The 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade’s former service as a Chemical Brigade is celebrated on the 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade’s Shoulder Sleeve Insignia with a hexagon of golden yellow surmounted on a rectangle with an arced top and bottom of cobalt blue--the two colors of the Chemical Corps. The insignia was approved for the 404th Chemical Brigade on 11 May 1990, just six weeks before the unit was activated at Rockford, Illinois as the first and only Chemical Brigade in the entire Army National Guard.
Also called a benzene ring, the golden-yellow hexagon is taken from the branch insignia of the Chemical Corps (although when used there it is not a solid polygon). Inside the hexagon is a dragon, a tireless defender in mythology that is used frequently in the heraldry of Chemical Corps units, often of the flame-breathing variety to denote the heavy damage that Chemical Corps units are capable of causing.
Cancelled on 1 April 1998, this insignia was reinstated for the Brigade on 1 September 2002. Nine years later to the day, it was redesignated for the 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade on 1 September 2011 with revised symbolism to reflect its new role. Nonetheless, it is unlikely the Brigade will forget its Chemical Corps roots anytime soon, as a glance at the unit’s current motto—“Dragons In Support”—makes clear.
Related Items404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)