Cobalt blue and yellow, official branch colors the United States Army Chemical Corps, are the only colors used for the design of the U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) School Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (SSI), or unit patch. The two devices that resemble tilted quotation marks are retorts, containers used in chemistry labs for the distillation process which appears on the Corps’ branch insignia. A flaming torch is a symbol of knowledge and is an allusion to the training in CBRN activities.
The patch was originally approved for the Chemical Corps Training Command on 7 November 1956. It was redesignated the U.S. Army Chemical Corps School on 23 October 1962, but was subsequently cancelled on 13 August 1976. On 22 February 1980, it was reinstated and redesignated for the U.S. Army Chemical School on 22 February 1980. Although this is the last redesignation listed on The Institute of Heraldry Web site, this patch is worn at the CBRN School despite its change in designation on 11 January 2008.
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CBRN School Unit Crest (DUI)
CBRN Brassard