Found Army jacket this morning.

302cj

Old Mossy Horns
I found it under my house so it's been there at least 15 years. Just curious if anyone knows the patch meanings as google isn't much help. IMG_1123.jpgright shoulder
IMG_1124.jpg over front left pocketIMG_1125.jpgleft shoulder


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james.c.wiseman

Button Buck
The righ shoulder means this guy deployed with "Big Red One" 1st Infantry Division. Infantry bage and Airborne badge over the US Army Tab. This camo pattern ran through the mid 80's until around 2004. Not sure of the left side. Sweet find!

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Firefly

Old Mossy Horns
A friend of mine was in the "Bloody Red One" we called them in Viet-Nam. I was in the 1st Air Calvary Division (Airmobile) but we saw the Big Red One guys almost daily over there..The jacket was a nice find..
 

Ldsoldier

Old Mossy Horns
Figured the EIB would be a CIB if a unit combat identifier was in place.

Not necessarily. It's my understanding that your unit has to actually engage the enemy to get a CIB. Many units deploy but never engage, especially prior to the GWOT. Also, not everybody switches them out on every uniform.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Not necessarily. It's my understanding that your unit has to actually engage the enemy to get a CIB. Many units deploy but never engage, especially prior to the GWOT. Also, not everybody switches them out on every uniform.


pretty much can't get the shoulder patch without the (theoretical) opportunity to get a CIB,,,,and since Grenada pretty much if they can get you one they will,,,,,,,,,
 
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LanceR

Six Pointer
Contributor
Not necessarily. It's my understanding that your unit has to actually engage the enemy to get a CIB. Many units deploy but never engage, especially prior to the GWOT. Also, not everybody switches them out on every uniform.

There are a number of reasons that someone could be wearing an Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) and a former wartime service shoulder insignia but not wearing a Combat Infantryman Badge.

As already noted he could have been serving in an other than infantry position and even seen a lot of combat but not have been authorized a CIB which requires you to be in direct combat, assigned to an infantry authorized position at the Brigade or lower level, MOS qualified etc.

Or he personally had not directly engaged in combat at all. Or he may have been serving in an infantry position above the maneuver brigade level and not authorized a CIB even if he had been in a firefight or three.

Or he may have been in combat but not have been in combat for enough days to be awarded the CIB at a time when there was a specific requirement for a number of days of direct combat to be awarded a CIB.

Or, like several NCOs I know he may have earned an EIB somewhere along the way but felt that the CIBs handed to some units in Panama, Grenada and during the Persian Gulf War really weren't deserved. So they chose to wear the EIB that they surely did earn as an awardee with both can choose which to wear on any given uniform or day.

Or he changed his MOS either from being an infantryman before deploying or to being an infantryman after deploying. I had several soldiers who started out in other MOSs who reclassified as grunts of one flavor or another.

Having spent 29 years as an infantryman I can think of a few more reasons but I think we all get the idea and I'm beating a dead horse here....

Have a great day and I hope that BDU jacket fits you or one of your kids.....


Lance
 
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