The Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the Georgia Army National Guard Element, Joint Force Headquarters features a board’s head on a wreath, both resting on a red and white twisted wreath. It is an adaptation of the crest authorized for color-bearing units in the Georgia Army National Guard, which in turn drew upon the Coat of Arms of James Oglethorpe, the founder of the Coloney of Georgia, for its design.
A boar’s head has long been an emblem of hospitality in heraldry (picture a board’s head with an apple in its mouth be trotted out at a Medieval feast in the movies), and that is its principle meaning when used on the Ogelthorpe Coat of Arms. For the Army National Guard, on the other hand, it evokes the other aspect of boars: they are ferocious and fearless, attacking enemies with no consequence for their own safety. A red boar’s head, white background, and blue border encompass the official colors of the state or Georgia.
This patch was first approved for the HQ and HQ Detachment of the Georgia Army National Guard (ARNG) on 6 May 1970 and was subsequently redesignated for the HQ, State Area Command, Georgia ARNG on 30 December 1983. On 1 October 2003—the date of a major restructuring of the National Guard that emphasized the joint aspect of the organization and how it might be exploited to improve mission outcomes—the insignia was redesignated for the Georgia ARNG Element, Army National Guard Element, Joint Force HQ.
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Georgia ARNG, Joint Force HQ Unit Crest (DUI)