Army OCP Patch Placement: Army & Air Force Uniform Guide

Army: AR 670-1, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia, sets the policy, and DA PAM 670-1, Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia, gives the detailed placement instructions.

Air Force: DAFI 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Department of the Air Force Personnel, covers the OCP uniform for Airmen.

Both documents are published by their services and revised over time, often through interim changes or messages. Where this guide says rules vary, that is deliberate: authorization for some items depends on the unit, the command or a recent update. When in doubt, the current regulation and your chain of command are the authority, not this page.

U.S. flag insignia. Worn on the right shoulder pocket flap area of the OCP coat, positioned so the star field faces forward, giving the impression of the flag flying as the Soldier moves forward. This is why the flag on the right sleeve appears "reversed."

Current unit SSI. The shoulder sleeve insignia of the unit you are assigned to goes on the left sleeve. Tabs such as Ranger, Special Forces or Sapper, when authorized, sit above the SSI.

Combat patch. The shoulder sleeve insignia for former wartime service is worn on the right sleeve below the flag, for Soldiers who earned one.

Name tape and U.S. ARMY tape. The name tape goes above the right chest pocket and the branch tape above the left. Authorized skill and qualification badges are worn above the U.S. ARMY tape in the order the regulation prescribes.

Rank. Rank insignia attaches to the tab in the center of the chest. Rank is also worn on the patrol cap and other headgear as specified.

Subdued colors. Insignia on the OCP uniform use subdued, OCP-compatible colors and spice brown thread. Full-color versions of insignia are not worn on this uniform.

Patrol cap. Rank insignia is worn centered on the front of the OCP patrol cap. A name tape may also be worn on the back of the cap where the regulation or unit policy calls for it.

Boonie hat and other headgear. Rank placement on other field headgear follows DA PAM 670-1. Units sometimes set additional rules for field and training environments.

Cold-weather and fleece layers. Outer layers such as the fleece jacket and cold-weather parka carry fewer insignia than the coat. Typically rank is worn on the chest tab and, where the garment has loop pads, name and branch tapes may be added. The current pamphlet lists what is authorized on each item.

The two services share the same camouflage pattern and several placements, which is why their uniforms look alike at a distance. Both put the U.S. flag on the right sleeve with the star field forward, the name tape over the right chest pocket, the service tape over the left, and rank on the center chest tab.

The differences are mostly in which sleeve patches are authorized and when. The Army's system of current unit and former wartime service patches is long established in AR 670-1. The Air Force's rules for unit, heritage and duty identifier patches come from DAFI 36-2903 and have been updated more recently. If you are ordering patches for Airmen, ask your unit for the latest guidance before finalizing a design.

We produce custom embroidered, PVC and woven patches from artwork you supply, with hook-and-loop backing for loop panels on uniforms and gear. Units often order a subdued version for wear where authorized and a full-color version for keepsakes and events.

We do not reproduce official insignia or service marks you are not authorized to use. See custom military patches, morale patches, tactical patches and hook-and-loop patches. For civilian work uniforms, read the uniform patch placement guide.