American flag on uniform thread

[Kapitan]

Just a question why is your countrys flag backwards ?
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/1750/cutiexy7.jpg

[Dowly]

Just a question why is your countrys flag backwards ?
I´ve been also thinking about that. I´ve seen the flag being mirrored in some games and movies and such. Why is that? So that the Iraqi rebels wouldnt recognize you as a American? :rotfl:

[blue3golf]

From the way I understand it the flag is "backwards" to represent what it would look like moving forward as if it was actually a guidon going into battle.

[Perilscope]

From the way I understand it the flag is "backwards" to represent what it would look like moving forward as if it was actually a guidon going into battle.Wow, up to the smallest detail the US army I tell you! :cool:

I just imagine a normal Iraqi saying this after looking at the flag:
Look Amïricans, not hõw own country flag mâde! :D

[Dowly]

Do the American uniforms have the flag on both sleeves? If not, why not change it to be in the left sleeve. It would look like it is "carried" to the battle AND it wouldn´t look so silly (mirrored). :yep:

[bookworm_020]

I saw something like that from a report about a town that was downwind of the russian Nuclear weapons testing ground. It was caused Cyclops, as it had one eye. This was caused by the fallout from nuclear testing. The town was only 10km away from some of the above ground tests!!:o

They did an aerial shot of the town and surounding countryside. It looked like the surface of the moon. Some statistics put still born/deformed children at 85 to 90% of all children born!

Scary!!

[mr chris]

Nice country that one day your living in a nice area the next they are testing nuclear weapons down the road.:hmm: :hmm: :hmm:

[bookworm_020]

At least there is no need for street lighting!!

When the Australian film crew was there, they wore doseameters and masks, so they could know how much radation they were getting and the masks where to help avoid breathing dust in (The place had no vegitation)

[blue3golf]

It's only one the one sleeve, the left sleeve is where we put any tabs such as special forces, ranger, airborne, anything like that, just aint the room on the other sleeve. Thats the old uniform though, now we got the ACU's with the velcro and there is even less room to put patches.

[Polak]

@blue3golf
What unit did you belong to, and where in Iraq where you stationed?
I hope you dont mind me asking you these questions. :)

[Yahoshua]

I always hear that was to represent the flag being carried into battle as it was in the old days (blue field & stars first before the rest of the stripes), but I always took it to mean that some clerk had a great big "OOPS" in his paperwork and he managed to pass it off like that. :yep: <-------- (mild sarcasm)

[Ducimus]

From the way I understand it the flag is "backwards" to represent what it would look like moving forward as if it was actually a guidon

Basically what he said.



As an aside, normally the flag patch is not worn on the uniform, excepting in contingencies or war scenario's where you'd need to be able to identify yourself as a US troop from a distance. (Multinational JTF or whatever).

Generally speaking, the observer's left is the place of honor, and is usually how the flag is displayed in 99% of all flag displays. If the flag were on his left sleeve you'd see the Union blue field of the flag on the left side instead.

[August]

Generally speaking, the observer's left is the place of honor, and is usually how the flag is displayed in 99% of all flag displays. If the flag were on his left sleeve you'd see the Union blue field of the flag on the left side instead.

I'm pretty sure there's one too many lefts there Ducimus. :yep:

[Ducimus]

Your military left! :lol:

Ok so maybe that sentence was poorly written.

Observer's Left is place of honor. Normally when displaying the US flag, the union field is to the observer's left. This is why when its hung vertically the way the union field should be to the left as you view it. (wrong way being the union field on the right)

This is the basicaly guideline for flag displays in general. The only two exceptioins that i know of is when flags are displayed in sort of a Fan (then it would be iin the center position in prominance) and shoulder patch displays such as the picture in the OP. Should this soldier happen to have a flag on his left sleeve, it would be displayed exactly the opposite as the one on the right, with the union field to the observer's left.

[August]

Your military left! :lol:

Ok so maybe that sentence was poorly written.

Observer's Left is place of honor. Normally when displaying the US flag, the union field is to the observer's left. This is why when its hung vertically the way the union field should be to the left as you view it. (wrong way being the union field on the right)

This is the basicaly guideline for flag displays in general. The only two exceptioins that i know of is when flags are displayed in sort of a Fan (then it would be iin the center position in prominance) and shoulder patch displays such as the picture in the OP. Should this soldier happen to have a flag on his left sleeve, it would be displayed exactly the opposite as the one on the right, with the union field to the observer's left.

Ah i see, you were talking about the flag when viewed from the side and i was noting the Flag is on his right sleeve with is a place of honor on the uniform.

[Ducimus]

Place of honor is the observer's left. Thats the way i was taught anyway. We're arguing semantics i think.

[August]

Place of honor is the observer's left. Thats the way i was taught anyway. We're arguing semantics i think.
We're not arguing we're just talking about completely different things.

You salute with your right.
Combat patch is on your right.
American flag patch would be worn on your right sleeve.

But I must say the one time I wore an American flag (armband) on duty (on my right arm) the star field was to the left. Dunno why they would reverse it unless it's the colors streaming thing that was mentioned.

[Sailor Steve]

Whenever a flag is painted on the side of a car, plane or ship, the field faces forward, no matter which side it's on.

[blue3golf]

@blue3golf
What unit did you belong to, and where in Iraq where you stationed?
I hope you dont mind me asking you these questions. :)

I was in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division for both of my tours over there. First time was the invasion and I ended in Baghdad. Second time I was in Baqubah for a little over 5 months and then was moved to Ramadi for the last 7 months. Ask all the questions you want, i dont mind as long as they're within reason.

As an aside, normally the flag patch is not worn on the uniform, excepting in contingencies or war scenario's where you'd need to be able to identify yourself as a US troop from a distance.

Thats no longer the case. The flag has become a permanent fixture on the uniform.

[Yahoshua]

What's your opinion of the performance of the 5.56 in CQB and against soft targets beyond 100 meters? Just the round performance in and of itself, not in comparison to anything else.

I'm asking cuz I usually get mixed results according to the manner of contact witht eh enemy and the performance relative to the engagement (open field vs CQB urban).

[Polak]

@blue3golf

Do you have any expieriance with the Multinational Division Central-South?
And if what can you say about them? I have heard a lot of negative things latley.
I am asking because I have been thinking about doing a tour.

[blue3golf]

@Polak
Sorry, no experience with them at all, worked with some British, Australian and some Georgian troops, thats it though.

@Yahoshua
The 5.56 did a great job, we ended up getting some 77 grain hollow points from MatchKing that performed the best. Even at 300-400 meters they will put someone down hard if you hit them solid. In urban situations they wouldn't go through walls like the 7.62 would do but even so they were more than enough to suppress a target so someone else could maneuver to get the shot. In my opinion the only time 5.56 won't do the job is a shot in a non-vital area (hand, arm, etc.) It will still make them combat ineffective though.