Subdued cloth rank insignia for Sergeants Major is manufactured in three different styles, each designed for wear on a specific type of uniform or uniform component. Use the drop-down selector to the right to choose the style of subdued Sergeant Major rank insignia you need:
Rank With Velcro features the Sergeant Major insignia embroidered on a cloth pad backed with hook-and-loop fasteners, popularly known by the trade name Velcro. These are designed for wear on Utility uniforms by attaching them to hook-and-loop pads.
Cap Rank insignia are embroidered onto a swatch of camouflage material that is sewn directly onto a uniform or, most commonly, Patrol Caps. They can also be used in lieu of hook-and-loop style insignia on Utility uniforms, but doing so means the Soldier must also use sew-on versions of the nametape and U.S. Army tape.
Gortex refers to rank insignia tabs that are designed with an opening that allows the insignia to be slid over the front tab found on the Gore-Tex parka, officially designated the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS) jacket.
Each style is available either the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) or the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP). Introduced in July 2015, Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) is the current camouflage pattern used for the Army Combat Uniform (ACU), the Army Aircrew Combat Uniform (A2CU), and other uniforms. Uniforms and accouterments made in the UCP were authorized for wear from 2004 through the end of September 2019.
More Items for E-9 Sergeants Major
Subdued uniform ornamentation was introduced out of necessity during the Vietnam War: the close combat ranges of jungle warfare meant that light-colored (white or gold) insignia could pose an operational hazard. In the Encyclopedia of United States Army Insignia and Uniforms, we read that “Fatigue uniform insignia became black and brown. Cloth name and U.S. Army stripes changed to match the uniform and had black lettering.”
Apparently these changes were ad hoc adaptations done in the field, because the United States Army Vietnam did not officially authorize green and black insignia for its Soldiers until March 1965. Sixteen months later, the Department of the Army announced the service-wide authorization of subdued insignia for Soldiers stationed all across the globe.