Combat Veterans

(Click to enlarge)

Last week we held our "Patch Ceremony". For those of you unfamiliar with the ways of the Army, Soldiers wear a "Shoulder Sleeve Identifier" on their left shoulder. This patch is their current unit of assignment. Certain Soldiers wear a patch on their right shoulder as well. The official name of this patch is the "Shoulder Sleeve Identifier, Former Wartime Unit". Now, this is quite a mouthful, so Soldiers simply call it a "Combat Patch". The patch is coveted, because it identifies a Soldier as having been deployed in a combat zone. It means that he or she has "been there, done that". Many Soldiers, particularly in the past, have gone entire careers without ever being awarded a combat patch.

The above picture was taken of our Staff following the ceremony. In the background are the two helicopters we fly, the UH-60 Black Hawk and the CH-47 Chinook.