Assignment patch

An assignment patch is a badge or emblem worn as part of one's uniform, to distinguish one's mission or posting. Mission patches were first used by NASA's Gemini 5 crew in 1965, and new patches were created for subsequent missions.

By the 22nd century, with longer-term interstellar missions, these patches came to be identified with a ship, rather than any single mission that ship carried out. Earth Starfleet assignment patches were worn on the left sleeve of the standard duty uniform. (, et.al.)

By the 23rd century, these patches became smaller and more stylized, and also were moved to the left breast of the uniform tunic. (, et.al.)

By the 2270s, assignment patches were phased out, in favor of a metallic pin of a single design, formerly used as the assignment patch of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), now used to represent all of Federation Starfleet. (, et.al.)