Created by reorganizing and redesignating the 81st Regional Support Command on 1 October 2018, the 81st Readiness Division is one of the newest units in the United States Army Reserve—and its personnel just happen to be wearing the oldest Divisional patch in the history of the United States Army.
Following the constitution and organization of the 81st Division in 1917, the Division’s Soldiers—many from the South in general and the Carolinas in particular—had adopted “Wildcat” as the unit insignia, partly because of its ubiquitous presence in the south and partly due to the proximity of a Wildcat Creek to Camp Jackson.
Although the Wildcat insignia and the unit motto “Obedience, Courage, Loyalty" were officially adopted in War Department General Order #16 of 24 May 1918, no insignia had been approved for wear. In fact, it was the Division Commander, Major General Charles Bailey, who on his own initiative (and somewhat dubious authority) authorized the design, creation, and wear of the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia to promote unit cohesiveness and esprit de corps.
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81st Readiness Division Unit Crest (DUI)
81st Readiness Division Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)Bailey’s unauthorized uniform modifications were reported as the Division embarked for France and he received orders for the Soldiers to remove the patches and for him to “furnish authority” for the insignia. Bailey pled his case to General John J. Pershing, who granted approval for the wear of Divisional insignia by all Soldiers and ordered on 18 October 1918 that all Division Commanders submit a sleeve insignia design for review and approval. On the 19th, the 81st Division asked for approval of their existing Wildcat design—and General Headquarters granted it the same day. With that approval, it became the first officially approved Divisional Shoulder Sleeve Insignia in the United States Army.
Bailey's initiative quickly spread among the A.E.F. On 18 October 1918, the commander of the First Field Army distributed an order from General Pershing that directed each division commander to submit a sleeve insignia design for review and approval. On 19 October, the 81st Division requested confirmation of their existing wildcat design, and received approval from the GHQ by telegram on the same day - thus confirming the 81st Division Wildcat patch as the first divisional patch of the Army. Since that time, this has been the insignia for these units: