| |||||||||||||||||||||
JERSEY SOLDIERS DON COMBAT PATCH
By 1st Sgt. David Moore, JASG-C Public Affairs, Baghdad BAGHDAD, Iraq — Soldiers of the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team serving in Baghdad placed the symbol of loyalty to the mission known as the combat patch on their right shoulder sleeves. During the Oct. 15 military formation held at a chapel near the American Embassy in Baghdad, the Headquarters Company Soldiers who serve as a lead element for the Joint Area Support Group-Central placed an additional brigade patch on their Army Combat Uniforms. “It is a clear sign of your loyalty to defend freedom and your duty to fulfill your military obligation. It is a symbol of respect for Soldiers who have served in a hostile environment and it proves your commitment to face courage and danger,” said Col. Steven Ferrari, brigade and JASG-C commander. The 50th patch, approved in January for wear on military uniforms, is a seven-sided patch vertically divided and contains three stars that represent New Jersey as being the third state to sign the United States Constitution. The patch’s shape suggests the letter ‘V’ for victory. Ferrari said the organization already has a common bond of wearing the left shoulder patch, but Soldiers standing in the formation are among 3,000 Soldiers now eligible to wear the brigade patch on the right sleeve. “The right shoulder patch is a reminder, all of you are operating in a hostile environment and cannot become complacent during present military operations,” he said. “It is a reminder to watch out for yourself and watch out for each other. The mission is not over until we all come home,” Ferrari added.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
(c) 2008 NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs http://www.nj.gov/military |