The 106th Signal Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, commonly called a unit patch, was originally authorized for the 1109th Signal Brigade, as is evidenced by The Institute of Heraldry’s description of some of its design elements,
viz., “The two blue arcs [of the colored patch] simulate the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Isthmus of Panama, and refer to the unit’s location during the 199s and its far-reaching mission and capabilities.” This corroborates the lineage of the 106th Signal Brigade as described by the 7th Signal Command, which states that the 106th Signal Brigade received its current designation on 16 October 1991 when it was formed through the redesignation of the 1109th Signal Brigade.
However, the U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH) lineage says the 106th was formed through the redesignation of the then-inactivated 106th Signal Group (it does list the same date of 16 October 1991), which previously had been the 932d Signal Battalion, Separate, Tactical Air Command that earned credits for five World War II campaigns; the 1109th, on the other hand, had earned only one campaign credit (Armed Forces Expedition Panama).
The confusion is exacerbated by the fact that sometimes units inherit only the insignia and not the decorations and lineage of other units, not to mention that a different section of the 7th Signal Command Web site repeats the CMH version. Additionally, nothing in the CMH lineage of the 106th Signal Brigade can explain the unit nickname of “Tropic Communicators,” while the 1109th’s stint in Panama does just that.
Lineage aside, the 106th Signal Brigade unit patch has been approved for wear by just two organizations, both Signal Brigades: the 1109th and the 106th. Currently, the 106th Signal Brigade is under the command and control of the 7th Signal Command and is tasked with the security and defense of the Army’s networks in the western half of the contiguous 48 states.
Related Items
106th Signal Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
106th Signal Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)