Often referred to as a “unit patch,” “shoulder patch,” or simply “patch,” the 48th Chemical Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia consists of a benzene ring (the hexagon shape) with a cobalt blue border containing an upright sword, red flames, and red droplets on a yellow background. Cobalt blue and yellow are branch colors of the Chemical Corps, with cobalt blue’s precedence as first-named color indicate by its use as the border.
The Corps’ branch insignia also uses a benzene ring, a reference to chemical formulation, while the flames at the bottom suggest the Brigade’s mission. Red droplets are a visual representation of the Brigade’s method of distributing some chemical elements; the four red droplets and the eight tongues of flame are an allusion to the Brigade’s numerical designation. The upright sword is an emblem of military readiness.
The 48th Chemical Brigade unit patch was authorized for wear on 16 September 2007, the same the unit was activated; it had been given the designation more than six-and-a-half years earlier on 14 January 2000.
Related Items
48th Chemical Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
48th Chemical Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)