One of the major commands in the South Carolina Army National Guard, the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command was previously designated as the 263rd Air Defense Artillery Brigade. It was elevated to its current designation in 2000. Headquartered in Anderson, South Carolina, the Command’s subordinate unit is the 678th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, which comprises two battalions. The unit motto, "DUTY HONOR EXCELLENCE," is emblazoned on the Command's Distinctive Unit Insignia, or DUI (see link below).
The 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, or unit patch, was originally approved on 14 February 1991 while the unit was still designated as an Air Defense Artillery brigade; it was redesignated for the Command on 20 February 2002. Scarlet and yellow, official branch colors for Air Defense Artillery units, are used prominently in the design of the color version of the patch.
Similarly, the crossed missile and cannon are adapted from the Air Defense Artillery branch insignia (which has a missile superimposed over the intersection of two crossed cannon) and denote firepower and offensive might. A blue palmetto tree and a crescent moon are taken from the South Carolina state flag, an allusion to the state where the unit serves.
Related Items
263rd Army Air & Missile Defense Command Unit Crest (DUI)
263rd Army Air & Missile Defense Command Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)