Courtesy Photo | Personnel from Deputy Command Support Operations, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan,...... read more read more
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CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan – Soldiers from the 16th Sustainment Brigade, out of Bamberg, Germany, shared in a time-honored Army tradition with a combat patch ceremony on Camp Eggers, Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 21.
Part of the 16th Sustainment Brigade headquarters deployed in November to augment NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan’s Deputy Command-Support Operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Col. Darren Werner and Command Sgt. Maj. Ismael Rodriguez, the commander and command sergeant major of the 16th Sustainment Brigade presented the soldiers with the NTM-A patch on their right shoulder sleeve along with a certificate of authorization signifying more than 30 days deployed to a combat zone.
Those 16th Sustainment Brigade soldiers who are deployed work alongside U.S. Air Force, Marines and Navy personnel and several coalition partner nations. Twenty five of those DCOM-SPO coalition members participated in the ceremony and received a patch from the 16th Sustainment Brigade command team. Fifteen soldiers also received their first combat patch at the ceremony.
“It was a privilege to be a part of the ceremony,” said 1st Lt. Kelsy Ferris, a plans officer with DCOM-SPO from Severna Park, Md., and member of the 16th Sustainment Brigade.
This is the first deployment for Ferris.
“It is an honor to receive the patch as a representation of my service to our country. I am proud of that. Not everyone can say that they have been deployed to Afghanistan and with the drawdown of forces, I’m glad I got this opportunity.”
Canadian Maj. Gregory Perry, a future operations planner with DCOM-SPO and a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, said he was happy to participate in the ceremony.
“I was honored to be invited to take part in the ceremony,” said Perry. “We don’t have anything like that in the Canadian army. The American [military] awards program is very well developed. I think it’s a good incentive for soldiers and inspires them.”
“As a coalition member this will generate very fond memories of serving with an American unit,” added Perry.
According to Army regulation, to qualify for the combat patch, soldiers must be assigned to a unit serving in a declared hostile environment for more than 30 days.
“What the regulation cannot possibly capture, is that you make up one percent of Americans who serve their nation in uniform,” said Rodriguez, who was also guest speaker at the ceremony. “You are the one percent who recognizes fully the perils of your profession you have chosen yet continuously volunteer time and time again to answer your nations calling. At many times came great personal loss and sacrifice. You are the one percent of selfless Americans who endures and perdures the rigors of war, returns home and ask nothing in return.”
The combat patch has a long history dating back to World War I when 81st Infantry Division soldiers wore a felt patch with the symbol of a wildcat on their left shoulder as they sailed for France after training at Fort Jackson, S.C. When other divisions challenged the right of 81st soldiers to wear the patch, Gen. John J. Pershing ruled that the 81st could keep this distinctive insignia and challenged other divisions to adopt shoulder patches of their own.
This patch was officially adopted by the U.S. Army Oct. 19, 1918.
The 16th Sustainment Brigade soldiers are also now authorized to wear the U.S. Forces Afghanistan and 16th Sustainment Brigade combat patches and both the Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon and NATO Campaign Ribbon.
| Date Taken: | 12.21.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 01.30.2013 02:23 |
| Story ID: | 101219 |
| Location: | CAMP EGGERS, AF |
| Web Views: | 489 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 16th Sustainment Brigade soldiers honored with combat patch ceremony, by SSG Lynne Lantin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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