Army vet ruined commander’s career after he tried to NJP him over a combat patch

A veteran who served in the Army National Guard recounted his time in the Global War on Terror, and an incident where a unit he was attached to tried to give him an Article 15 for a combat patch.

YouTuber “Jeffblacky” was serving in the Guard and had previously served in Operation Enduring Freedom (where he earned a combat patch) when he was assigned to Camp Virginia, Kuwait, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

While “Jeff” operated out of Kuwait, his job was to provide convoy security for units pushing deep into Iraq, which took him to cities such as Fallujah and Baghdad.

A replacement (what he referred to as a “filler”) for personnel that his adopted unit -the 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team- had found themselves short of, Jeff (who was a sergeant) stood out in more way that one- he was from another unit and he had an 18th Airborne Corps combat patch.

One day, the commanding officer from another unit demanded he remove his combat patch, claiming that the unit was trying to look “uniform.”

Despite Army Regulations stating that he could wear whatever combat patch he earned, Jeff was quickly informed that he needed to submit to the local unit policy and change his patch. When he refused, he was given an Article 15.

Going to the battalion commander, he asked that the situation be remedied, but to no avail- the battalion commander also believed in absolute uniformity, and demanded that all patches look the same on both sides.

“We’re all being uniform here, sergeant,” the BC allegedly said.

Frustrated, Jeff sent an email back to his guard unit. Two weeks later, the brigade commander of his unit responded with fire and fury- but not the way you might expect.

“He had a major stroke,” the long-haired veteran said of the brigade commander, who had learned that a total of five Soldiers had received similar punishments.

Suddenly, his Article 15 vanished, and every officer -from battalion to company level- who issued the Article 15s received reprimands.

“Welcome to the National Guard,” Jeff said of the ordeal.

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