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Wednesday, November 30, 2005
A patch of honor for combat
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Curtis Compton/AJC
Second Lt. Mark Pitts, 21, of St. Marys (right) presents Sgt. 1st Class Marion McGriff, 40, of Jesup with his combat patch. Cpl. Ronald Lewis, 33, of Guyton (lower left) proudly re-enlists for six years. Pfc. Brian Flowers, 20, of Savannah displays his combat patch during the Nov. 21 ceremony.
It is nothing more than a small piece of cloth with an Army unit’s insignia affixed to the right sleeve of a soldier’s uniform.
But for soldiers everywhere it signifies that those who wear it have spent at least 30 days in a combat zone.
In a recent ceremony at Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq, members of the Savannah-based 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, received their combat patches.
The patches are from the 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, the unit under which the 48th Brigade Combat Team served during its first six months in Iraq.
