More often referred to as a shoulder patch or a unit patch, the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia for the U.S. Army National Guard Operational Support Airlift Command (OSACOM) was originally approved on 1 October 1992 while the Command was still a part of the United States Army. On 1 September 1994, the insignia was given its current designation.
The insignia’s background of ultramarine blue denotes its status as an Army Aviation unit—the color was used Aviation units in the days of the Army Air Corps, predecessor of the Army Air Forces. An upright star with a red center also recalls the Arm Air Corps insignia, although the Corps used a red circle rather than the five-sided pentagon used in the OSACOM design.
The star is a symbol of excellence as well as the Command authority the organization exercises, and when combined with the white annulet it represents total service and peak readiness. The pentagon is a natural reference to OSACOM’s location in the National Capital area, as is the use of our national colors of red, white, and blue. “Wartime Readiness” is the Command’s motto.
Activated on 2 October 2 1995, the Operational Support Airlift Agency and OSACOM effectively merged the fixed-wing assets and personnel of the Regular Army and Army National Guard to create one of the Service’s first operational Commands to use multiple components. In doing so, both the Agency and the Command are perfectly structured to maintain fixed-wing readiness capable of supporting the Total Army’s fixed-wing needs.
At the heart of the OSACOM’s operational fleet is the Beechcraft King Air, a twin turboprop plane that makes up more than 80 percent of the Command’s fleet. They are used primarily for liaison and personnel transport involving various duties such as embassy support for embassy travel, medical evacuation, and transport of passengers, VIPs, and light cargo. With the end of King Air production in 2021, the Agency and Command will soon be in active pursuit of the next generation of Fixed-Wing Utility Aircraft that can provide the same flexibility and cost savings.
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Operational Support Airlift Command Unit Crest (DUI)