United States Army branch insignia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Branch insignia of the United States Army refers to one of several military emblems that may be worn on the uniform of the United States Army to denote membership in a particular area of expertise. Army branch insignia is similar to the line officer and staff devices of the United States Navy as well as to the Navy Enlisted rating badges.

Army branch insignia is separate from Army qualification badges in that qualification badges require completion of a training course or school, whereas branch insignia is issued to a service member upon assignment to a particular area of the Army.

[edit] History

The first use of Army branch insignia was just prior to the American Civil War in the 1850s. It was at that point that the U.S. Army begin developing a series of colored epaulets for wear by officers of various Army branches. The original collar scheme was that cavalry officers would wear yellow, artillery officers red, and infantry officers blue. General officers wore dark blue epaulets.

By the start of the 20th century, Army personnel began wearing various branch insignia on their jacket lapels. Enlisted soldiers would wear a version that is enclosed in a brass disk while officers would wear a full sized version that is not enclosed. This has continued to the modern age.

[edit] How Worn

The 21st century Army displays branch insignia on green and blue service coats; it was similarly worn on rarely-seen white service coat until that unform was suddenly declared obsolete and unauthorised. Enlisted soldiers wear the branch insignia disk on the wearer's left coat collar, opposite the "U.S." insignia disk. Commissioned and warrant officers, apart from most general officers, wear branch insignia on both lapels, beneath the "U.S." insignia on both coat collars. Most general officers wear only the "U.S." insignia on both coat collars, and no branch insignia; chaplains, judge advocates, the Chief Engineer, the Quartermaster General, et al. are exceptions to this rule, and wear branch insignia in the same manner as typical officers.

Branch insignia is also worn by commissioned and warrant officers on the left collar of the hospital duty uniform and the arctic fatigues; rank is worn on the right collar. Chaplains wear branch insignia above the left breast pocket of Class B shirts; no other personnel wear branch insignia on Class B uniforms. Similarly, chaplains are the only soldiers who wear branch insignia on the Army Combat Uniform; chaplains also wear branch insignia on helmets and fatigue caps in the place of rank insignia.

[edit] Branch of Service Insignia

The following are the currently used branch insignia emblems of the United States Army:

Branch	Color	Description
Acquisition Corps AQ	Black	A gold color metal device 1 inch (2.54 cm) in height overall consisting of the Alpha and Omega interlaced, superimposed by an eagle’s head erased, all enclosed around the top with a gold tripartite scroll inscribed “INNOVATION” “EXCELLENCE” “DEDICATION” in incised letters; around the bottom entwined by the scroll ends are two laurel branches crossed at base all gold.
Adjutant General's Corps AG	Dark Blue and Scarlet Piping	A silver metal and enamel shield 25 millimeters (one inch) in height on which are 13 vertical stripes, seven silver and six red; on a blue chief one large and 12 small silver stars.
Air Defense Artillery AD	Scarlet	A missile surmounting two crossed field guns, all of gold colored metal, 30 millimeters (1 1/8 inches) in height.
Armor AR	Yellow	The front view of an M-26 tank, gun slightly raised, superimposed on two crossed cavalry sabers in scabbards, cutting edge up, 20 millimeters (13/16 inch) in height overall, of gold color metal.
Aviation AV	Ultramarine Blue and Golden Orange Piping	A silver propeller in a vertical position between two gold wings in a horizontal position, 30 millimeters (1 1/8 inches) in width.
Army Bands	Old Glory Blue
Cavalry	Yellow	Two crossed sabers in scabbards, cutting edge up, 17 millimeters (11/16 inch) in height, of gold color metal.
Chemical Corps CM	Cobalt blue and Golden Yellow Piping	A benzene ring of cobalt blue enamel superimposed in the center of crossed gold color retorts, 13 millimeters (1/2 inch) in height and 45 millimeters (1 13/16 inches) in width overall.
Civil Affairs Corps CA	Purple and White Piping	On a globe 15 millimeters (5/8 inch) in diameter, a torch of liberty 25 millimeters (one inch) in height surmounted by a scroll and a sword crossed in saltire, all of gold color.
Corps of Engineers EN	Scarlet and White Piping	A gold color triple-turreted castle, 17 millimeters (11/16 inch) in height.
Field Artillery FA	Scarlet	Two crossed field guns, gold color metal, 45 millimeters (1 13/16 inches) in height.
Finance Corps FI	Silver Gray and Golden Yellow Piping	A gold color diamond, 25 millimeters (1 inch) by 19 millimeters (3/4 inch), short axis vertical.
General Staff GS	None	The coat of arms of the United States, 15 millimeters (5/8 inch) in height, of gold color metal superimposed on a five-pointed silver color star, 25 millimeters (one inch) in circumscribing diameter. The shield to be in enamel stripes white and red, chief of blue, and the glory blue.
Branch Immaterial and Command Sergeant Major	Teal blue and Yellow Piping

