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Desert Uniforms, Patches, anD insignia of the Us armeD forces 1
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2 Desert Uniforms, Patches, anD insignia of the Us armeD forces
contents
Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
foreword by maj . gen . (ret) Kenneth r . Bowra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
chaPter 1 . from DBDU to DcU… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
chaPter 2. Specifications, Modifications, and “Theater-made” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
chaPter 3 . army commands, activities, and agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
chaPter 4 . armies and corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
chaPter 5 . army and marine corps Divisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
chaPter 6 . army separate Brigades, groups, and regiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
chaPter 7 . army combat service support Units and commands . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
chaPter 8 . army special operations forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
chaPter 9 . the army national guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
chaPter 10 . the army reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201
chaPter 11 . army training centers and schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
chaPter 12 . the navy and marine corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215
chaPter 13 . the air force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
chaPter 14 . the coast guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
chaPter 15. Army Rank, Branch, and Qualification Insignia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261
chaPter 16 . the tales of a thousand and one nights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284
chaPter 17 . and the Beat goes on… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
aPPenDix a . Patch and Uniform manufacturers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
aPPenDix B . headgear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .312
aPPenDix c. Civilians and Contractors on the Battlefield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .322
acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .334
index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Desert Uniforms, Patches, anD insignia of the Us armeD forces 3 contents
This book is dedicated to our parents, who taught
us that service to our nation is the highest form of
patriotism; and to all of the soldiers, sailors, airmen,
Coast Guardsmen, and Marines who proudly wore
these uniforms in the service of their country.
“They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able
to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the
faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in
the mountains.”
— 1 Chronicles 12:8
contents 4 Desert Uniforms, Patches, anD insignia of the Us armeD forces
acKnowleDgments
When writing a book of this type, the need to reach out to many Special thanks go to our good friends Richard Killblane and
people is critical to ensure accuracy and completeness. Without Chaplain Col. Robert Nay, the original members of our Fort Lee
fail, the veterans and others we talked to shared generously of their Collectors Group whose meetings helped inspire this book; and to
time, as well as their uniforms and personal photographs, including Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Ken Bowra, who graciously opened his home to
important contributors such as Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mitchell Stevenson, allow us to photograph his desert uniforms.
Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Ken Bowra, Maj. Gen. Tim Williams, Col. (Ret.) We would be remiss if we did not mention the American Society
James “Sluggo” Ebertowski, Col. (Ret.) Charles R. Brown, Col. (Ret.) of Military Insignia Collectors (ASMIC), the US Militaria Forum,
Sharon Leary, Col. Bruce McPeak, Col. (Ret.) Sam Russell, Lt. Col. and the OEF/OIF Forum, which gave us valuable insight into desert
(Ret.) Richard K. Boch, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Harold (Craig) Demby, Lt. patch and uniform collecting, as well as access to collectors across
Col. Brian Donohue, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Keith Fegler, Lt. Col. Matt the globe.
Hamilton, Lt. Col. Eric Van De Hey, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Milton L. Smith, We would also like to acknowledge the help and support of
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jon Quinn, Maj. (Ret.) Pete Belmonte, Maj. Bradford Kenneth Finlayson, PhD, who reviewed the Army Special Operations
“Mike” Bethea, Maj. (Ret.) Richard “Digger” Dell, Maj. Scott Nemeth, chapter; and John Adams-Graf (editor of the Trading Post), who
Chaplain Maj. Stanton Trotter, Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Ret.) John published our article on desert patches that was the seed corn for
L. Birkner, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Randy Johnson, Chief Warrant the development of this book.
Officer 5 (Ret.) Jeffie Moore, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Andrew Organizations that supported this effort include the National
Foreman, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Nikki Frazier, Chief Warrant Guard Educational Foundation; Virginia Army National Guard; Indiana
Officer 4 Luis Sanchez, Sgt. 1st Class (Ret.) Juan Rodriguez, Sgt. National Guard; US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and
Maj. (Ret.) Jimmie Fisher, Jason Aileo, Alison E. Hutton, Kathleen Engineering Center: David Accetta; US Army Institute of Heraldry;
Cochran, Tom Jamerson, and Mike Martinson. US Army Logistics University Library: John Shields and Tim Renick;
There are a number of fellow militaria collectors who provided and the Defense Logistics Agency. Also contributing were the fine
invaluable information and photos on specific topics, including folks at the US Army Quartermaster Museum at Fort Lee: Paul Morando
Maj. Paul Madden, who provided many rare and unusual DCUs and Luther Hansen.
and his expertise on the 101st Airborne Division; Tim Bartholow Please accept our gratitude and sincere hope that our final
for his expertise on Army Band tabs; Clete Erickson, who provided product is equal in quality to your service and contributions.
