Interested in the reverse American flag? Find what’s different about the reverse American flag and where it is used…
The reverse American flag is the name given to the American flag patch as it is designed for the U.S Armed Forces. Unlike the conventional flag which has the star field to the left of the flag, the army patch has the star field to the right.
Ordinarily one would consider this to be a desecration of the flag. But actually this is a law in the form of the Army Regulation 670-1 Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia. Under this regulation the proper way to wear the patch on a military uniform is for the star field to be placed on the right of the flag. This is meant to create an illusion of the flag blowing in the wind when the wearer moves forward. It can be worn on either shoulder.
Today you will be able to find many different reverse American flag patches in the market. They vary in terms of their designs and styles. Some of the most commonly sold reverse American Patches are as follows:
Full Color Reverse American Flag Patch – Military Standard
Known as the military standard this is exactly the kind of patch that the army men are regulated to wear by the military. It is available in full color with a gold border going around it as of tradition. Officially this is the reverse flag patch worn on BDU, DCU and ACU uniforms. It measures 1 13/16″ high and 3½” wide.
Full Color Reverse American Flag Patch without hook
As the name suggests this is another colored reverse American flag. This is however not the military standard. In fact this design is featured without a hook.
Forward American Flag Patch Foliage Green with Velcro
This is one of the stand out reverse American flag patches. The forward facing patch has a foliage green theme with a Velcro look. This unique look helps to keep the patch camouflaged in battle as the red, white and blue would attract too much attention.
Reverse American Flag patches are available in two varieties in terms of how they function. One is the iron on version and the others are the stitch on. Although the iron on version provides you with utmost convenience with regards to putting it on your clothes, it is always better to stitch them on for added durability. The stitch on reverse American flags that you will be able to get in the market will feature a sticky back. This helps to place the patch in the right position prior to stitching it on.
The kind of variety available in the reverse American flag patch is considerably limited as compared to the normal flag patches. This is because the use of the reverse patch is largely, although not officially restricted to military wear. On the other hand the common man can be seen wearing conventional American flag patches in various designs.
