Custom Patches In The News

November 5, 2013

 Custom Patches in the News 

I want to introduce you to a new blog series, it’s called Custom Patches In The News. Most of us watch the news or read the newspaper everyday, we do so to learn about current events and to stay connected to our communities.  I consider the patch industry to be a close knit community , we are diverse and and we all share a love for patches.

I want to bring patch news to our community so that we are able to have thought provoking discussions and this will also allow us to remain up to date and current with all things patches. The first article I will be posting for this blog series is about the army flag patch. It is a very interesting article.

As you know one of our most loyal customers are military troops , so this was a very important article for us to read. I will post the article below and I will also include the link.

WHY IS THE ARMY FLAG PATCH REVERSED? “Civilians often wonder why the US Army Flag Patch is reversed. The answer is: not all Army Flag Patches are reversed, but only those worn on the right shoulder. The reason has to do with proper display of the flag. The blue field of stars should always be in the highest position of honor. When viewing the flag on a wall, the highest position of honor is the upper left when displayed horizontally, and at the top (upper left) when displayed vertically. When displayed on a “moving object” like a person or vehicle, the highest position of honor is the front, and not the rear; so the field of blue should be displayed to the front. The same principle applies to the eagle rank of Colonels (or Navy Captains); the eagles’ heads are always worn facing forward when worn on the uniform, as the forward-facing eagle is the position of honor within heraldry. In application, then, flags are displayed on moving vehicles with the blue-star field always displayed towards the front of the vehicle. In this way, the flag appears to be blowing in the wind as the vehicle travels forward (flags are always attached to their flag poles on the blue field side). If the flag were not reversed on the right hand side of the vehicle, the vehicle might appear to be moving backwards (or “retreating”). The next time you visit an airport, notice that the US-flagged aircraft also have a “reverse” flag painted on the right side of the aircraft. For flag patches worn on uniforms, the same principle applies: the blue star field always faces towards the front, with the red and white stripes behind. Think of the flag, not as a patch, but as a loose flag attached to the Soldier’s arm like a flag pole. As the Soldier moves forward, the red and white stripes will flow to the back. As the proponent for standardization and authorization of heraldry items within the Department of Defense, the Institute of Heraldry addresses the apparent oddity of the reverse flag patch by stating, “When worn on the right sleeve, it is considered proper to reverse the design so that the union is at the observer’s right to suggest that the flag is flying in the breeze as the wearer moves forward.” DOESN’T A RED, WHITE, AND BLUE FLAG ON A CAMOUFLAGED UNIFORM DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF CAMOUFLAGE?Yes, it does. Previously the U.S. Code prescribed that military use of the flag will always be red, white, and blue. However, with the updated Army Battle Dress Uniform that was recently unveiled, the flag patch will become a camouflage, muted color.”

I hoped you enjoyed this article! Please comment below with your thoughts or questions. And if you have any articles to share with our community please email me at Below is a picture of an American Flag patch we created for the army.

american flag reflective patch