Unofficially nicknamed “Wings in the West” because of its assignment as a subordinate to First Army – Division West and tasked with post-mobilization training of Army Reserve and National Guard aviation units, the 166th Aviation Brigade can trace its origins to the 1988 constitution and 1990 activation in Germany of the 166th Aviation Group. It was redesignated to its current title in 1997, but just two years later it was inactivated on 16 October 1999.
The Brigade was activated a bit over seven years later on 1 December 2006 and assigned to First Army – Division West, where it still remains as a subordinate unit and thus wears the First Army unit patch. Nonetheless, the 166th Aviation Brigade unit patch, also called a Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, was formally approved—but it is not authorized for wear at this time, i.e., while serving under First Army.
The imagery on the 166th Aviation Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia is replicated on the Brigade’s Combat Service ID Badge. Use the links below to learn more about the symbolism used in both insignias, as well as the symbolism of the Brigade's Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI).
Related Items
166th Aviation Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
166th Aviation Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)