9 diff Sets of Military Trading Cards USMC Army Space NAVY Air Force Aviation

Description

9 different sets of United States Military Trading Cards as follows: 1). United States Marine Corps - World War II to Desert Storm. 2). United States Army - Infantry / Airborne Divisions. 3). United States Space Program - Apollo to Mercury. 4).Army Armored Corps & Divisions. 5). Navy Fighter Squadrons (VF). 6). Air Force - Major Commands. 7). Army Air Force Bombardment Squadrons - WWII. 8). Navy - Submarines of WWII & 9). Navy Attack Squadrons. Varying number of cards in each set. All sets are MIINT condition. Never opened and still in original packaging. Some are LIMITED EDITION. Nice selection of Shoulder Patch Trading Cards. All for one price. Insured USPS Priority Insured mail in the Continental US is $ 8.50. Will ship Worldwide and will combine shipping when practical.
Military patches are worn to denote a variety of things including rank, division and skill set. The Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard uniforms have various embroidered patches, also known as shoulder sleeve insignias (SSI). The patches are usually sewn or attached with Velcro on the shoulder sleeves of military uniforms. Although commonplace in modern military history, military patches are a relatively new addition to military attire.
Embroidered military patches were first worn in the 1800’s by British soldiers, but were only worn by officers to signify their higher rank. Patches became an effective way to distinguish between divisions in military units, and the idea soon spread to America. Before the Civil War, military uniforms were remarkably unadorned and void of any decoration.
In the Civil War, soldiers from the Union and Confederate armies wore identification on their forage caps, rank strips on their sleeves and informal patches on their shirts. The Union army tended to have more military patches than the Confederate army, but their wives usually hand sewed patches at home as they were not yet mass-produced. Both Union and Confederate armies had limited patches due to small supplies of cotton and thread, the location of soldiers, and the high cost of materials during the war.
It wasn’t until World War I that a general named John J. Pershing officially authorized the limited use military patches on uniforms. During World War I, most of the patches were variations of the Chevron design. The intricate variations of the Chevron design signified rank, division and the skill sets of soldiers. However, the first formal World War I patches were worn by the Army’s 81st Division “Wildcats” in 1918. They were a dull olive felt patch with the silhouette of a wildcat.
By World War II, the military became more organized and produced custom patches that clearly defined a soldier's rank, corps, divisions, and brigades. During WW2 the colors of the patches tended to be much more bright and had specific significance. For example, if a soldier belonged to a division where he operated tanks, he would wear a tank inspired patck. Medics in the Army would wear with bright Red Cross embroidered patches to appear more visible on the battlefield. High-ranking soldiers could have dozens of patches to honor their high ranks and achievements. Even the lowest ranking soldier had at least one patch. Collecting military patches became so popular during World War II that young children often wrote soldiers asking for them to send their patches in the mail to add to their collection.
During the Vietnam and Gulf War, the patches became much more subdued and harmonious with the colors of the soldier's uniforms. In July 1970, it became mandatory for soldiers to wear their military patches on their field uniforms.
Military Patches have now become very commonplace inside the branches of the military. The historical symbolism of each patch has created an active collectors market inside and outside the military, especially for rare, limited-edition patches. These different patches have now become an important part of military history.
Marine Eagle Globe Anchor Insignia
Marine Eagle Globe Anchor Patch
The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor is the official emblem and insignia of the United States Marine Corps.
The current emblem traces its roots in the designs and ornaments of the early Continental Marines as well as the United Kingdom's Royal Marines.
A shoulder sleeve insignia (often abbreviated SSI) is an embroidered patch worn on some uniforms of the United States Army. It is used by major formations of the U.S. Army; each formation has a unique formation patch. The U.S. Army is unique among the U.S. Armed Forces in that all soldiers are required to wear the patch of their headquarters as part of their military uniforms.
Shoulder sleeve insignia receive their name from the fact that they are most commonly worn on the upper left sleeve of the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) and Army Green uniform.[1] However, they can be placed on other locations, notably on the side of a helmet. Shoulder sleeve insignia worn on the upper right sleeve of Army uniforms denote former wartime service. These "combat patches" are worn on the ACU and the new Army Greens but are not worn on the Army Service Uniform. Instead, a 2 inch metal replica is worn on the right breast pocket and is officially known as the Combat Service Identification Badge (CSIB).
