Military Unit Patches

Military unit patches help to establish the identity of military personnel. Unit patches can contain symbols or numerals that relate to the specific unit or the special mission. The patches contain the number of a unit embroidered on them. For instance, if there is a big "1" embroidered, it means that the unit is the First Division. Unit patches also contain symbols that can be something like the black horse head or a fish.

During World War I, the British Army used several complex sleeve patches. These patches were used at all the battalion, brigade and divisional levels. The badges were known as "battle badges" and were geometric shaped with solid colors and specific numbers. Their colors shape and number helped to identify the units within a formation.

Military unit patches are not designed blindly. They are designed by experts and usually carry a wealth of information that may not be apparent to the casual viewer. As an example, consider the patch of the Forty-ninth Military Police Brigade. The elements of design of this brigade's patch symbolize the discovery of gold in California since this brigade was formed in California. The yellow background refers to California's popular nickname, the Golden State. The red disc stands for California's sunny climate and makes a disguised reference to Sutter's Mill, a saw mill, on the American river where the first gold nuggets were discovered in the year 1849.

Unit patches also undergo changes, from time to time, in the way they are worn and used. During the Iraq war, the Army launched a new combat uniform where, apart from changes in the design, there were changes in patches. Patches in the new uniform were to be affixed by Velcro so as to give the wearer the flexibility to save money by talking patches off from uniforms before laundering.