Activated in the 1960s, the U.S. Army 121st Army Reserve Command was headquartered in Birmingham, where it was co-located with the 167th Theater Sustainment Command in 1985. In 1992, as part of the Total Army Training Structure, the Army announced the 121st Army Reserve Command would be affiliated with U.S. Army Reserve Forces Schools in Florida and Georgia. The subsequent 1995 restructuring of the Army Reserve led to the Command being officially reorganized as the 81st Regional Support Command.
The 121st Army Reserve Command Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, approved on 16 July 1968, features a red shield with a red saltire superimposed on a white saltire, upon which is charged a blue shield with a notched yellow annulet and the arm of Vulcan lifting up a torch.
Double shields in combination with saltires are symbols of support and imply military strength. The two shields added to the two Roman numerals “X” created by the red and white saltire imply the numerical designation of the Command (large shield = 100, two Xs = 20, small shield = 1). The red saltire is taken from the Alabama state flag, while the red back background recalls Red Mountain just outside the Command’s location in Birmingham.
Vulcan’s yellow arm is a reference the steel industry of Birmigham, and the notched annulet recreates the illumination of the Birmingham night sky by the industrial furnaces and steel foundries; the circle is also a magical symbol and therefore an allusion to Birmingham’s nickname of “Magic City.” The different color combinations here also have distinct meanings, with the red and white background of the large shield denoting Alabama and red, white, and blue comprising the national colors. Also, red, blue, and yellow are the branch colors of the three basic combat arms branches: artillery, infantry, and cavalry.
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121st Army Reserve Command Unit Crest