There are two kinds of soldiers in the Army — those who have deployed to a combat theater and those who haven’t.
One of the most conspicuous ways to make that distinction is the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia for Military Operations in Hostile Conditions or SSI-MOHC. It’s better known as the “Combat Patch.”
Soldiers who deployed to any of 14 countries in the Middle East and Africa between October 2023 and June 2025 can now wear the coveted combat patch on their right shoulder. It signifies a soldier’s service in a combat zone with a particular unit.
A patch on the left shoulder identifies the soldier’s current unit of assignment.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George last week approved granting combat patches for soldiers who were deployed during the covered time period to Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Also on the list is Djibouti, home to U.S. Africa Command’s Camp Lemonnier.
The authorization applies to active-duty soldiers and those in the Army Reserves and National Guard. They must have served for at least a day during the authorized timeframe, Army officials said.
“These changes acknowledge the inherent risks and challenges faced by soldiers in these locations and timeframes,” the Army said in a statement. “Awarding the combat patch reflects the Army’s commitment to recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of all soldiers serving in these operational environments.”
The Army directive does not authorize financial entitlements to soldiers, such as hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay, officials said.
Opinions about combat patches were mixed on the Army Reddit page.
“Some people hold them in overly high regard and think you’re basically worthless unless you have one,” one Reddit poster noted. “Some people don’t care and would rather judge you through other means.”
Another soldier said he deployed to combat as a Marine and so wasn’t awarded a combat patch when he switched to the Army.
“They may carry some extra weight in combat arms units, but the patch doesn’t make the soldier,” he posted on Reddit.
The timeline covers U.S. military operations that began following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas into southern Israel that triggered the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. In October 2024, the Pentagon sent an Army Terminal High Altitude Air Defense battery, known as THAAD, to Israel to augment its integrated air defense system.
Also included was Iran’s June 2025 attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, in retaliation for the U.S. strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities a day earlier. The barrage included short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles. Pentagon officials said Army air defense units in Qatar reportedly intercepted more than a dozen Iranian missiles.
The combat patch policy applies only to Army troops. Navy crews have been awarded the Combat Action Ribbon for maritime operations in Yemen against Houthi forces launching missile attacks against Israel.
For many soldiers, being authorized to wear a combat patch is a rite of passage, typically awarded during a ceremony. But it can be a touchy subject in Army units with a large number of soldiers who have yet to deploy to a combat zone.
In 2015, a unit commander at Fort Carson, Colorado, told the soldiers in his brigade to remove combat patches from their uniforms while on maneuvers.
“It’s about the collective, it’s not about the individual,” then-Col. David Hodne told the Colorado Springs Gazette. “Character counts more than your resume. It’s heart more than what you did five or six years ago.”
