Originally Posted by
jetflite
Not too sure if this has been asked before. . .
but i'm interested to know. . why do U.S troops wear there flag patch on there uniforms backwards ?
Hmm, depends on your definition of "backwards".
If worn on the left shoulder, the familiar layout is appropriate. If the same patch is applied to the right shoulder, it is backwards, as the stars canton would be to the rear.
If, alternatively, the correct patch has been produced for wear on the right shoulder, it may appear to be backwards, with the stars to the right, but is in fact correct.
Essentially, the idea is to signify advance, not retreat.
In the military, such things are taken appropriately seriously, but it is not uncommon to see tin-pot security uniforms with the "normal" flag on the right shoulder, and it looks ridiculous.