The Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the 212th Field Artillery Brigade was approved on 28 July 1981 and bears more than a passing resemblance to the 210th Field Artillery Brigade unit patch. As in that insignia, two crossed lines create the appearance of a targeting sight upon which weaponry—arrows denoting artillery in this case, a cannon barrel for the 210th—has been superimposed.
Both insignias sport a pair of crescents that are symbolic of the high arc and long range of modern artillery and also signify the Roman numeral “c” for 100 (the 210th has one inverted crescent, however). The two crescents, combined with the “X” formed by the crossed lines (Roman numeral for 10) and the two arrows (Roman number II for 2), indicate the numerical designation of the unit.
Originally formed as the 212th Artillery Group, the unit took part in the Central Europe Campaign in World War II and was inactivated in Germany in 1946. Between 1958 and 1990, the unit was based in Germany and at Fort Lewis, Washington and Fort Sill, Oklahoma. It was deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, taking part in two campaigns of the First Gulf War. It was again deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom, earning a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its 2005 – 2006 tour and proving its commitment to the Brigade motto of “Courage And Command” found on its Distinctive Unit Insignia (unit crest).
The 212th Field Artillery Brigade was inactivated in 2007 and subsequently was reflagged as the Division Artillery (DIVARTY) for the 1st Armored Division in 2014.
Related Items
212th Field Artillery Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
212th Field Artillery Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)