On the ENT jumpsuit's upper left sleeve was an embroidered assignment patch.
As indicated by its name, these patches varied based on the wearer's assignment, but the wearers assigned to Enterprise wore a patch that looked like this:
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| Reed ENT jumpsuit auction photo |
Here are some examples of other assignment patches seen throughout the show.
The (second) most popular, of course, were the patches worn by the crew of the Columbia, the Enterprise's younger sister ship:
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| ENT, 4x15 "Affliction" |
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| ENT, 4x17 "Bound" |
Another popular-ish assignment patch was the "Ad Astra Per Aspera" patch seen during the flashbacks in the ENT second season episode, "First Flight," and during the show's finale:
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| Trip (stunt) ENT jumpsuit auction photo |
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| ENT, 2x24 "First Flight" |
There some more obscure patches, such as those of the Sol Security Division:
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| ENT jumpsuit (female) auction photo |
There was also this random assignment patch, for wherever this fellow happened to clock in every day:
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| ENT, 1x12 "Silent Enemy" |
The mirror universe's Enterprise crew, of course, wore a different assignment patch:
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| ENT, 4x18 "In a Mirror, Darkly (part 1)" |
And the crew of the mirror universe's ship Avenger had their own assignment patch.
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| ENT, 4x19 "In a Mirror, Darkly (part 2)" |
The assignment patch was fastened to the jumpsuit via edge stitching around its perimeter (with gray thread).
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| Travis ENT jumpsuit auction photo |
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| ENT jumpsuit (female) auction photo |
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| ENT jumpsuit (male) auction photo |
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| ENT jumpsuit (male) auction photo |
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For whatever it's worth, note that the bobbin thread was blue.
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| "Lynsioux" photo of screen-used ENT jumpsuit |
Amusingly, Starfleet slapped its assignment patch on just about every single thing they possibly could; we've come to suspect that Starfleet's actual mission wasn't one of exploration, but actually of branding and marketing.
Either that, or Starfleet was having a really bad problem with theft and wanted its property clearly identified.
I mean, seriously, whoever produces patches in the 2150s is going to make a killing!
In addition to the standard duty uniforms (the ENT jumpsuit on which this analysis is focused), the patch was on the original away team uniform jackets:
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| ENT, 1x1 "Broken Bow" |
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| (publicity photo) |
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| ENT, 1x17 "Shuttlepod One" |
It was also on the later away team jackets:
As well as the final away team jackets:
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| (publicity photo) |
It was on the field/"desert" uniforms:
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| ENT, 1x24 "Desert Crossing" |
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| ENT, 4x14 "The Aenar" |
Aaand the field/"cold" uniform jackets:
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| ENT, 4x16 "Divergence" |
It was on the front of the space suits:
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| ENT, 4x12 "Babel One" |
Starfleet also slapped a patch on any "walk-ins" and volunteers:
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| ENT, 4x22 "These Are the Voyages" |
It was also on the ENT-era formal uniform (seen only in the final episode):
The logo was even the screensaver on the ship's monitors:
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| ENT, 4x15 "Affliction" |
Starfleet even slapped the logo on its 3-ring binders!
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| ENT, 4x15 "Affliction" |
And Starfleet wanted the universe and all its occupants to know which duffel bags belonged to it.
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| ENT, 4x15 "Affliction" |
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| ENT, 4x21 "Terra Prime" |
In other words, pretty much everything that wasn't nailed down.
As the years passed, though, Starfleet apparently redoubled their branding efforts and began plastering the thing up on the walls ...
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| ENT, 4x15 "Affliction" |
I guess that incident with the Ferengi back in Enterprise's first season caused quite a stir in Starfleet ...
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| ENT, 4x5 "Cold Station 12" |
Even non-Starfleet personnel sported a patch that identified their assignment/job/place of employment!
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| ENT, 4x20 "Demons" |
Curiously, the only Starfleet/uniform garment we ever saw in the show that did not have the assignment patch was Archer's field/desert uniform jacket throughout the Vulcan arc in the early fourth season:
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| ENT, 4x7 "The Forge" |
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| (publicity photo) |
One might be tempted to assume that Archer was trying to go incognito so his actions wouldn't be tied to Starfleet, but why the standard Starfleet field/desert uniform (complete with an assignment patch and Starfleet rank pips) underneath?
It's probably just because the jacket was more or less a one-off and in the production rush somebody forgot to slap a patch on the arm.
Or maybe the Enterprise quartermaster had the day off when Archer stopped by to pick up his jacket.
Who knows?
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