If you have been following my friend at Military Morons for awhile you will know he has a Skull with Horns designed by Pin Up artist Andrew Bawidamann as an unofficial logo. Recently, he worked with Mil-Spec Monkey to produce the logo as a PVC patch. The result is a really cool morale patch in a Glow-in-the-dark style as well as MultiCam and Desert versions. In addition to being really cool patches, MSM is donating $.50 for every one sold to our favorite charity, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
Available from Mil-Spec Monkey or MSM patch dealers.
Tags: Military Morons
A well done effort and a deserving cause. The intent is just.
There’s just one problem. It’s endemic in the community now, and something I’m calling each of us to address: Why are we wearing symbology directly linked to a ethical persuasion directly opposed to what the majority of military members believe?
As cool as they are, I’m NOT wearing any skulls, especially ones designed to resemble a dark lord of the underworld. It’s a simple decision based on my ethical beliefs, something even that stupid card I was issued called me to consider.
The public image of professionals wearing said patches on duty as representatives of the US Government can and will be negatively affected. It DOES make a statement, especially when working in a foreign country who’s religious beliefs are in opposition to our tolerance of exactly this sort of thing.
Cool for patch collectors, but in the big picture, just as tainted as the skulls and crossbones of SS patches I see displayed in showcases at the local militaria shop.
Give it some thought, newbs, would you deliberately wear SS runes and patches working security at a civil rights memorial march in Alabama? If so, go right ahead and sport these newer models on patrol around Kabul.
Just my perspective looking back on almost 40 years affiliated with military duty. Make your own decision, it’s what you will be remembered doing.
They do need the donation, what you do with the patch reflects on you.
Sorry, no fan of Military Morons. The founder has never been military and he is an expert on kit and gear? Nope not buying, it or the patch.
A cutesy patch for the teeny-bopper, backyard-chairsofter set. To an actual vet like myself, it means nothing and stands for less. No sale here.
Mark,
Sorry, but your fearful superstitions is just what such imagery and symbolism is meant to play on in the enemy.
What professionals would use these kinds of psychological tactics? The 5th Infantry Division, the 3rd Infantry Division, the 88th Infantry Division, the 2nd Armored Division, the 235th Aviation Company, 504th Infantry Division, the entire US Marine Corps, and don’t forget the beloved P-38.
Many of these monikers bestowed by a fearful enemy during combat.
To all,
As for the appropriateness of silly patches, they have their time and place, just like dark and scary imagery.
I wouldn’t think that a skull bandanna or offensive patches should be worn on a local peacekeeping patrol, but would say (and apparently so would others) to send an angel to do an angel’s job, and a deamon to do a deamon’s job, and maybe there’s some time for lightheartedness in between. That’s why there’s hook’n’loop on the back.
Wow, lay off the guy. Just because he hasn’t been in the military doesn’t in anyway negate the positive impact that he has had on the the tactical gear community. You just might find yourself using a piece of gear that he had an input in designing but you wouldn’t know because you automatically demonize him because he has a scary skull patch and is non military. Based on your shallow interpretation of things the Special Operations Warrior Foundation should not take any of the funds he raised. Once you pull your head out of the sand you might realize that some of the best pieces of gear that are out there are designed by non military personal with the ability to think creatively and not be bound by military idea constraints…..ie Crye Precision, Arcteryx etc, Surefire, Ceradyne (they make the hard things that stop bullets), and many others that were started by civilians and run by civilians that came up with some nifty ideas. Its just a patch for a good cause.
Rant over
The ethical beliefs of one may be the fearful superstitions of another. We are directly engaged in a war where the ethical beliefs of our opponents are based exactly on their perception that we are already too tolerant.
They oppose us precisely because we apparently lack the moral aptitude to enforce better choices. Much of that historically based viewpoint actually has merit, and it’s not something we should be particularly proud of. It’s arrogant and only serves to incite more hatred.
Had we actually been operating within our lane, they wouldn’t have grounds to complain. That does NOT justify their actions – nor does their response justify YOURS. Continuing to ignore the basic beliefs of anyone only serves to inflame the situation further.
A complete lack of sensitivity on how we adorn ourselves doing a dirty job isn’t justification for donning the trappings of an executioner. If YOU want to tattoo “Screw you, Mohammed” on your body, fine. Don’t ignorantly propose it’s ok for someone else. It offers nothing toward getting the job done when it needs doing. Range time, rehearsal, and recon do that.
Those cute little deaths heads on the SS didn’t help get the job done one bit. Neither will these.
LOL, yeah… don’t use anything not made by “military” experts…. like gore-tex, night vision goggles, anything that works, it’s either off the shelf technology that the “military wisdom” finally got an understanding and used it. While civilians were using gore-tex, polypropylene, cordura and nylon, we the “military” experts were running around in cotton, wool, brass and canvas.
Drop down and stop using anything tech related. It was probably designed, developed and fielded by some fat, dorito eating contractor. No more encrypted radios, computer systems, satellite coms, the airplane,etc…
MM knows more about gear than our own decision makers who spend millions of dollars “testing and evaluating” crap that even the most daft joe knows is a piece of s*it.
As far as skulls go, I have to agree with MarKM and MCS.
On one hand, we have the COIN that we are trying to fight and still not succeeding (driving around with all the armor and weaponry is going to make the locals feel all warm and fuzzy about our presence there, nor living inside hesco kingdoms). So if they want to be offended, the smallest thing will set them off, to include women in the military not wearing a head scarf.
Now, we also have the fact that the typical joe is going to have to adhere to a uniform standard, and these type of patches are not appropriate for most if not all forces working with the local populace.
So buying a patch with a skull to support a charity is not going to going to hinder nor enhance our COIN efforts. But it will aid a charity.
Guys, I know MM quite well. He did this for fun and not for you to go running around in bad places trying to scare the natives. On top of doing it for fun, he isn’t making a dime. He has MSM (another friend of mine) giving his proceeds to a charity. In fact, it’s my favorite charity. From my perspective, this is winning all around.
Please note that I placed this under category of “morale”. Take it or leave it.
Thanks for the comments – good and bad. Like admin stated, this patch was done just for fun. I didn’t envision military folks wearing it on their uniforms; it’s just like any other novelty morale patch out there. People (active duty military, civilians, airsofters, chairborne warriors, wannabes etc) buy all kinds of patches – I felt that it was a great opportunity to benefit a good cause.
Doc Dodge – you’re right. It’s a skull patch that doesn’t stand for anything or mean anything, and that was actually the intention – to make it quite generic. People seem to like skulls (some don’t), and I think that it’s a good piece of artwork, as far as skull designs go. There’s no text on it, and many people will probably not make any connection to my site from it. The patch itself is meaningless, but the sale of one will help benefit (however small), someone related to the military community. That’s the only thing that sets this patch from the generic morale patch.
Stefan – I’m definitely no expert on kit and gear and have never claimed to be one. I’m just an average joe, providing information and sharing my opinion based on my very limited experience. I explain it on the ‘about this site’ page:
http://www.militarymorons.com/about.html
JerryM brings up a relevant point. I’ve never been in the military or LE, but I’m an engineer/scientist in the defense/aerospace industry that works on military/DOD programs. I view myself as nothing more as part of an indirect support team that ensures that the folks that go in harm’s way have the best technology available to them. Not everyone can be the astronaut on the space shuttle, but it takes a whole team of geeks working in the background to make it happen. I’m just one of those geeks – nothing more.
Anyways, thank you to those who are supportive of this patch project. To those who don’t, thank you as well for sharing your opinion. It’s appreciated either way.
great efforts you have putted …:-)