exceptional examples of Navy DCUs with Arabic script name tapes; We also owe a debt of gratitude to our editor Ian Robertson for
Gareth Ewart for his contributions of rare Air Force OSI DCUs and his patience answering questions and guiding us through the process.
early Coast Guard and Navy Seabee DBDUs; Danilo Matz for his Most of all, we are truly indebted to our long-suffering wives:
cover art concept, as well as his rare early 1972 DBDU; Guilhaume Susan Born-Blitz and Michele Barnes. Thank you for your boundless
Nuydt for his rare Coast Guard and Navy DCUs; Chief Warrant love, support, and understanding. We appreciate your patience with
Officer 2 Paul Renk and Noel Renk for their expertise on all things our many incoherent ramblings about desert patch types, uniform
Coast Guard related; Arch Rigsby for his extensive knowledge of labels, contract dates, manufacturers, and other such nonsense in
modified DCUs; Pierre-Emmanuel Vergote for sharing photos of the course of everyday conversation, and for putting up with our
desert patches from his exceptional collection; Scott Stevens, Dave filling every available space at home with militaria. Remember, it’s
Schwind, and Erick Eastes for sharing their knowledge of US military collecting, not hoarding!
uniforms; Pascal Vermeersch for sharing his extensive knowledge
of all things Desert Storm related; Maj. Vance Zemke for sharing Trademarks
images of his extensive collection of theater-made patches; Bob The following products are noted trademarks that are mentioned
Ziccardi for his expertise on Special Operations uniforms; and Eric in this book: Velcro, Nomex, Kevlar, Schiffli, Tru-Spec, ATLANCO,
H. Larson for his extensive knowledge of the Stryker Close Combat and Boston Whaler.
Uniform (CCU/CU).
Desert Uniforms, Patches, anD insignia of the Us armeD forces 5 acknowledgments
foreworD
This is the story of the development of US military desert uniforms, Afghanistan, and Iraq, as well as in other Middle Eastern nations
and shows the many different unit patches, ranks, and badges that during support operations and regional engagements. To date, no
were worn on them. extensive study or presentation of their history has been conducted
These were the shortest-lived combat uniforms in our great and until this book their story has remained untold.
Army’s history and have a very unique place in US military heritage. This great work is the standalone reference for the military
The variety and variations of uniform and their respective unit historian and collector alike. It is also a lasting tribute to the men
patches and badges worn is unique to our military units and services, and women of our Armed Forces who have served and continue to
as many of these were actually produced in the combat zone and serve at the “Tip of the Spear” in support of America’s ongoing
worn during fighting. operations and contingencies worldwide.
Together, these uniforms and their patches were, and continue
to be, witness to our military history, as many famous units wore Kenneth R. Bowra
them while engaging in combat operations in Desert Storm, Maj. Gen. (Ret.), USA
foreword 6 Desert Uniforms, Patches, anD insignia of the Us armeD forces
introDUction
The story of the US military’s desert uniforms and associated patches Due to the relatively short period of use for DBDUs and DCUs,
and rank insignia is fascinating for a number of reasons, but primarily it might be logical to suppose there would not be much of a story
because of the relatively short period they were worn and the to tell. In fact, it is just the opposite. Fascinated at first by the huge
underlying fact that these were truly “combat uniforms.” Although variety in shoulder patches, we soon found that there was also an
every soldier in the Army was issued Battle Dress Uniforms (BDUs), amazing variety in style and material of the uniforms themselves.
only those whose mission took them into the deserts of Southwest Interviews with the government civilians responsible for contracting
Asia, the plains of the Sinai, the coastal scrub of Somalia, or the civilian companies and Department of Defense activities that
hills and mountains of Afghanistan received the Desert Battle Dress developed or produced the uniforms led us to realize this was also
Uniform (DBDU) or the Desert Combat Uniform (DCU). Equally a story worth telling.
interesting is the evolution of the patches and badges worn on these So rather than setting out to produce another standard patch
uniforms. Although soldiers were originally authorized to wear the guide with its simple grid of patches, we instead endeavored to
same woodland green subdued patches as found on the BDUs, the provide a detailed and nuanced background on the subject that
development of desert-colored patches soon followed. The wars in would be useful to the patch and uniform collector and the historian.
Iraq and Afghanistan quickly became the showcase for the combination There was so much material available we had to make tough choices
of desert patches and desert uniforms as thousands of American about what would appear in the book. An entire work could be
servicemen were issued the latest uniforms. By 2006, US Army devoted to 82nd and 101st Airborne Division patch and uniform
leadership had changed their minds again and introduced the Army variations and volumes could be written on modified DCUs. Instead
Combat Uniform (ACU). Although the Navy, Air Force, and Coast of focusing on a few high-profile units or specialized uniforms, we
Guard continued to wear the desert uniform for a few more years, undertook an effort to cover a broader cross section of units with
soldiers and Marines had transitioned to and were issued newer photos of patches, uniforms, and examples of their use in-theater.
style and color “digital” uniforms. In effect, the DCU—once the Likewise, we were only able to provide a small sample of the wide
standard uniform for all servicemen serving in OIF and OEF—was variety of specialized Army aviation battalion and company and
quickly replaced. Air Force squadron, group, and wing patches. Nevertheless, the
broad scope of this book will have something for everyone. We also
decided not to delve into the field equipment and items worn or
carried with the DBDU/DCU, as this topic is so diverse it deserves
its own book.
To fully tell the story of the desert uniforms and their insignia
we needed to work through some of the complexities and anomalies
of the US military. Even things as simple as rank and titles require
some explanation; in the Army, the rank lieutenant colonel is
abbreviated “LTC, but in the Air Force and Marine Corps it is
“LtCol.” We have consciously chosen to use the masculine version
of “servicemen,” “airmen,” etc. The service and sacrifice of the US
military’s female soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines is recognized
by all and needs no extra phrasing—such as “and airwomen”—to
show their inclusion; the hard-won title soldier, sailor, airman, Coast
Guardsman, or Marine is worthy enough.
We also recognized very early in our efforts that the variety of
patches within a single division or brigade was often driven by the
number of rotations the unit had during our period of study, so
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. John M. Shalikashvili visiting
while there are very many variations of the 101st Airborne Division
Somalia in 1993. This nicely captures a brief window into a period when
patch, there are relatively few for some of the National Guard
DBDU and DCUs were worn. It displays an interesting mix of DBDU and
DCU uniforms, as well as woodland subdued patches and pin-on rank divisions, such as the 35th or the 42nd. The numbers of patches
during this transitional period. Courtesy US Army shown for any specific unit is not a reflection on their service to the
Desert Uniforms, Patches, anD insignia of the Us armeD forces 7 introduction
country; it merely means a unit deploying more often during this For clarity, we have simplified such names as “Operation Desert
period had more opportunities for its soldiers to purchase theater- Shield/Desert Storm” to simply Desert Storm. Operation Enduring
made versions from the local “hajji” tailor shop for wear on their Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom have been shortened to OEF
uniforms. Even the authorized versions of patches had many and OIF, respectively. When describing unit patches, ranks, or badges,
variations in size, shape, and color. the words “woodland” or “subdued” will stand for the black and green
We were also conscious of the fact that, for the Army, this patches most often associated with the Battle Dress Uniform.
period saw large-scale call-ups of the National Guard and Army Note the use of “desert period” has different meanings depending
Reserve. As a result, many units deployed to the combat zones whose upon where it is used in the book. Each of the US armed services
last appearance on foreign soil was during WWII. Tracing their had different dates when the DCU was phased out. Chapter 2
roots back to the earliest colonial militias, the National Guard is provides the time frames by service that the DCU was worn. We
the oldest branch of the United States military, and a worthy sample have also indicated wherever possible when a unit patch was first
of their uniforms and patches follow. The Army Reserve has a authorized by the Army. Several units have a convoluted history of
different history. Growing out of the National Army raised in 1917 renaming through numerous in-activations, re-activations, and
and 1918 from draftees, the reserve has no state mission responsibility, re-designations, so we have chosen to use the name associated with
but is designed to augment the active Army during time of war, as the unit while it was active during the desert period. Thus you will
well as train new soldiers that would be available from conscription. find that well-known First and Second World War divisions have
Likewise, they are well represented here. been redesignated as brigades and other formations to preserve
We also intended from the very beginning that this book should their history in the Army Reserve and National Guard while keeping
represent all branches of the Department of Defense and the Coast the same patch. Likewise, the locations of many Army units have
Guard. Although the Army section is much larger than the other changed since 2006, so we have chosen to identify the location
services, it is purely due to the fact that the Army deployed the where they served during the desert period. Many times soldiers
largest number of servicemen during this period and the Army removed patches from their BDUs and sewed them onto DBDUs
uniform has always been a rich platform for displaying a soldier’s or DCUs, either for convenience, cost savings, or because desert-
unit, rank, and specialty badges. The Army is also the only service colored patches were not yet authorized or easily available. This
to use one sleeve to represent current unit affiliation and the other adds greatly to the variations you will see.
sleeve to show a previous combat service affiliation. Conversely, the During our research we discovered much more background
Marine Corps purposely does not authorize unit affiliation patches on DBDUs and DCUs than we would have ever imagined.
to be worn on their uniforms; as a result, you will find such anomalies Our hope is that this book successfully captures that background,
as an Army soldier attached to the 1st Marine Division for combat as well as the enduring legacy of units from all of the US Armed
operations being authorized a 1st Marine Division patch on his Forces that served during the desert period.
