Patches are structures that are worn on a uniform. Officially these structures are known as shoulder sleeve insignias. Patches are primarily of two types - unit patches and shoulder patches. Unit patches display the unit from which the personnel hails, while the shoulder patches, worn on the shoulder or sometimes on the sleeves, display the rank of the individuals.

During the Second World War, the United States became a dominant world power. The new status demanded the incorporation of newer forms of symbolism and the science and art of heraldry became important. This was the time when insignia gained prominence and the US military began renewed efforts at developing powerful symbols in the form of patches.

Who decides the patches for each rank and personnel in the Army? Clearly, there are specialized group of people who are responsible for the job. Between 1924 and 1962, the specialized job of research, design, and development of distinctive elements of the uniform like the unit insignia, shoulder sleeve insignia (patches), flags; medals, seals, coats of arms, and other items for the Army were with the U.S Army Quartermaster Corps. This job was handed over to the Institute of Heraldry in 1960. The Institute of Heraldry is a part of the Quartermaster Corp, and it was the only organization in the U.S. Government that was devoted to the science and art of heraldry and other types of official symbolism. In 1962, the Institute's responsibility was handed over to the Army Adjutant General?s office when the Quartermaster General's office was shut down.

Patches are a wonderful collector's item. Today, it is not uncommon to see people collecting different patches from World War I and World War II. These patches are valuable collectibles although in monetary terms they may not be worth more than 2 or 3 dollars. However, collectors often feel that the monetary value of patches is immaterial as compared to the wealth of history they carry. However, there are a very small number of y scarce patches that share great value both monetarily as well as a collectible.