Contents
1
Versions
1.1
Colored
1.2
Subdued
2
Wear
2.1
Former wartime service
3
History
4
See also
4.1
Shoulder sleeve insignia galleries
5
References
6
External links
Versions
Colored
Shoulder sleeve insignia were often designed with intricate designs including bright colors, when created. Because these bright colors and designs risk standing out when a soldier is in combat or in hiding, the shoulder sleeve insignia in its color form was commonly only worn on the dress uniform or service uniform when a soldier was not in combat. However, with the retirement of the Army Green Uniform in 2015, the full-color SSI was discontinued and was replaced with a CSIB.[2] For combat uniforms, "subdued" versions have been created for wear on the battlefield. After a few years of retirement, the full-color SSI returned with the "pinks and greens" uniform that was re-introduced in the late 2010s.
"Full color" SSI were only worn on the brown service coat during the 1940s, and on the green "Class A" uniform and on the OG-107 during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Formerly, full color SSI were also worn on the "full color" (white letters on black or dark blue material) Military Police brassard, worn by MPs while wearing the green "Class A" service uniform or while wearing subdued field uniforms (BDU or DCU) in a garrison environment. However, with the ACU, the MP brassard was replaced by a rectangular patch made of fabric or infrared-reflective material, reading "MP". In one notable exception, the U.S. 1st Infantry Division wore full-color SSI on their BDUs and ACUs for a time, before that too was replaced with a subdued version.
Subdued
The subdued version of the SSI created for the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) features patches that are primarily olive, dark brown and black, to match the BDU. In general, this version is obsolete because the Army phased out the BDU in the late 2000s in favor of the Army Combat Uniform (ACU).
The subdued version created for the Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU) is primarily tan and "spice" brown, to match the uniform's design. This version is also obsolete, as the Army phased out DCUs in favor of ACUs.
The subdued version created for the Army Combat Uniform is the version widely used in the field today. Since the Army-wide adoption of the ACU, SSI for the ACU have been developed. These SSI are primarily foliage green, light brown, and black, though a few patches also feature red and maroon colors for some details. Unlike previous patches, the ACU SSI are velcro-backed, designed to attach to the velcro pockets on the shoulder of the uniform, instead of being sewn on. This makes them easier to remove and replace.
Since the development of the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) uniform (commonly known as MultiCam as it is derived from Crye Precision's proprietary pattern) new SSI have been procured where the "Foliage" green of the ACU SSI is replaced by "Bagby" green. Velcro remains the method for attaching the SSI to the uniform.
Example of the five current types of shoulder sleeve insignia for the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division; full color, BDU subdued, desert subdued, UCP subdued, OCP subdued
Wear
The SSI is typically worn on the left upper arm, just below the uniform's shoulder seam on all but the ACU. The most common place for the SSI to be worn on the ACU is on the upper sleeve, attached using a velcro backing, however it is also sometimes worn on other places, notably when the soldier's body armor covers the shoulders, such as the shoulder pads of interceptor body armor, which covers the upper arm. Some units (such as the 3rd Infantry Division) also wear SSIs on their helmets. SSI are also occasionally worn on the backpacks or rucksacks of soldiers, but this is not standard practice and is usually personal preference.
Which SSI is worn depends on the chain of command that the soldier's formation is a part of. Usually, the soldier wears the SSI of their division or separate brigade, but if they fall under the command of a different division, they must wear the SSI of that division. The First Army has directed that all subordinate brigades wear the First Army SSI instead of their own authorized brigade SSI.
Former wartime service
Further information: Combat Service Identification Badge
Example of combat service identification badges for the 10th Mountain Division, 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division
Those soldiers who are combat veterans are authorized permanent wear of the SSI of the unit they fought with on their right shoulder. This shoulder sleeve insignia recognizes "former wartime service" and is frequently called a "combat patch". Per Army Regulation 670-1, a soldier is authorized to wear the SSI of their higher headquarters. This is not dependent on whether or not the higher headquarters deployed, or to whom the soldier was attached throughout his/her deployment.[3] Exceptions have been made for operations of relatively short duration such as service in the Dominican Republic, Panama and Grenada.
With the transformation of the U.S. Army into a brigade-centered force, the SSI that soldiers may wear for wartime service has grown. Where soldiers once fought only under the command of their home division headquarters, this is no longer always the case. Early in the Global War on Terrorism, soldiers could earn the wartime service patch of several units during a single deployment according to their chain of command. Under current policy, soldiers may only earn one SSI per deployment.[3]
Entire formations of soldiers are rarely deployed to the same command structure. For example, a battalion from a separate support brigade may be attached to a brigade combat team during on deployment, which, in turn, would be attached to a different division headquarters. It is a misconception that in that deployment, soldiers in the battalion could earn three patches at once; the patch of their regular headquarters (the separate brigade), the patch of the brigade combat team that they were attached to, and the patch of the division that the brigade combat team was attached to. In actuality, the regulation states that soldiers will wear the shoulder sleeve insignia of former wartime service of the lowest deployed echelon authorized its own distinctive SSI, which applies to divisions, separate brigades, and a handful of battalions. After March 27, 2007 the policy was changed to allow units of company level and higher to wear the SSI of their regular headquarters as a combat patch. This policy change also means that units above company level no longer receive multiple combat patches for single deployments, in turn simplifying what combat patch soldiers are actually entitled to wear.
