Headquartered at the 369th Regiment Armory in Harlem in New York City, the 369th Sustainment Brigade is a New York Army National Guard unit assigned to the 53rd Troop Command. Its lineage extends to the constitution of the 15th Infantry Regiment in 1913, which was assigned to the 185th Infantry Brigade on 1 December 1917. Reorganized and redesignated as the 369th Infantry, the Regiment, which predominantly consisted of African-Americans, quickly dispelled racist notions that black troops were not suited for combat.
In addition to two Medals of Honors and several Distinguished Service Crosses, the Regiment’s personnel were honored with 170 individual French Croix De Guerre, and the unit as a whole was awarded a French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star for its actions in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. The Germans gave them a special nickname, “Hell-Fighters,” which the unit embraced and modified to reflect their origin: “Harlem Hellfighters.”
In the decades following World War I, the unit underwent numerous redesignations place them in different branches of the service, including Artillery (Field, Coast, Antiaircraft) Transportation, and finally Support/Sustainment. These changes are symbolized by three red verticals bars (palets) on the upper half half of the 369th Sustainment Shoulder Sleeve Insignia approved on 7 February 2008.
The bars are mirrored by three white bars underneath a chevron, longtime heraldic symbol of support; its white bars are denote military strength are a reference to three campaigns the Brigade served in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq. A pair of poplar trees bookends the red bars; the trees are adapted from the coat of arms of the 369th Infantry Battalion, indicating the Brigade is carrying on the line of the 369th Infantry Regiment.
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369th Sustainment Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
369th Sustainment Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)