116th Infantry Brigade, Virignia Army National Guard

116TH INFANTRY BRIGADE, VIRIGNIA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

(Shoulder Sleeve Insignia)

(Distinctive Unit Insignia)

Official blazon

Shoulder Sleeve Insignia: On an oblong shield curved at top and bottom, 2 1⁄2 inches (6.4 cm) in width and 3 inches (7.6 cm) in height overall, a gray silhouette representative of the Stonewall Jackson Monument at Manassas Battlefield Park, Virginia, on a blue background all within a 1⁄8 inch (0.32 cm) white border.

Distinctive Unit Insignia, Description: A gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/4 inches (3.18 cm) in width overall consisting of a quartered square placed point up, the vertical quarters gray, horizontal quarters blue, and centered thereon a scarlet arrowhead point up, the lower sides of the square enclosed by two gold branches of laurel issuant from lower center and terminating below the outer petals of two blue fleurs-de-lis issuant from the upper sides of the square, the laurel branches contained in base by a curving blue scroll inscribed with the words "RALLY ON THE VIRGINIANS" in gold letters.

Origin/meaning

Shoulder Sleeve Insignia: The equestrian figure is a representation of the General Thomas J. Jackson Monument at Manassas where he gained the nickname "Stonewall". The colors blue and gray refer to the rich heritage of the state of Virginia and blue and white are the colors associated with the Infantry Branch.

The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for the 116th Infantry Brigade on 26 May 1978. It was redesignated for the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team with the description updated on 7 April 2006. The insignia was canceled effective 1 April 2007, when the unit became a Brigade of a Division. (TIOH Drawing Number A-1-621).

Distinctive Unit Insignia Symbolism: The blue and gray square at center refers to four years of Civil War participation, with the gray in the vertical quarters indicating Confederate service. The two fleurs-de-lis denote service in World War I and II and the scarlet arrowhead is in honor of the unit's participation in the assault landing at Normandy. The two branches of laurel symbolize awards of both the Presidential Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for the unit's Normandy Beachhead participation. The motto is a reference to the Civil War First Battle of Manassas where General Barnard Bee, on seeing General Jackson "standing like a stone wall," encouraged his faltering troops to "Rally on the Virginians." From that time on Jackson was known as "Stonewall" and his brigade as the "Stonewall Brigade."

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 116th Infantry Brigade on 24 April 1979. It was amended to change the reference in the symbolism on 15 July 1980. The insignia was redesignated for the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team with the description updated on 7 April 2006. It was cancelled effective 1 April 2007, when the unit became a Brigade of a Division. Literature: Images from Wikimedia Commons. Information from Wikimedia Commons.