Welcome,
Welcome to the “Joint” section of the Website. This is the place to view, read about, and perhaps comment on patches for more than just one branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and for patches that pertain both to U.S. forces and those of one or more other nations (combined commands). For lack of a better name, it’s called the Department of Defense section even though there are some patches displayed in its Gallery that, technically, came from outside the DOD. There are also a few patches that, at first glance, may seem out of place here, but in fact a small number of patches used by the U.S. Army were also officially “appropriated” by some joint commands. Since the end of World War II, and especially since the end of the Cold War, the direction has been toward more joint weapons systems, operations, organizations, and even bases. Indeed, some may be surprised to learn that the service chiefs are responsible only for organizing, equipping, and training the personnel in their respective branches, and that all combat operations are conducted by the combatant commanders of the unified commands. This trend toward “jointness” is unlikely to reverse direction as joint doctrine and methodologies are refined and budgets continue to decrease. Enjoy viewing and/or reading about these patches, and if you’re inclined, we also welcome your comments pertaining to specific patches. We appreciate your interest!
Greg Ogletree, Administrator of “the Joint”
