US flag

[Alcan]

Why is it that the US flag on the right sleeve of military uniforms seems to be backwards, ie the stars rectangle is in the right upper quadrant and not the left upper like I usually see the flag.

[cstone28]

Well you learn something new everyday.

http://www.marlowwhite.com/faq/f-why...-reversed.html

[SemperFi]

It is only worn that way on the right shoulder to simulate a flag blowing in the wind. Supposedly it's a tradition dating to the U.S. Civil War when cavalry units had standard bearers.

[blufinz52]

@Alcan...great question. @cstone28...great article. I learned something new this morning, thanks to both of you.

[BLACKHORSE 6]

When the United States entered WWI, the US Army expanded to create the American Expedition Force (AEF). It was the first time since the Civil War that Army units were organized into divisions (roughly 20,000 soldiers) rather than simply regiments (roughly 3,000 to 4,000 soldiers depending on the type of regiment).

To help distinguish different divisions on the battlefield and during the logistical nightmare the AEF had to work through in order to ship hundreds of thousand of soldiers and their equipment across the Atlantic, the Army designated a symbol for each division. Some units in the AEF also added the unit symbols to their uniform as a patch worn on the left shoulder. Not long after the war, all units began wearing their division patches on the left shoulder.

Ever since then, the unit patch has always been on the left shoulder and has become an identifying factor and source of pride for each Army unit. When the flag was added to the uniform in the early 2000s, it was decided to add it to the right sleeve so as not to displace the unit patch worn in its traditional place. As posted above, wearing the flag on the right sleeve requires the field to stars to be displayed as if blowing in the wind when the soldier is moving forward.

Sorry for the long post. Obviously I'm a huge military history nerd.

[cop414]

Originally Posted by BLACKHORSE 6

When the United States entered WWI, the US Army expanded to create the American Expedition Force (AEF). It was the first time since the Civil War that Army units were organized into divisions (roughly 20,000 soldiers) rather than simply regiments (roughly 3,000 to 4,000 soldiers depending on the type of regiment).

To help distinguish different divisions on the battlefield and during the logistical nightmare the AEF had to work through in order to ship hundreds of thousand of soldiers and their equipment across the Atlantic, the Army designated a symbol for each division. Some units in the AEF also added the unit symbols to their uniform as a patch worn on the left shoulder. Not long after the war, all units began wearing their division patches on the left shoulder.

Ever since then, the unit patch has always been on the left shoulder and has become an identifying factor and source of pride for each Army unit. When the flag was added to the uniform in the early 2000s, it was decided to add it to the right sleeve so as not to displace the unit patch worn in its traditional place. As posted above, wearing the flag on the right sleeve requires the field to stars to be displayed as if blowing in the wind when the soldier is moving forward.

Sorry for the long post. Obviously I'm a huge military history nerd.

Great 1000th post!

[Dr.Brian]

Always advancing, never retreating.