U.S. ARMY 11TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT SERVICE ID BADGE (CSIB)

The 11th Infantry Brigade was activated in November, 1917 and arrived in Europe in June of the next year. It spent a little over 40 days in combat before returning to the U.S. in June, 1919 and being inactivated in 1921.

Organized as a separate infantry brigade in Hawaii and slated to become the first element of the 6th Infantry Division, the 11th Infantry Brigade was deployed on its own after the activation orders for its intended parent organization were cancelled. In 1968, elements of the brigade were involved in the tragic My Lai Massacre, and as a result the brigade was inactivated in 1971.

The three prongs that form the focal point of the 11th Infantry Brigade’s CSIB (Combat Service Identification Badge) strongly resemble the arrows used to indicate attacks on a military map. Taken together, they take on the appearance of a trident, which is an allusion to amphibious assault. From the shape of it shield to its red-white-blue color scheme, it bears no resemblance to the brigade’s Unit Crest aside from imagery invoking the concept of offensive maneuvers.