32:23-04:00

If you deployed to a combat zone as a marine but then later switched to the army, are you able to wear your marine division patch as a combat patch or do you have to be attached to them during your time in the army to wear it?

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Apr 30 at 2018 3:39 PM

2018-04-30T15:39:00-04:00

You'd have to check with administration, or the training NCO.

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2018 3:44 PM

2018-04-30T15:44:38-04:00

The last time I looked at the Reg, it was only being allowed for Army Soldiers assigned to Marine commands at or below Battalion level, with a 2 star approval memo (they were really clamping down on it at the time, trying to reduce non-Army approved heraldry and such). I’ll double check in the morning, I teach with an AG Officer who keeps up on those types of updates pretty actively.

Response by 1SG Dennis Hicks made Apr 30 at 2018 4:22 PM

2018-04-30T16:22:13-04:00

The short answer is NO, for you to wear a MARINE patch you had to be in the Army during the authorized period with a memo stating that in your records. In addition coming from the Marine Corp to the Army with a CAR COMBAT ACTION RIBBON does not mean you can wear a CIB as some dillwad started that rumor years ago. I know this will also cause heart burn for the BRO Soldiers but the color version of the Big Red One is UNAUTHORIZED and has been addressed by the Uniform board years ago yet it still is being done. Below is the ALARACT message that came out about this many years ago.
SUBJECT: ALARACT 140/2007
TEXT:
UNCLASSIFIED//
THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN SENT BY THE PENTAGON TELECOMMUNICATIONS CENTER ON BEHALF OF: DA WASHINGTON DC//DAPE-HRI//
SUBJECT: AR 670-1, 3 FEB 05, WEAR AND APPEARANCE OF ARMY UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA
1. THIS MESSAGE SERVES AS IMPLEMENTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE WEAR POLICY OUTLINED IN AR 670-1 AND MESSAGES OUTLINING THE WEAR POLICY FOR THE ARMY COMBAT UNIFORM (ACU).

8. NON-SUBDUED SSI (S) ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO BE WORN ON UTILITY UNIFORMS AS A SSI OR SSI-FWTS. LEADERS WILL ENSURE SOLDIERS COMPLY IMMEDIATELY. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO POLICY CURRENTLY APPROVED AUTHORIZING WEAR OF ANY NON-SUBDUED SSI ON UTILITY UNIFORMS.

24. POC FOR UNIFORM POLICY IS SGM K. EASLEY, DSN 225-5287; COMM. [login to see] . E-MAIL IS [login to see] .MIL.
25. THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE DCS, G-1.
26. THIS AUTHORITY IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
27. EXPIRATION. THIS MESSAGE WILL EXPIRE UPON NEXT PUBLICATION OF AR 670-1.

AR670-1 (KEY WORD SOLDIERS) not MARINES
(14) Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF): between 19 March 2003 to 31 August 2010, for Soldiers assigned to units
participating in OIF. Soldiers must have been deployed in the CENTCOM area of operations, or participated in OIF
while deployed in Turkey, Israel, or on Aegis cruisers. Soldiers who served with the 1st Marine Division between 19
March 2003 and 21 April 2003 during combat operations in support of OIF are authorized to wear the 1st Marine
Division SSI as their SSI–FWTS. Soldiers who were deployed in the area of operations on training exercises or in
support of operations other than OIF not authorized the SSI-FWTS, unless those exercises or operations became
combat or support missions to OIF.

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Apr 30 at 2018 5:09 PM

2018-04-30T17:09:41-04:00

I'm curious about this myself. I remember some soldiers had 1st Marine "Guadalcanal" patches they got from being assigned to USMC units during the Iraq invasion so I'd always assumed this was authorized.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made May 4 at 2018 1:36 PM

2018-05-04T13:36:42-04:00

As a Marine no, as a soldier assigned to a Marine Unit, yes.

Response by SSG Dale London made May 4 at 2018 4:43 PM

2018-05-04T16:43:20-04:00

Notwitstanding any of the excellent advice you have been given, the easiest answer is simply to write up a request on DA Form 4187, submit it and wait to see what happens. If the answer is "yes, you may wear the patch," then ask to have the response entered into your 201 file and go for it. If the answer is no... then, no.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made May 4 at 2018 10:18 PM

2018-05-04T22:18:18-04:00

Response by SGT Frank G made May 31 at 2018 6:04 PM

2018-05-31T18:04:55-04:00

Yes! We Currahees 03-04 are authorized to wear the patch. A few of us also have Navy Commendation awards.

Response by Sgt Terry Reed made Sep 1 at 2018 2:22 PM

2018-09-01T14:22:11-04:00

Response by SPC Casey Ashfield made Oct 15 at 2018 6:06 PM

2018-10-15T18:06:05-04:00

In effect no. As an Army soldier attached to a Marine command or working close with Marines in combat, that is a different story and different paperwork.

