A year in Afghanistan: The Combat Patch

Well, it finally happened. I finally got my patch ceremony! For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I'll explain. In the Army, all Soldiers wear a patch on their left arm which signifies which unit they are assigned. Some Soldiers also wear a patch on their right arm. The patch on the right arm signifies former wartime service. Everybody refers to it simply as the combat patch. A Soldier is only authorized to wear a patch on their right arm if they have deployed to a combat zone.

Until today, my right shoulder was bare. Now, I could have put the patch on the minute I stepped off the plane in Afghanistan, but I was holding out for my combat patch ceremony. Secretly, I was hoping there would be cake! While there wasn't any cake, I'm glad I waited for the ceremony. It was kind of cool standing out in formation with all of the other first time deployers and watching the commander put everyone's patch on. I will always remember the day I got my combat patch. I'm cheesy, I know!

There is a tradition in the Army anytime you receive a new rank, combat patch, airborne wings, etc., that once the new thing is put on, you then get punched in it. This practice is frowned upon officially. So, after the commander put on my patch he just shook my hand. I really wanted the full experience, so I tracked down the 1SG and made him punch me. He didn't want to do it....