Have you ever wondered why the flag on the military uniform always appears reversed despite the US’s protectiveness of it and the fact that they would give severe punishment to whoever disrespects it? Well, if you believe it is, then you might want to look carefully at the position of the flag patch.

The military has got many traditions that many people are not aware of, and most especially their meanings and what they symbolize. The issue with the flag on the uniforms is an example. Many people believe the flag is in a reversed way, but according to the Army Regulation 670-1, the flag is in the right position.

What is the Army Regulation 670-1? The army, like any other body, has got rules that regulate its members, how to behave and how not to. The Army Regulation 670-1, formally known as the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniform Insignia, is the portion of rules which dictate how a man or woman in uniform should wear.

It goes beyond and outlines the length of hair a uniformed male or female person should keep. The section even mentions the nitty gritty like how a soldier in uniform should carry an umbrella. Another significant part it covers is the one about when a soldier is allowed to have on him or her, wireless devices and so on.

On the issue of the clothing, the section requires that the American flag patch should always be on the right of the flag. The flag should be on the right or left shoulder so long as it faces forward. The Army reasons that with the flag patch worn that way, it resembles a flying flag carried by a soldier who is moving. This way the flag is on its right and is moving forward, which would have been a different case if the flag appeared the other way round.

Another thing that may get people wondering is why the flag patch is usually in muted colors. The reason behind this is to make it easy for the soldiers to camouflage easily during battles.

The flag is usually a great symbol to the United States, and failure to respect it could lead to severe consequences. Take for example in 1963 when an activist showed up in a meeting wearing a shirt with the flag patch on it. The police around were quick to act and stripped the shirt off him. They then arrested and sued him in the court of law
Even though the court ruled out the accusations against the activist, saying that the constitution did not categorize wearing the flag as a federal crime, many people were against it and wanted punishment for him. They argued that the act was unpatriotic and disrespectful to the flag which is a great symbol of their freedom.

It is, however, not only the army uniform that has the flag appearing in a reversed way. Other US national properties have the flag looking this way as well. Take for example the airports; they also display the flag in the same way. According to Newsiosity, their code may not be in the AR 670-1, but it is of the same reasoning as that of the army, which is having the flag always facing forward.