279th Signal Battalion, Alabama Army National Guard

279TH SIGNAL BATTALION, ALABAMA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

(Coat of Arms)

(Distinctive Unit Insignia)

Official blazon

Shield: Gules, a bend wavy between the chief semé of bird bolts and in base a seal couchant on a rock Or.
Crest: That for the regiments and separate battalion of the Alabama National Guard: On a wreath of the colors, Or and Gules, a slip of cotton plant with full bursting boll, Proper.
Motto: STRIKE FAST AND SURE.

Distinctive Unit Insignia. Description: A gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, a bend wavy between the chief semé of bird bolts and in base a seal couchant on a rock Or. Attached below the shield a Red scroll inscribed "STRIKE FAST AND SURE" in Yellow (Gold) letters.

Origin/meaning

Scarlet and yellow are colors used for the Artillery. The bird bolts symbolize the antiaircraft mission of the organization. The wavy diagonal band represents the Tennessee River which courses through the area of Alabama in which the battalion was reorganized. The seal denotes the unit’s origin as a Coast Artillery battalion, its activation at Alaska and World War II service in the Pacific area.

The Coat of Arms and Distinctive Unit Insignia was originally approved for the 276th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion on 12 May 1955. They was redesignated for the 279th Signal Battalion on 3 January 1963.

Literature: Images and Information from The Institute of Heraldry, US Army.