# US military uniform question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-military-uniform-question/172490 "2003-05-01T22:35:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-military-uniform-question/172490/1 "2003-05-01T22:35:07Z")
I have seen many shots of our military recently (haven’t we all?) and I have a question about the American flag patch on the sleeve of the BDUs. It appears to be backwards. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-military-uniform-question/172490/2 "2003-05-01T22:40:15Z")
That’s how the flag would look if it were being carried in on a standard during a charge. It gives the impression of being flown in the breeze. Only the military is allowed to wear it that way. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-military-uniform-question/172490/3 "2003-05-01T22:42:17Z")
It appears backwards on the right sleeve and forewards on the left sleeve, to give the appearance of a single flag with the hoist side toward the front of the soldier’s body. Same reason the flag on the right side of the tail of an airplane is backwards – to give the same effect as, say, a ship with a flag flying opposite the direction of travel. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-military-uniform-question/172490/4 "2003-05-01T22:42:26Z")
[Sorry, here’s a cite](http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2002/02/12/loc_wells_showing_flag.html) > [@](#): > > The U.S. military allows two exceptions — displaying the flag on the right side of a vehicle and on the right shoulder of a uniform. In those cases, a “reversed field,” with the blue in the upper right hand corner, is permitted. This is done so it looks as though the flag is blowing in the wind caused by forward movement. ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-military-uniform-question/172490/5 "2003-05-01T22:42:54Z")
[American flag direction on military uniforms](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=174576) [American flag patches on soldiers’ uniforms](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=175143) [Back to front US flags on US soldiers jackets](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=174423) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-military-uniform-question/172490/6 "2003-05-01T22:44:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Casey1505 \* > Only the military is allowed to wear it that way. While it may be true that other government departments are forbidden from displaying the flag in that manner, there is no law that would prevent a private citizen from wearing a flag patch any way he wants to. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-military-uniform-question/172490/7 "2003-05-01T22:46:35Z")
Jesus, sorry Brian, I know that search should be my friend, I wasn’t thinking. Thanks to freido and Casey too. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-military-uniform-question/172490/8 "2003-05-01T22:54:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*While it may be true that other government departments are forbidden from displaying the flag in that manner, there is no law that would prevent a private citizen from wearing a flag patch any way he wants to. \*\* It would be a breach of flag etiquette, same as displaying a tattered flag, letting it tough the ground, flying it backwards, etc. [cite](http://www.usflag.org/flag.etiquette.html) ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-military-uniform-question/172490/9 "2003-05-01T22:55:49Z")
Tough is Pennsylvanian for “touch”. We have nutty accents. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-military-uniform-question/172490/10 "2003-05-01T23:02:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Casey1505 \* > \*\*It would be a breach of flag etiquette, same as displaying a tattered flag, letting it tough the ground, flying it backwards, etc. > [cite](http://www.usflag.org/flag.etiquette.html) \*\* Yes, it is a breach of flag etiquette, but etiquette does not carry the force of law. My point was that your post made it sound as if it would be a crime for a person to display a flag in an incorrect manner, which it clearly is not. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-military-uniform-question/172490/11 "2003-05-02T00:48:37Z")
Sorry for the confusion. Perhaps a better way to phrase it would have been to say “_Traditionally_, only the military wears it that way.” However, non-military uniforms, such as those worn by security guards, police officers, and letter carriers (when flag patches are worn on the right sleeve) tend to display the flag in the “normal” way.