Although all U.S. Army army groups, field armies, and corps have SSI, they do not award combat patches of these to all soldiers serving under them. These combat patches are usually only given to soldiers who serve the corps or army headquarters directly, and not one of the subordinate units.
There is no time-in-theater requirement for wear of the SSIFWTS and orders are not created to authorize it. U.S. soldiers are also not required to wear a SSIFWTS, and if they can wear more than one SSIFWTS then soldiers can alternate from one to another, but they cannot wear more than one at a time.
History
The 81st Infantry Division "Wildcat" is generally agreed to have been first U.S. Army unit authorized an SSI. In 1918, during World War I, the 81st Division sailed for France after training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. On their left shoulder the men of the division wore an olive drab felt patch with the silhouette of a wildcat - after Wildcat Creek, a stream that flows through Fort Jackson. When men of the other fighting divisions challenged the right of 81st soldiers to wear the patch, General John J. Pershing ruled that the 81st could keep this distinctive insignia. He also suggested that other divisions adopt shoulder patches of their own. This patch was officially adopted by the U.S. Army on October 19, 1918. The first patches were often primitive but by World War II, the manufacture was regulated.
By World War II, all army groups, field armies, corps, and divisions, as well as all major Army commands, had unique SSI. These SSI would often be created with symbolism alluding to the unit's formation. Examples include the 82nd Airborne Division, which included an "AA" on its patch alluding to the "All-American" soldiers from every state that made it up, and the 29th Infantry Division, which included blue and grey to allude to soldiers that made it up being from states on both sides of the American Civil War.
Most US formations had unique patches which varied greatly in size and makeup, with the exception of U.S. armored divisions (as well as 1st Armored Corps and the U.S. Army Armor Center & School), all of which adopted the same patch (a yellow, red and blue triangle with a symbol for armor in the middle). Each division and I Armored Corps then included its number in the upper yellow portion of the patch to distinguish it. The SSIs of those armored units which survived into the Cold War became irregular pentagons (some units later than others) with the addition of rectangular section at the bottom, bearing the division's nickname or "U.S. Army Armor Center".
British soldiers first wore embroidered military patches during the 17th century—specifically, officers wore them to indicate their higher rank. These patches became an effective way to distinguish between military divisions, and America later adopted the practice for its own military, beginning the history of U.S. military patches.
EARLY PATCHES
Adopted early in the 1800s, American military patches were in use throughout the War of 1812, the 1846 Mexican-American War, and the Civil War. But the patches were crude and unofficial because embroidered patches were still handmade and, thus, were nearly impossible to standardize. Instead, a soldier’s loved ones on the home front often made these patches as mementos.
STANDARDIZATION OF PATCHES
With the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, the invention of the sewing machine and powered embroidery machine gave rise to the rapid and consistent production of military patches. These machines resulted in patches that were far cheaper and faster to produce.
During World War I, the Army’s 81st Infantry Division created the first shoulder sleeve insignia, better known as a tactical patch. These caught on quickly because they not only functioned well to distinguish divisions but added a bit of personal flair to the uniform. The 81st Division had trained at Fort Jackson in South Carolina, situated near a body of water called “Wildcat Creek,” so they based their patch design on the silhouette of a wildcat. Within the next two decades, every Army division had its own uniquely designed shoulder sleeve insignia.
MODERN DAY PATCHES
Since then, tactical patches have been the norm, though their style has evolved over the century. Instead, regulations for these patches have developed to dictate how one can display them, how many to wear at one time, and what patches take precedent over other patches. The most recent and notable change to military patches, however, was back in 2015 with the issuing of OCP patches, which are patches that utilize the same camouflage as a soldier’s uniform. Regulations before the change had demanded that flag patches must remain the American flag’s actual colors out of respect for it; however, the change made sense because the bright colors risked giving away soldiers’ positions, rendering their camouflage pointless.
“BACKWARD” FLAG PATCHES
Throughout the history of U.S. military patches, you may have noticed soldiers wearing American flag patches backward on their right sleeves but forward on their left sleeve. Army Regulation AR 670-1 requires that the star field of the flag always be towards the front. This gives the appearance of the flag being carried into battle.