The 455th Chemical Brigade Combat Service ID Badge, or CSIB, is based upon the color version of the Brigade’s Shoulder Sleeve insignia that was approved in 1999. A dragon is featured in the middle of the insignia on a yellow field to represent the fire and destruction that is typically associated with chemical warfare; the border is cobalt blue, primary branch color of the Chemical Corps.
Since 1944, the Brigade has been “Protecting The Force,” originally formed as the 100th Chemical Battalion (Motorized) in June 1944 but quickly redesignated as the 100th Chemical Mortar Battalion in November 1944 before fighting in the Rome-Arno, Po Valley, and North Apennines campaigns in Italy. It was inactivated a little over a year later on 13 October 1945.
Allotted to the Organized Reserve Corps on 21 October 1948 and redesignated the 455th Chemical Mortar Battalion, the unit was activated at Boston on 10 November 1948; it was inactivated at Boston on 15 June 1951. Redesignated the 100th Chemical Group in the Regular Army on 2 July 1952, it was activated two weeks later at Fort McClellan in Alabama and began training Chemical Corps units. It was formally deactivated on 28 March 1969, but would be reactivated in June 2000; you can read about its service in Iraq, subsequent inactivation, and planned reactivation on the
455th Chemical Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia page.