I think this would most likely fall closely to the "you can't be ordered to do something as well as charged money for it." Such as they can't order you to go to a movie for a fun day unless they are paying for the movie (insert any event, go karts, Lazer tag, etc).

The same principle applies to ordering someone to get something but forcing them to spend their own money. They grey area here is that the Air Force technically gives you a clothing allowance, so the commander could say it doesn't really cost members anything.

Of course with that logic the AF also gives you a paycheck and BAS, so under the flawed argument, the commander could say that mandatory events are also paid for by the it Force if they wanted to charge members for it.

I think this is one of those "mountain out off a mole hill" moments. I get what you are saying and I believe the unit patches should just be given out to anyone in the unit, but it does seem like a frivolous argument as well.

2 years until they are mandatory. By then the commander will more than likely be gone and hopefully the new Commander doesn't think it should be that way.

Disclaimer* if the money is meant to go to the booster club to help set up things like prizes at the Christmas parties, then really at least it's going back to the unit somewhere. The money made from the patches may supplement having to make airmen do some annual event to raise money, and most people I know would rather pay for a patch than do some "voluntary" event.