The first unit to adopt TCQC patches was the 3^rd Armored Division, which began issuing them in 1962. These patches featured the distinctive shape that was to become unique to tank gunnery patches: a wide patch (about 5" wide), with a straight horizontal bottom and vertical sides that were pinched inward half way up the patch, culminating with either a pointed or curved top. Ironically, many of these early qualification patches did not identify which unit issued them or what purpose they served. All they included were the Armor branch insignia and the year issued. See Figures 1 & 2.

The 3^rd Armored Division would continue to wear TCQC patches for two decades and would become one of the most prolific issuers of gunnery patches. Photo #1 shows the commanding general of the 3^rd armored Division wearing a 1962 Distinguished Tank Crew patch.

            Qualification patches were awarded once each year, for qualification gunnery.³ In the vast majority of units, tank gunnery patches recognized two levels of qualification: "Qualified" and "Distinguished." In some units, separate patches were issued. See Figures 3 & 4.

In other units, qualified crews received the basic TCQC patch, while distinguished crews wore this patch with an added "Distinguished" tab. See Figure 5.

Finally, some units issued the same patch to qualified and distinguished crews, with a tab stating whether the crew member had earned a qualified or distinguished rating (and, typically, the year it was awarded). See Figures 6 & 7.

This allowed a soldier to wear one patch and multiple tabs showing his continuing proficiency as a soldier. See Figure 6. In units where the year was included on the patch, soldiers sometimes overlapped the patches to accomplish the same result. See Figure 8.

            Some units awarded a third patch at an intermediate level, typically either "Superior" or "Expert." See Figures 9 & 10.

In addition, some units issued tabs or scrolls for qualified or distinguished platoons, which were worn above or below the standard qualification patch. See Figures 11 & 12.

I am not aware of any unit that extended this approach to an entire company/troop or battalion/squadron, even though some units did company-level gunnery exercises known as "battle runs."
            A handful of units issued a special tab or patch to the top tank crew in the unit. See Figures 6(above) & 13.

One unit, the 2^nd Bn, 77^th Armor, which was assigned to the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington, took this concept one step further, issuing "High Platoon" and "High Company" tabs to the best units within the battalion. See Figure 14.

Finally, Figure 15 is a patch that was apparently issued to the tank battalion within the 24^th Infantry Divison(Mech) that scored the highest overall score at tank gunnery in 1966.

Unfortunately, this patch does not identify which battalion wore it; the patch is based on the distinctive insignia of the 70^th Armor, but at this time the 24^th ID's order of battle included the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd Battalions, 70^th Armor.
            Finally, many units issued gunnery support patches to the soldiers, such as mechanics, truck drivers, and cooks, who supported the tankers and other qualifying soldiers during gunnery. See Figures 16 & 17.

            Gunnery patches were typically issued at the division, armored cavalry regiment, or battalion/squadron level. They were rarely issued at the corps, brigade, or company level (unless the issuing unit was a separate tank company or armored cavalry troop not assigned to a battalion or squadron, See Figure 18).

See Figure 19 for a patch issued at the brigade level, in this case by the 1^st Brigade, 2^nd Infantry Division in Korea.

See Figure 20 for a rare example of a qualification patch that was issued by a cavalry troop that was part of a squadron.

            TCQC patches were always most popular in armored and armored cavalry units, although some mechanized divisions used them fairly extensively. All three of the armored cavalry regiments that served in the Active Army during the mid-1970s through early 1980s (the 2^nd and 11^th in Germany, and the 3^rd at Fort Bliss, Texas) issued an extensive array of gunnery patches.
            Surprisingly few qualification patches indicate the type of tank used by the unit.⁴ The exception were patches worn by M551 "Sheridan" crews, which almost always indicated that they were for Sheridan gunnery.⁵ See Figures 9 (above), 11 (above) & 21.

            Gunnery patches were only worn on the field uniform, and were typically sewn on the right pocket of the soldier's shirt, field jacket, tanker's jacket, or coveralls. In the 1960s, qualification patches were in full color; subdued patches replaced color patches in the early 1970s.
            Army units stationed overseas typically had their qualification patches manufactured locally. This can help identify which unit issued them, as different manufacturing approaches were used in West Germany, South Korea, and CONUS. Patches manufactured in Germany almost always were embroidered on twill cloth, with standard (a.k.a. "cut" edges). See Figures 1-6, 8, 11-12, 16, 18 (above); Figure 15 (above) is a rare all-embroidered German-made patch. Patches manufactured in Korea can be either embroidered on twill or fully embroidered, and almost always have standard/cut edges. See Figures 13 & 21 (above). Patches manufactured in the United States can be either fully embroidered or embroidered on twill, with either standard/cut edges or heavy "merrowed" edges. See Figures 7 (above), 20 (above) & 22.

Subdued twill patches that have been removed from a soldier's uniform are frequently very faded, with the olive drab twill cloth sometimes appearing to be almost white. See Figures 5 & 11 (above).