11th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade Patching Ceremony
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan—Lt. Col. Patricia Sayles places an 11th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade shoulder insignia on the uniform of a service member at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 23, 2012. Sayles is the officer in charge of Task Force Signal Staff Operations and was the presiding officer for the brigade’s patching ceremony. The shoulder insignia is an army combat patch given to those who serve in a “declared hostile environment.” At the event, Sayles said less than one percent of Americans volunteer to serve their country and fight for freedom during a time of war. She said this patch is the visible, tangible, enduring evidence that the combat patch recipients were part of that one percent. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom)