Casually referred to as a unit patch, the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia approved for Rhode Island Army National Guard (ARNG), Joint Force Headquarters (HQ) of the state’s National Guard was originally for HQ, State Area Command, Rhode Island Army National Guard on 12 August 1993. Just under a decade later, on 1 October 2003, it was given its current designation.
The insignia’s background of white and blue was inspired by the white of the state flag of Rhode Island, which in turn recalls the Rhode Islanders’ white uniforms of the Revolutionary War, and the blue waters of the sea, a critical aspect of all the state’s civic and commercial history and development. A sword is a symbol of the National Guard and its place in the United States Army, and the anchor with which it is crossed is adapted from the Rhode Island flag. A red border is for courage and sacrifice and, when combined with the white and blue field, suggests the colors of the United States.
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Rhode Island ARNG Element, Joint Force HQ Unit Crest (DUI)