An Army Reserve unit based at Camp Pike in North Little Rock, Arkansas, the 460th Chemical Brigade was officially inactivated in September 2008, but its history and lineage were celebrated when its colors were cased on 10 February 2008. The Brigade was best known for hosting Rio Bravo, an annual chemical exercise held in New Mexico at McGregor Range.
The 460th Chemical Brigade Distinctive Unit Insignia, commonly referred to as a DUI or unit crest, was approved on 20 August 1985. The design incorporates the four elements associated with alchemy and chemistry since ancient times—earth, air, fire, and water—to signify the functions and heritage of the Brigade. A cube and the color gold represent earth; the circle and the color blue indicate air; a red upward-pointing triangle symbolizes fire; and the green downward-pointing triangle stands for water. A scorpion and a serpent represent two oppostional elements, fire and water respective.
A large blue triangle above the unit motto of “Cover The Force” is from the flag of the Brigade’s home state of Arkansas, and the cube—a chemical symbol for aluminum—is also a reference to bauxite, a resource found in abundance in the state. The hexagonal shape of the cube viewed as a 2-D object recalls the benzene ring of the Chemical Corps branch insignia.
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