Constituted in June 1952 and activated in Japan two months later on 1 September 1952, the 500th Military Intelligence (MI) Brigade was originally designated as an Intelligence Group; it was not until 1987 that it was given its current designation as an Intelligence Brigade. Nicknamed the “Pacific Vanguards,” the 500th MI Brigade carries out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance programs using multiple disciplines (SIGINT, HUMINT, etc.) on a continuous basis. It also stands poised to deploy specially tailored intelligence forces anywhere on the globe to support full-spectrum operations.
The 500th Military Intelligence Brigade Combat Service ID badge, or CSIB, reflects the unit’s mission and capabilities. A globe with gridlines indicates its ability not only to gather, collect, and analyze intelligence from sources around the world, but also deploy there and provide actionable intelligence to ensure force commanders have a complete picture of the battlespace and its inhabitants, both belligerent and civilians. A torch symbolizes the Brigade’s ability to discover facts that may be hidden by subterfuge and counterintelligence operations, while the crossed lightning bolt are emblematic of the unit’s electronics expertise and its use to support warfighters.
Related Items
500th Military Intelligence Brigade Patch (SSI)
500th Military Intelligence Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)