401st Civil Affairs Battalion, US Army

401ST CIVIL AFFAIRS BATTALION, US ARMY

(Coat of Arms)

(Distinctive Unit Insignia)

Official blazon

Shield: Per fess dancetty Purpure and Or, in chief a lion passant of the second grasping in dexter paw a scimitar Argent; in base a palm frond fesswise Vert.
Crest: That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Army Reserve: On a wreath of the colors, Or and Purpure, the Lexington Minute Man Proper. The statue of the Minute Man, Captain John Parker (H.H. Kitson, sculptor), stands on the Common in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Motto: CIVIL MILITARY COOPERATION

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: Per fess dancetty Purpure and Or, in chief a lion passant of the second grasping in dexter paw a scimitar Argent; in base a palm frond fesswise Vert. Attached below the shield a purple scroll doubled and inscribed "CIVILIAN MILITARY COOPERATION" in gold.

Origin/meaning

Purple and white are the colors traditionally associated with Civil Affairs organizations. Gold is emblematic of honor and achievement. The two parts of the shield highlight cooperation and unity. The lion and sword represent the military mission to restore order and stabilization; the palm symbolizes victory. The zigzag division of the shield alludes to the sand dunes of the Middle East. The scimitar and palm also are indicative of Southwest Asia and commemorate the unit's campaign participation and baptism of fire.

The Coat of Arms and Distinctive Unit Insignia was approved on 5 March 1993. Literature: Image from Wikimedia Commons

. Coat of Arms and Information from The Institute of Heraldry, US Army.