Response by SPC William Weedman made Nov 17 at 2018 8:57 AM

2018-11-17T08:57:31-05:00

Not sure if I’m reading the question properly. Had a career counselor helping me try to re-enlist in 2009 (stupid high cholesterol) who was career Army wearing the 1st Marine Division patch. Seems in 2003 his unit was attached to the 1st Marine Division before and during the drive to Baghdad. After things quieted down the proper Army & Marine officials got together and authorized his unit to wear the 1st Marine patch as their SSI.

Response by SFC Harry H. made Dec 13 at 2018 3:31 PM

2018-12-13T15:31:59-05:00

Not sure why anyone in the Army would want to wear a Marine Corps patch unless they were indeed prior service Marine.

Response by SFC Jeffrey Capwell made Jan 18 at 2019 6:51 PM

2019-01-18T18:51:49-05:00

I served in a unit that had a former USMC veteran who served in Vietnam. He wore the 3rd Marine patch as a Combat patch.

Response by CPL Jonathan Roberts made Feb 10 at 2019 12:45 PM

2019-02-10T12:45:35-05:00

We had the same , 5/7 cab 3id 3rd bsb, and we shared an out post with Marines the second expeditionary task force we had a special design patch for it we were in ramadi and Fallujah or we just simply wore our 3rd ID patch

Response by SSG Kenneth Ponder made Sep 23 at 2019 3:08 PM

2019-09-23T15:08:51-04:00

Marines can't wear them, but if you join the Army after you leave the Marines, you can. Never made any damn sense!

Response by SSG Kenneth Ponder made Sep 23 at 2019 3:11 PM

2019-09-23T15:11:51-04:00

If you want to wear a patch from another branch of service. DA4187 send it up.

Response by CPL Gary Pifer made Oct 3 at 2019 10:41 PM

2019-10-03T22:41:20-04:00

You can wear anything until your caught or told to remove... many in the 1970's National Guard wore them... Vietnam Veterans. Most Commands just ignored it.. happy to have the bodies.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 11 at 2020 11:01 AM

2020-05-11T11:01:56-04:00

660tc is authorized to wear a 1st MEF combat patch because we (an army unit) hauled their fuel in Iraq

Response by SSG Kenneth Ponder made Sep 2 at 2020 9:14 PM

2020-09-02T21:14:54-04:00

They can per AR, but since the USMC doesn't wear them, they shouldn't. Just damn common sense!

Response by SSG Kenneth Ponder made Sep 2 at 2020 9:20 PM

2020-09-02T21:20:26-04:00

Let me rephrase that, if you were in USMC and was in combat and then you enlisted in USArmy, the Army let you wear that unit insignia as a combat patch. But if you are in the Army assigned to marine unit in combat, you wear the Army patch you fought with not the marine patch that they are not allowed to wear. Think about it!

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Sep 3 at 2020 11:42 AM

2020-09-03T11:42:25-04:00

There a rare few who can, were you one of the ones who supported the Marines during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, one of the Field Artillery personnel in Beirut when the barracks were bombed, were you part of the force that was attached tot he Marines during the FIRST 30 days of the Invasion of Iraq. Next Question, in the previously mention actions were you a Marine? If so, the ANSWER is NO!!!!! If you were a soldier, maybe/yes. it would depend on all the criteria laid out in 670-1. The key word for the devil dummies, if you were a Marine. Stop do not pass go, do not fix that patch on your right sleeve. Doesn't matter what unit you were with , you can't wear it on our Uniform, if you were a Marine at that time. For those who were with Marines after the initial 30 days of the Iraq invasion, the answer is no, and it doesn't matter what Marine told you that you could, as that person has jack diddly squat authority to countermand our regs. And for the Airforce people, just say no and walk away. Years ago in an Army Reg they broke down very simply the Army is the only service that wears a unit patch (Shoulder Sleeve Insignia for you technical types).

Response by SSG Kenneth Ponder made Sep 4 at 2020 3:44 PM

2020-09-04T15:44:28-04:00

If you were in the USMC and served in Combat, got out and enlisted in USArmy, ck with your MILPO and they will confirm (DA4187) and you can wear your Marine patch, that you cannot wear in the USMC. If you are in USArmy attached to Marine Corp in combat, you wear your Army patch you served with unless there has been an exception to policy, once agin ck with your MILPO, they will confirm or deny.

Response by SSG Kenneth Ponder made Sep 4 at 2020 3:47 PM

2020-09-04T15:47:57-04:00

Ck with your MILPO,
Ck the Army regs,
Quit begging Chair Jockeys & Remington Rangers, to find a GD loophole!