right sleeve, yet a Marine serving in that same division is not. You
will also encounter examples of Air Force personnel attached to
Army tactical units adding a US Army patch to their uniform. While
unauthorized, the practice was fairly widespread, and in most cases
accepted. Also of interest to historians and collectors will be the
surprising number and rich variety of Coast Guard patches.
introduction 8 Desert Uniforms, Patches, anD insignia of the Us armeD forces
chaPter 1
from DBDU to DcU
The United States military has long recognized the need to provide review of its uniforms, field gear, and weapons. A board of officers
its warriors with uniforms best suited for a multitude of combat was assembled in Washington, and by July 1902, the board’s findings
environments, from jungle and mountains to desert. For most of were published as General Order No. 81.1 Every article of the soldier’s
the nation’s early history little thought was given to development issued clothing was examined, discussed, analyzed, and redesigned.
of a desert-specific uniform. Painful experiences wearing heavy Blue—the Army’s predominant color throughout its history—was
blue uniforms during the post-Civil War period while fighting on eliminated for field uniforms and was replaced by the more tactically
the arid plains of the Western frontier and overseas in Cuba, the practical olive drab and khaki.
Philippines, and China led to a realization that change was desperately In 1940, the US Army watched with interest as the Italians
needed. In the period that followed, the Army conducted a complete declared war and invaded the Libyan and Egyptian deserts in North
The assembled cavalrymen from Troop A of the New York State National Guard gather outside their armory for a unit photograph, revealing a wide
variety of uniforms and equipment. Courtesy NYDMNA
Desert Uniforms, Patches, anD insignia of the Us armeD forces 9 from DBDU to DcU
Africa. As the war spread on a global scale, other desert areas in The Desert Warfare Board took up the practical matter of
Iraq, Iran, and elsewhere became likely battlegrounds. This prompted determining suitable desert clothing for a force that for the first
the US Army to conduct extensive testing to determine if there was time was expected to be highly armored and mechanized. Talks
a need to develop a desert specific uniform for these potential areas were held with British officers fresh off the battlefields of Libya. The
of conflict. In 1942, the Army established a Desert Training Center board quickly discovered that existing examples of desert clothing
and Desert Warfare Board in the arid regions of Southern California were based on native designs and had not undergone scientific
and western Arizona. testing. They also determined that because temperatures dropped
Taken during the final months of WWII, this shows the wide variety of Headgear for the unforgiving desert environment was a top priority in
field clothing worn by 29th Infantry Division soldiers. Included in the mix WWII. The tried and true tropical helmet was extensively tested and
are two different models of field jackets and a Mackinaw coat. modified to meet this need. Although several novel modifications of the
M-1 helmet were tested, none were accepted. Courtesy US Army
Quartermaster Museum
significantly at night clothing must address these extremes. The
unrelenting sun also drove a need for sufficient head covering. The
rugged and abrasive nature of sand and rocks demanded durable
footwear. The Desert Warfare Board tested several items of existing
quartermaster equipment against these demands. Existing footwear
was deemed inadequate to meet the rigors of desert warfare, but
the Army Ground Forces directed that current boots and shoes
were sufficient; a finding that would soon be proven wrong after
US forces landed in North Africa in November 1942. Because of
the poor performance of this footwear, Chief of Staff of the Army
Gen. George Marshall directed the procurement of 100,000 pairs
of heavy leather reinforced combat shoes for desert and temperate
climates. Ironically this high-topped, rough side out, light tan boot
was the forerunner of the modern US combat boot that saw extensive
service in Desert Storm, OIF, and OEF.
Adequate desert headgear was also addressed, and many novel
ways to reflect heat were tested, including drilling ventilation holes
and applying infrared reflecting paint and aluminum foil to the M-1
combat helmet. None were deemed effective. As a result, the existing
tropical “pith” helmet was redesigned to meet this need.
Clothing was also extensively tested, including “thermal armor,”
a metallic cloth made of aluminum, silver, or copper designed to
protect against the sun’s radiation. Unfortunately, the light reflective
qualities of this cloth made the wearer an excellent target. Ultimately,
The Army conducted extensive testing on footwear in WWII that
the British Army’s proven “bush shirt” of coarsely woven material
determined existing shoes and boots rapidly disintegrated under harsh
was favored. This khaki drill (KD) uniform made of cotton cloth
desert conditions. The special “flesh side out” tan boot that was
adopted foreshadowed the desert boot developed nearly fifty years later had been used by the British in hot weather environments since
for Desert Storm. Courtesy US Army Quartermaster Museum khaki was developed in 1848. The US Army quickly discarded the
from DBDU to DcU 10 Desert Uniforms, Patches, anD insignia of the Us armeD forces
