Chief of Army bans soldiers from wearing 'arrogant' death symbols

[OldSolduer]

Morale patches are fun but should never be displayed on a uniform or kit. I always liked the suckmeter though

 

[SupersonicMax]

Morale patches are fun but should never be displayed on a uniform or kit. I always liked the suckmeter though

Keep them for Friday PM at the mess.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

Black toques are still OK? No patches on them. 

 

[OldSolduer]

Black toques are still OK? No patches on them.

I’m good with the black toque. Not that I can do anything about them....

 

[Strike]

I loved the morale patches during TGIFs on air bases. I had a "JOPA" patch that I wore proudly during Maple Flags and at air shows.  Another one that comes in mind was the Sea King patch with check marks in boxes denoting decades of service and the phrase "Flying yesterday's aircraft tomorrow" on it.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Morale patches? Pshaw.....

How about interactive RFID tags?

 

[Infanteer]

That's a bit different then troops festooning their gear with "Haji don't Surf" or "Crusader" patches when out on patrol in Islamic countries....

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I loved the morale patches during TGIFs on air bases. I had a "JOPA" patch that I wore proudly during Maple Flags and at air shows.  Another one that comes in mind was the Sea King patch with check marks in boxes denoting decades of service and the phrase "Flying yesterday's aircraft tomorrow" on it.

JOPA?

 

[mariomike]

For more on morale patches,

Morale Patches 
https://army.ca/forums/threads/105002.0
OP: "Let's discuss, in a jovial manner, morale patches."

Wearing of "team/roto" patches overseas.
https://army.ca/forums/threads/67599.0
"I think the wearing of appropriate 'team', 'roto' or 'morale' patches is a good thing for the soldiers overseas."

Patching Afghanistan 
https://army.ca/forums/threads/82817.0
"Non-Official being Morale patches and unofficial unit patches"

"I was thinking more morale patch type things..."
https://army.ca/forums/threads/101505/post-1162634.html#msg1162634

etc...

 

[blacktriangle]

JOPA?

That patch is pretty fitting for you guys these last few years...

;D

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Despite not being 'allowed' to wear our Sqn Heraldic crests and crew patches, morale patches for ROTO crews ended up happening.  :tsktsk: by the ATF...meh.  If you're worried about patches as the ATF Comd level, you don't have much to actually worry about OR  you're worrying about the wrong things IMO.  Personally, I'd go with the latter choice in the case of that OP.

 

[Sub_Guy]

I’m a fan of different patches, for years we (LRP Acoustians) wore the “Ping Monkey” patch, no issues. Something that we sarcastically designed for ourselves.

However some ass jockey felt it demeaning (so don’t wear the fucking thing) and eventually we (at least in 14 Wing) were told to take it off.  Good thing too, because morale is high among the 6 Acoustians here on the wing.  Death by a 1000 paper cuts.

 

[Strike]

JOPA?

Junior
Officer
Protection
Agency

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Good thing too, because morale is high among the 6 Acoustians here on the wing.  Death by a 1000 paper cuts.

Wait...didn't you hear?  You just need to 'manage your time more effectively'.  6 is plenty!  PLENTY!!

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Junior
Officer
Protection
Agency

Ha!  That's a good one!

 

[daftandbarmy]

On various exercises it was always fun to 'capture' Enfor and take them direct to tactical questioning where any badges or tattoos they were wearing were immediately put to use in extracting information from them.

Subsequently, when I was conducting TQ on the right side of the table, it was always easier to get information from those we were questioning if they were sporting various badges and tattoos.

And then they went on the real Interrogators (shudder). 

POWs Never Have a Nice Day

 

[Jarnhamar]

I've never been a real fan of morale patches.  Overseas I found platoon patches (skull, rams head etc..) good for morale and commeradry. Especially when you were legitimately facing loosing a family member every day. Outside of that meh. I'm proud enough wearing the huge Velcro flag on my arm (and dealing with the drama of getting caught wearing an IR flag on my rain jacket outside of the field)

I can't speak for everyone but what bothered us in the past when we were told morale patches were banned (and hilariously faced being RTUd from a war zone for being caught wearing a patch) was that higher up's and people who didn't routinely leave the wire seemed to be festooned with all types of flashy morale and adhoc unit patches.  There was definitely a double standard.

"Well they were authorized". Yea they authorized themselves I think. 

Morales patches are elitist in the CAF.

I sorta get why theyre targeted by the chain of command, say as in the Australian military. Government wants the military to be PC and public friendly as possible. It makes people happy to see flashy parades and obedient soldiers on display.  On the other hand we're taking young adults and teaching them to violently kill (I'd go so far as to suggest massacre) human beings they've never met. Who surely have families or even play the same Xbox games as these guys and girls.  I'm not educated in this stuff but I would guess there's some kind of psychological relationship (defense?) associated with skull and death iconography and the job we ultimately do or support doing.

When you read the OP they're talking about specifically banning Spartan helmets among other stuff. I think THAT highlights that this move is less about skull/death=bad and more about being politically correct and less visually "warrior" minded.  If you're going to ban a helmet icon you may as well ban swords daggers spears and shields.

*editing some grammar

 

[Loachman]

On the other hand we're talking young adults and teaching them to violently kill (I'd go so far as to suggest massacre) human beings they've never met.

"We train young men to drop fire on people, but their commanders won't allow them to write "fuck" on their airplanes because it's obscene!"
- Col Kurtz, Apocalypse Now

 

[SupersonicMax]

I believe you need to show some humility in taking life in the conduct of your duty.  It may bring professional satisfaction but it shouldn't be something you yell for everyone to hear (and those kind of patches scream that). Wear them in the unit lines on a Friday and at the Mess that night.  Take them off when you go in public.  Rare are the non-military people that actually think it is "cool".

 

[jollyjacktar]

In today's PC, Kumbaya, SJW, Snowflake, Sunny Ways world, sure.  Until, the day there's a real threat to their rose coloured glasses world.

Go back 70 years and John Q Public thought it was very cool indeed. 

I don't recall seeing a load of tears when Bin Laden painted his bedroon in a new colour called "a hint of brains".

https://youtu.be/yP1vSIOmCc4