--- title: "Army approves combat patches for soldiers in Iran war zone" description: "The Army approved soldiers deployed in support of the war in Iran to wear a unit patch on their right shoulder as a combat patch." date: "2026-03-30" modified: "2026-03-30" authors: - name: "Patty Nieberg" job_title: "Senior Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/patty-nieberg/" - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/army-iran-war-combat-patch/" categories: - "Army" - "Around the World" - "Middle East" - "Military Branches" - "News" --- # Army approves combat patches for soldiers in Iran war zone ![U.S. Army Soldiers with 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment and Task Force Bayonet, currently deployed throughout the Horn of Africa, received a combat patch during a battlefield circulation, June 20 – Sept. 11, 2020. Patching is a custom reserved for those serving in a combat zone and Soldiers from the eight elements that comprise the task force were awarded their patches over the span of three weeks. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Sirrina Martinez)]() *Soldiers in the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command will be able to wear their unit's patch on their right shoulder to signify they deployed to a combat zone. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sirrina Martinez* Soldiers deployed to parts of the Middle East and Africa who are supporting the war with Iran are now authorized to wear combat patches, according to a memo confirmed Monday by the Army. The new policy allows soldiers “assigned or attached to units supporting military operations” in eligible countries — which were not specified — to wear a Shoulder Sleeve Insignia for Military Operations in Hostile Conditions, or SSI-MOHC, which is widely known in the Army as a combat patch. The combat patch wear was approved in a March 26 memo signed by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and was shared on social media, including on the Army’s subreddit. The new policy applies to active duty, Reserve, and National Guard soldiers. The change means that soldiers will switch the insignia of their deployed unit from the left to the right shoulder of their Army Combat Uniform and Army Green Service Uniform. Soldiers wear the insignia as a combat patch while deployed, and can continue to wear that unit patch in that position [to signify past wartime experience]() throughout their careers, even after changing units. The memo notes that the combat patch authorization applies to soldiers in U.S. Central Command, CENTCOM, and U.S. Africa Command, AFRICOM’s area of responsibility. Army officials did not specify which countries are included, citing operational security concerns. Earning the right to wear a combat patch is revered in the Army, though it is not equivalent to earning a personal [combat action award](). Those awards, like the Combat Infantry Badge and Combat Medical Badge, signify that an individual soldier has faced direct enemy contact. They are awarded individually, while the right to wear a combat patch is generally approved for an entire deployed unit. The new combat patch authorization applies to soldiers in CENTCOM and AFRICOM countries from Feb. 28 to “a date to be determined,” according to the memo. The war — dubbed Operation Epic Fury by U.S. leaders – has been referred to with [shifting timelines for when officials expect hostilities to end.]() Since the war began, 13 American service members have been killed in action, including six in an [Iranian drone attack]() on a part in Kuwait and six others in an [aircraft crash over Iraq](). Nearly [300 troops]() have been wounded so far, U.S. officials said in mid-March. As of Saturday, American forces have hit more than 11,000 Iranian targets, which include more than 150 Iranian vessels, and flown over 11,000 combat flights, according to CENTCOM. ## Author Patty is a senior reporter for Task & Purpose. She's reported on the military for six years, embedding with the National Guard during a hurricane and covering Guantanamo Bay legal proceedings for an alleged al Qaeda commander. Her previous bylines can be found at the *Associated Press*, *Bloomberg Government*, *Washington Post*, *The New York Times*, and *ABC*. You can reach Patty by email at [Patty.Nieberg@taskandpurpose.com](). ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()