Like many Air Defense Artillery units, the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade’s origins lie in the Coast Artillery Corps (1901 – 1950), in which it was organized as the 69th Artillery on 17 May 1918. It was awarded a World War I campaign streamer with no inscription, typically given for units whose personnel were used as reinforcements or as augmentations to units that had already been in action.
Designated as the 69th Antiaircraft Artillery Group in 1943, the unit earned a Pacific Theater campaign streamer before inactivation in 1948. It wasn’t until 1983 that the unit was given the designation Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. Nicknamed “Lightning Brigade,” the unit is constantly fulfilling its motto of “Guarding The Skies” with a least one subordinate deployed forward at any given moment throughout the year.
Approved for wear on 6 September 1983, 69th Air Defense Artillery Shoulder Sleeve Insignia features a pair of comets with tails to evoke the image of missiles’ flight trajectories and speedy velocities. The black discs suggest cannonballs, and the placement of the comets is meant to denote a defensive posture, particularly in regarding to the United States and Europe.
Related Items
69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)