Special forces unit patch meaning

Worn by Special Forces soldiers of the United States Army , and also members of their support companies around the world, the Special Forces unit patch is comprised of a dagger with three lightning bolts crossing the blade , set within an upwards pointing arrowhead. As all Special Forces units are designated Airborne, the unit patch is accompanied by an arch-shaped Airborne tab, regardless of whether or not the soldier has been through Airborne School. For soldiers who have completed Special Forces training, the arrowhead patch and Airborne tab are placed below a longer tab embroidered with the words Special Forces.

On all Class A, or dress uniforms, of soldiers belonging to Special Forces units the patch is teal in color, representing the Special Forces' encompassing of all branch assignments. The dagger and lightning bolts are gold, representing constancy and inspiration. On a woodland camo BDU , or Battle Dress Uniform, the patch is olive drab and the dagger and lightning bolts are black to match the primarily green color of the garment.

On a desert camo BDU the tab is light tan and the dagger and lightning bolts are dark brown. The three combined designs that make up the patch all have historical origins and symbolic meaning, and as is custom with most Army units, Special Forces soldiers are expected to understand what their unit patch signifies.

Arrowhead: The arrowhead makes up the body of the patch and is symbolic of the craft and stealth of the American Indian, from which the basic principles and techniques of unconventional warfare were adopted during the Indian Wars of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Dagger: Set in the center of the patch, the dagger, a silent and deadly weapon, when pointing upwards is symbolic of unconventional warfare, fought up close on the enemy 's territory. Army Special Forces Command Airborne and subordinate units. Gold and seal colors are assigned to units that are at first "branch unassigned," like the Special Forces.

Three bolts of lightning bisecting the dagger evoke the unconventional nature of Special Forces operations and represent their ability to strike or infiltrate rapidly by air, water or land. Worn above the shoulder insignia are the Airborne and Special Forces Tab.

The Airborne Tab is authorized within the Army in three colors to coordinate with those colors used in the shoulder sleeve insignia. These ovals were sometimes worn on the unofficial beret. Raff decided that his unit should have its own background oval. The 77th SFG again took the initiative. In , the symbolism of the patch was officially recorded by the U.

Army Institute of Heraldry. The dagger represents the unconventional nature of Special Forces operations, and the three lightning flashes, their ability to strike rapidly by air, water, or land. Teal blue and yellow are the colors of unassigned units.

James Bender Publishing, , — Goodlett Jr. On 20 November , after some experimentation with airborne tab colors—including yellow letters on teal to match the SSI—the patch was amended to add the airborne tab as an integral part of the SF SSI.

The patch was originally authorized to be worn by active duty Special Forces personnel only. Jones, letter to Colonel William H. Cook, Jr. Soldiers of the Special Forces were immediately recognized by their new insignia.

Their professionalism inspired foreign militaries worldwide. The photographs show the insignia of U. Army Special Forces that trained them.