Brassards serve as a means to quickly identify designated personnel who are performing a special task or who must interact with the public. They are worn only while (a) the wearer is actively carrying out the duty associated with the brassard designation, and (b) it is necessary for those around the wearer to be able to identify them with just a glance, for instance during field operations an even response.
Brassards are not intended to identify personnel while carrying out routine job-related activities or performing their daily tasks, even if those tasks fall under the brassard description.
Though authorized for issue in a nonsubdued (color) format, brassards are more commonly worn with the Army Combat Uniform (ACU). From 2004 to 2016, those uniforms were manufactured in the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP), which had a wear-out date of 1 October 2019 and was replaced by the Operational Camouflage Pattern. Both types of brassards use a hook-and-loop (Velcro) system to secure the insignia on the shoulder pocket of the ACU, with the top of the insignia positioned at the top of the pocket’s hook-and-loop pad.
The number and types of authorized brassards have changed dramatically over the past three decades. There were a total of eighteen authorized brassards listed in 1992 Army Uniform regulations; that number fell by a third to just 12 in the January 2021 edition of DA PAM 670-1 despite the fact that several new types of brassards—including one for CBRN personnel—have been added since 1992.