The United States Southern Command, U.S. Army Element Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (unit patch) was approved on 1 August 2003. A sunburst behind a mountain peak symbolizes the judicious promotion of democratic institutions, cooperation in opposing transnational threats to the stability of governments within the Command’s area of responsibility (AOR), and the protection of the region’s environment.
Eleven points of the sunburst and nineteen radiating lines represent the thirty countries of South and Central America and the Caribbean that comprised the AOR at the time the patch was approved; today, that number is at thirty-two—nineteen in Central and South America, thirteen in the Caribbean), fourteen of which are U.S. and European territories.
A red shield is an emblem of the protection the Command provides for United States civilians, interests, and forces in the area, the prevention of terroristic acts, and tactics and strategies to reduce illicit source-zone activities. Ultramarine blue stands for the Command’s worldwide capabilities; light blue denotes coastal security for the nations in the AOR; scarlet is the color of sacrifice and courage; and gold is for excellence. The orange in the sunburst denotes Central America, while the gold is four South America.
The origins of United States Southern Command go back to 1903 and the arrival of U.S. Marines to safeguard the Panama Railroad that connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at the Isthmus of Panama. It was officially designated as United States Southern Command on 6 June 1963.
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United States Southern Command Unit Crest (DUI)