The 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team has rescinded a directive requiring soldiers to remove their combat patches during a unit training exercise.

Soldiers in one of the brigade's subordinate units on Tuesday "were given a directive to remove their combat patches in order to 'build cohesion' during a unit gunnery exercise at Fort Knox, Kentucky," the division announced in a press release Friday.

The brigade leadership has since rescinded the directive, and soldiers from the unit have been allowed to wear their combat patches.

"This was a well-intended action taken by a leader that was not well thought out and was quickly corrected," said Brig. Gen. Scott Brower, the division's acting senior commander, in a statement. "This division is amongst the most storied, battle-tested and prideful in all the Army. We are proud of all of our combat veterans and never want to take for granted their efforts and sacrifices."

Friday's announcement follows reports, including one on Thursday by Army Times, that some soldiers in the brigade had been required to remove their combat patches. On Thursday, brigade leaders were unaware of any such directive; the units involved in the gunnery exercise were en route to Fort Knox and could not immediately be reached.

The elements of 3rd BCT training at Fort Knox are 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment; 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment; and 21st Brigade Engineer Battalion.

About Michelle Tan

Michelle Tan is the editor of Army Times and Air Force Times. She has covered the military for Military Times since 2005, and has embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Haiti, Gabon and the Horn of Africa.

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