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Posted on Dec 17, 2021
WO1 Ierw Student
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Has anyone heard of someone receiving a SSI-FWTS or “combat patch” for the Mexico border operations in the past couple years?
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SGM G3 Sergeant Major
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Edited 3 y ago
No. As of today, the United States (or the border area or Mexico) is not listed as:
a Combat Zone Tax Exclusion by the IRS
a country eligible for HFP/IDP in DoDFMR Vol 7a fig 10-1 or the current table on DFAS
https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/IDP-Areas/

these are the two requirements for the Army to approve an SSI-MOHC.


I think all of us here would enjoy hearing the story of the kid who is claiming they got an SSI-MOHC for the border mission, though.
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SFC Ralph E Kelley
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NO - They're focusing on getting them for Chicago ;>D
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CPT Company Commander
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This is not a thing. I have seen people make all types of claims about getting patches. If someone is claiming this, I would pull their ERB and scrub it to make sure they are wearing anything else that is fake.
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WO1 Ierw Student
WO1 (Join to see)
3 y
Yeah within his SRB under overseas/combat deployment he has a “6 month tour” to the US. First time I have seen this lol
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Has anyone heard of someone receiving a SSI-FWTS or “combat patch” for the Mexico border operations in the past couple years?
1SG Alan Boggs
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Nope but i got to here this story, do tell!
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1SG Alan Boggs
1SG Alan Boggs
3 y
Typo or brain fart....*hear*
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WO1 Ierw Student
WO1 (Join to see)
3 y
Reclass SM into aviation (former artillery man) shows up while we were in Iraq the past few months. I ask him about his 10th mountain patch and where he deployed to and he stated it was for the Mexico border mission. To which I told him to remove it.
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1SG Signal Support Systems Specialist
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I sure hope not
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MAJ Ronnie Reams
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You do realize that was prior to our entry to WWI. Patton Sr, was a LT. That long ago. AFAIK, that last time US Army was officially in Old Mexico. Cross border raids by the Apache continued until 1921 but were handled by the Frontier Bn TX Rangers.
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MAJ Ronnie Reams
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Edited >1 y ago
Never heard of it in the 100 plus years since we were chasing Poncho Villa cross border. Not even sure there were combat patches back then
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
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Well there is no SSI-FWTS anymore: "A significant policy update features a name change for the patch soldiers wear on their right shoulder to show wartime service.

"We also made a big change to what a lot of soldiers call the 'combat patch,'" Sanders said.

The Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Former Wartime Service will now be called the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Military Operations in Hostile Conditions. It is authorized for soldiers who served on combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, but also those who served in certain countries considered hostile areas.

"Sometimes, we go to certain locations, and we don't plan on that to be hostile conditions, but it may turn hostile," Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston said. "How do we recognize those soldiers who are out doing what we have asked them to do? ... So we allow them to wear the shoulder sleeve insignia for the unit. I think that is appropriate."

The new shoulder sleeve insignia is currently authorized for Somalia, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Jordan and Syria."

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/01/27/army-rolls-out-army-green-uniform-wear-guidelines-renames-combat-patch.html

Why would anyone sent to Mexico get granted that? We aren't at war with Mexico...or in any kind of military conflict with them either.
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MSG Intermediate Care Technician
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How did this rumor/story get started?
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WO1 Ierw Student
WO1 (Join to see)
3 y
Not a rumor or story, just a reclass SM showed up and I asked who he deployed with in 10th mountain and he said he did a border mission as artillery and they earned combat patches to include armed forces service medals
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MSG Intermediate Care Technician
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WO1 (Join to see) - The AFRM I could see....but a combat patch? Yea, that don't pass the sniffer test.
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SFC Michael Hasbun
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LOL... no.
Don't get me wrong, Texas and Arizona are shitholes, but I don't think we've gone so far as to call them combat zones.
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