Today, as we speak U.S. Army SOF personnel are all over the world working with allied military units working to build goodwill, teamwork and expertise using military professionalism. We invite Soldiers from these armies to attend our School Of the Americas (SOA) in order to experience American life and culture for a short period of time, learn that we are their friends, build positive contacts as well as learn military skills.

We train with these foreign armies in joint exercises and jump from their aircraft, swapping Airborne wings. But when the jump is over (LeapFest for example) and we return to work, our foreign counterparts are proudly wearing our U.S. Airborne wings, but we are not wearing their jumps wings on our daily duty uniform; the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU). What must our allies think of us when we ungraciously choose NOT wear the awards they have given us?

A Paratrooper writes:

"TOP OF THE MORNING
I'm an ex British Army Para currently serving in the XXXXXXX Army National Guard (AGR). I remember when we trained with a U.S. unit (I can't remember which) back in 84, they were wearing foreign jump wings on their uniforms. When I joined the U.S. Military I thought I would be able to wear my wings on my uniform, imagine my disappointment when I found out that the policy had been changed back some time in the late 80s. I earned my British Para wings the hard way, and feel totally naked without them. Is there any chance that this policy can be changed?

This negative perception can easily be prevented by USSOCOM authorizing its personnel to wear foreign jump wings on the right side pocket in cloth, subdued form. This practice would be only for duty while in USSOCOM, like Military Free-Fall wings were initially authorized by the CINCUSSOCOM, General Wayne Downing. This precedent may eventually become Army-wide as the then current U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General Dennis Reimer has made MFF wings a permanent Army-wide practice. This is a major victory for the SOF community which has fought for years for the MFF badge and its approval.

USSOCOM can do another good deed for the forces or freedom by authorizing the wear of foreign subdued awards on BDUs of its members to get "the ball rolling" again, since Foreign Internal Defense, Coalition Warfare missions conducted by USSOCOM are key to the plans of the major war-fighting CINCs and thus, regional stability around the world.

The authorization to wear foreign awards is a simple, and no-cost "force multiplier" to units deployed and working with our allies and a morale boost for all SOF personnel. From an aesthetics point of view, foreign awards on the right picket area balance out all the U.S. awards on the left side; presenting a more visually appealing symmetrical military appearance.

We hope you, the reader will be willing to take positive action this proposal by writing the conservative, always-in-love-with-the-brass/status quo-because-they-want-to-sell-newspapers-on-Army-posts Army Times staff and other conduits that may reach Army decision-makers. Since USSOCOM is a major command (MACOM) there are only two major Army agencies that need to be convinced from that point on:

Wear Policy:

HQDA (DAPE-HR-PR)
Pentagon, Room 2B652
Washington, DC 20310

Awards Policy:

CDR, PERSCOM
ATTN: TAPC-PDO-PA
200 Stovall Street
Alexandria, VA 22332-0405

If you wish to submit a suggestion, please send it on a DA Form 2028 to the following address:

HQDA
ATTN: DAPE-HR-PR
300 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310-0300

Visit the Army uniform webpage at:

www.odcsper.army.mil/default.asp?pageid=69f

POC:

MSG Kittie L. Messman
HQDA Uniform Policy
Ft. Belvoir, Va
DSN 225-6361
COM (703) 695-6361
FAX: DSN 223-0212 COM (703) 693-0212

"Concur with the author of this article but would recommend that this revision to AR-670-1 be implemented Army wide, not just limited to ARSOC types.

Here in the newly re-born XXX ID (XXXX Inf Bde) there are several of us former active duty types that are no longer afforded the "privilege" of wearing proudly the foriegn jump wings that were awarded to us by our allies.

As per current regulations we can and do wear them on our class A's but as RC Soldiers it is pretty rare that we wear these. Some of the NCO's flagrantly chose to ignore the current regulations and wear theirs on their BDU's daily, but as an officer I cannot get away with this. Charge me as guilty of being "zero defect minded" on uniform issues, officers can no longer be perceived as making a mistake on anything.

What is being done other than individual lobbying efforts and how can I get involved to let the Army understand that this is just one of many "no cost" items that would go a long way in revamping sagging morale?"