The 177th Armored Brigade was originally constituted as an Infantry Brigade (same numerical designation) on 5 August 1917 and assigned to the 89th Division, earning credit for participation in three World War I campaigns. After numerous redesignations, the unit was disbanded in 1953. It was reconstituted 16 October 1991 as the 177th Armored Brigade but was inactivated in 1994, only to be activated on 24 October 1997 as a training support brigade. It was inactivated two years later in 1999 and reflagged as the 2nd Brigade, 87th Division (Training Support).
When the 177th Armored Brigade was activated in 2006, it was assigned to First Army – Division East as a subordinate unit, and as such it no longer was authorized to wear the unit patch that had been originally approved for the 177th Armor (not Armored) Brigade (the unit designation was corrected to 177th Armored Brigade on 9 December 1997).
Today, Soldiers serving in the 177th Armored Brigade wear the First Army unit patch for current unit, but note that retired Soldiers wearing either the current Army Green Service Uniform or the discontinued Army Green Uniform can still wear the color version of this patch on their right shoulder as a Former Wartime Service insignia (now called Military Operations in Hostile Conditions insignia).
Scarlet, yellow, and blue make up the color palette of the 177th Armored Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (unit patch), reflecting the colors of the combat arms branches found in the Brigade (Artillery, Armor, Infantry). A yellow wedge is an allusion to a common Armored warfare tactic of piercing enemy lines, with a red spearhead representing Armored units.
Related Items
177th Armored Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)