Both The Institute of Heraldry and the reference book U.S. Army Patches, Flashes and Ovals by Barry Jason Stein list 29 February 1988 as the approval date for the 2nd Military Intelligence Command Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (SSI), but the book goes on step farther and identifies 15 October 1992 as the date the insignia was disestablished. The Institute of Heraldry, on the other hand, informs us that the Command was part of Second United States Army, as the insignia division of the background and the shape of the insignia are allusions to the Second United States Army SSI.
The oriental blue and silver gray background embody the branch colors of the Military Intelligence Corps. A chess knight often appears in Military Intelligence heraldry. Here the black knight is used to denote powerful movement and multi-directional capabilities analogous to the Command’s use of intelligence information to formulate military strategies and countermeasures.
Its black color indicates that much of the Command’s work was covert or secret, and the similarity of the knight’s shape and the Arabic numeral “2” recalls the Command’s numerical designation. The organization’s night-and-day operations are represented by the contrast between the black chess piece and lighter backgrounds.
Related Items
2nd Military Intelligence Command Unit Crest (DUI)