The 316th Cavalry Brigade created through the redesignation in July 2007 of the 316th Armor Group, a unit whose lineage dated back to September 1942 and the constitution of the 8th Tank Destroyer Group. That unit took part in four World War II campaigns in the European theater before its inactivation in October 1945. It would undergo a series of redesignations and inactivations up until 1959, when it was inactivated as the 316th Armor Group. Nearly 50 years later, on 24 July 2007, it was redesignated as the 316th Cavalry Brigade and transferred to the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and its headquarters activated the next month on 27 August 2007.
But it was on 7 July 2010 that the Brigade experienced its most momentous change. During a ceremony held at Fort Knox on 7 July 2010, the 316th Cavalry Regiment was redesignated as the 316th Cavalry Brigade, with the units in the Regiment acquiring the heritage, lineage, and honors of the 316th Cavalry Brigade. During the ceremony, the 316th Cavalry Regiment Soldiers removed their old patches and replaced them with the 316th Cavalry Brigade insignia.
Approved on 14 November 2008, the 316th Cavalry Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, or unit patched, is crafted in the shape of a shield to symbolize the protection and defense of the United States. A black border and eight black stars represent the 8th Tank Destroyer Group, and a lightning flash denotes the speed and mobility of the combined forces working with the Brigade, which is emphasized with the Latin unit motto PERDITOR-ORIS (“Destroyer”). The saber recalls Cavalry operations; scarlet and white are Cavalry colors; and gold represents excellence.
Related Items
316th Cavalry Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
316th Cavalry Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)