| Military unit patches help to establish the identity of | | | | viewer. As an example, consider the patch of the |
| military personnel. Unit patches can contain symbols | | | | Forty-ninth Military Police Brigade. The elements of |
| or numerals that relate to the specific unit or the | | | | design of this brigade's patch symbolize the discovery |
| special mission. The patches contain the number of a | | | | of gold in California since this brigade was formed in |
| unit embroidered on them. For instance, if there is a | | | | California. The yellow background refers to California's |
| big "1" embroidered, it means that the unit is the First | | | | popular nickname, the Golden State. The red disc |
| Division. Unit patches also contain symbols that can | | | | stands for California's sunny climate and makes a |
| be something like the black horse head or a fish. | | | | disguised reference to Sutter's Mill, a saw mill, on the |
| During World War I, the British Army used several | | | | American river where the first gold nuggets were |
| complex sleeve patches. These patches were used | | | | discovered in the year 1849. |
| at all the battalion, brigade and divisional levels. The | | | | Unit patches also undergo changes, from time to |
| badges were known as "battle badges" and were | | | | time, in the way they are worn and used. During the |
| geometric shaped with solid colors and specific | | | | Iraq war, the Army launched a new combat uniform |
| numbers. Their colors shape and number helped to | | | | where, apart from changes in the design, there were |
| identify the units within a formation. | | | | changes in patches. Patches in the new uniform were |
| Military unit patches are not designed blindly. They are | | | | to be affixed by Velcro so as to give the wearer the |
| designed by experts and usually carry a wealth of | | | | flexibility to save money by talking patches off from |
| information that may not be apparent to the casual | | | | uniforms before laundering. |