Infantry IN	Light Blue	Two gold color crossed muskets, vintage 1795 Springfield musket, 19 millimeters (3/4 inch) in height.
Inspector General	Dark Blue and Light Blue Piping	A sword and fasces 19 millimeters (3/4 inch) in height, crossed and wreathed in gold color metal with the inscription "DROIT ET AVANT" (Right and Forward) in blue enamel on the upper part of the wreath.
Judge Advocate General's Corps JA	Dark Blue and White Piping	A gold color sword and pen crossed and superimposed on a laurel wreath, 17 millimeters (11/16 inch) in height.
Logistics LG	Soldier Red	A diagonally crossed cannon, muzzle up and key, ward down and pointing in, surmounted by a ship’s steering wheel, all in gold colored metal; bearing on the hub a stylized star and inscribed on the ship’s wheel in Latin, above “SUSTINENDUM” and below “VICTORIAM” all in soldier red. Overall dimension is 1 inch (2.54 cm) in height.
Medical Corps MC	Maroon and White Piping	A gold color medal caduceus, 25 millimeters (one inch) in height. With the exception of the Medical Corps, each Corps is identified by black enamel letters centered on the caduceus indicative of their Corps. The insignia for Medical Service Corps, below, is silver.
Medical Service Corps MS	Maroon and White Piping
Dental Corps DE	Maroon and White Piping
Veterinary Corps VE	Maroon and White Piping
Medical Specialist Corps SP	Maroon and White Piping
Nurse Corps AN	Maroon and White Piping
Military Intelligence Corps MI	Oriental Blue and Silver Gray Piping	On a gold color metal dagger, point up, 32 millimeters (1 1/4 inches) overall in height, a gold color metal heraldic sun composed of four straight and four wavy alternating rays surmounted by a gold heraldic rose, the petals are dark blue enamel.
Military Police Corps MP	Green and Yellow Piping	Two crossed gold color metal pistols 19 millimeters (3/4 inch) in height.
National Guard Bureau NG	Dark Blue	Two crossed gold color metal fasces superimposed on an eagle displayed with wings reversed, 19 millimeters (3/4 inch) in height.
Ordnance Corps OD	Crimson and Yellow Piping	A gold color metal shell and flame, 25 millimeters (one inch) in height.
Psychological Operations	Bottle Green and Silver Gray Piping	Crossed daggers with blade forming a lightning bolt, superimposed by a knight chess piece.
Public Affairs	Teal blue and Yellow Piping	A vertical broadsword set against a cross quill with pen and a lightning bolt.
Quartermaster Corps QM	Buff	A gold color eagle with wings spread perched on a wheel with a blue felloe set with 13 gold stars, having 13 gold spokes and the hub white with a red center; superimposed on the wheel a gold sword and key crossed diagonally hilt and bow up. The insignia is 19 millimeters (3/4 inch) in height.
Signal Corps SC	Orange and White Piping	Two signal flags crossed, dexter flag white with a red center, the sinister flag red with a white center, staffs gold, with a flaming torch of gold color metal upright at center of crossed flags; 22 millimeters (7/8 inch) in height.
Special Forces SF	Jungle Green	Two crossed arrows 19 millimeters (3/4 inch) in height and 35 millimeters (1 3/8 inches) in width all gold color.
Staff Specialist USAR/ARNG SS	Green	A sword 35 millimeters (1 3/8 inches) in length laid horizontally across the upper part of an open book. Below the sword and across the lower corners of the book two laurel branches cross at the stems. Insignia 19 millimeters (13/16 inch) in height of gold color metal.
Transportation Corps TC	Brick Red and Golden Yellow Piping	A ship's steering wheel, superimposed thereon a shield charged with a winged car wheel on a rail, all of gold color metal, 25 millimeters (one inch) in height.
Chaplain Corps - Christian Faith CH	Black	A silver color Latin Cross, 25 millimeters (one inch) in height.
Chaplain Corps - Jewish Faith CH	Black	A double table bearing Hebrew numerals from 1 to 10 surmounted by a Star of David, all of silver color, 25 millimeters (one inch) in height.
Chaplain Corps - Buddhist Faith CH	Black	A silver color Dharmacakra, 25 millimeters (one inch) in height.
Chaplain Corps - Muslim Faith CH	Black	A silver color Crescent, 25 millimeters (one inch) in height.
Chaplain Corps - Chaplain Assistant	Black	Stylized hands enclosing a chapel, door open, on a 25 millimeters (one inch) disk of gold color metal.

[edit] Obsolete Insignia

The following insignia emblems of the United States Army which are no longer used:

Branch	Color	Dates	Description
Bureau of Insular Affairs BI (?)	Dark blue	1902-1939	A bunch of seven arrows, points up, superimposed on a pair of wings, all gold.^[1]
Coast Artillery CA	Scarlet	1901-1950	Two crossed field guns, gold colored metal, with a scarlet oval with a gold projectile at the intersection of the field guns, 13/16 of an inch in height overall. {Consolidated into Field Artillery Branch 1950}^[2]
Warrant Officers	Brown	1920-1943 1943-2004	An eagle rising with wings displayed standing on a bundle of two arrows, all enclosed in a wreath, all gold color 3/4 inch in height.^[3] The larger rendering of this insignia continues to be used as the cap device for the front of warrant officers' service caps.
Women's Army Corps WAC	Mosstone Green and Old Gold Piping	1942-1978	The head of "Pallas Athene", 1 1/8 inches in height, of gold color metal.^[4]