The U.S. Army, North Atlantic Treaty Organization patch, or SSI-MOHC (Shoulder Sleeve Insignia-Military Operations in Hostile Conditions) insignia, was first approved for wear by U.S. Army Elements of Allied Command Europe on 8 June 1990. It has been redesignated twice since that time, first on 12 October 200 for the U.S. Army Elements of Supreme Allied Powers Europe and again on 17 May 2001 for the U.S. Army, North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
A shield vertically divided into red and blue halves and a white star are used to incorporate our national colors into the insignia, emphasizing our status as a sovereign nation and our decision to voluntarily align ourselves militarily with nations that share our concepts of justice and equality.
The white star on the blue field is adapted from the flag of the United States; the lion on the red field is a traditional symbol for Europe. The star is also a symbol of authority and is frequently used to denote Command status, while the lion has historically been seen as an emblem of power and heroism.
Related ItemsAn upright sword shares space on both the red and blue fields to combine the two and emphasize the composition of the organization and its mission of combined defense.
Established through the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949 by twelve nations, NATO is the military implementation of the collective security pact, which directs member nations to come to the aid of any Treaty nation if it is attacked by an external party. The organization’s headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, while the headquarters of the Allied Command Operations is near Mons, Belgium.
As 2021 drew to a close, the number of NATO members stood at 30, or two-and-a-half times the number of original signatories. Twenty-eight of the NATO member nations are located in Europe and two (United States and Canada) are in North America.