18th Medical Command, US Army
18TH MEDICAL COMMAND, US ARMY
 (Shoulder Sleeeve Insignia) |
 (Distinctive Unit Insignia) |
Official blazon
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Description: On a shield, oblong in shape and arched at both sides, 3 inches (7.62cm) in height and 2 inches (5.08cm) in width, within a 1/8 inch (.32cm) white border a field of blue having a white-edged maroon sword throughout the center with point down and entwined about the blade two white zig-zag bands in the form of a figure eight.
Distinctive Unit Insignia Description: A device of gold color metal and enamel 1 1/8 inches (2.86cm) in height consisting of a gold sun of eighteen rays bearing in center a maroon Maltese Cross all centered on a gold disc scored with concentric rays and enclosed by a maroon motto scroll bearing the words “Trust, Labor, Courage” in gold letters; over the lower half of the scroll a wreath of gold oak leaves entwined by two white serpents their tails crossed in center, their heads raised at either side and facing outward.
Origin/meaning
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia: The sword is in the color maroon, suggestive of human blood, and symbolic of the medical needs of an army. The zig-zag bands are in pure white to suggest bandaging and the antiseptic requirements of medical practice; by entwining the sword they signify the support provided by the organization.
Distinctive Unit Insignia: The gold sun and maroon cross are symbolic of the support provided by the organization. The Maltese Cross is the symbol of the Knights of Malta, also called Knights Hospitaler, Knights of St. John and Order of the Hospital of St. John, which grew out of a hospital established in the 11th Century to care for pilgrims in the Holy Land. The eighteen rays of the sun allude to the unit’s numerical designation. The serpents are a reference to the Staff of Aesculapius of the Medical Corps insignia and the oak is a symbol of strength.
The Shoulder Sleeve Insignia was originally approved for the 18th Medical Brigade on 25 October 1967. It was redesignated for the 18th Medical Command on 16 February 1984. The Distinctive Unit Insignia was originally approved for the 18th Medical Brigade on 29 February 1968. It was redesignated on 16 February 1984 for the 18th Medical Command.
Literature: Images and Information from The Institute of Heraldry, US Army
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