
The Chemical Corps branch insignia consists of a cobalt blue, enamel benzene ring superimposed over two crossed gold retorts. The branch insignia, which was adopted in 1918 by the fledgling Chemical Service, measures .5 inches in height by 1.81 inches in width.
What are the Chemical Corps insignia?
The Chemical Corps, like all branches of the U.S. Army, uses specific insignia to indicate a soldier's affiliation with the corps. The Chemical Corps branch insignia consists of a cobalt blue, enamel benzene ring superimposed over two crossed gold retorts.
What is the Chemical Corps in the Army?
The Chemical Corps (also known as the "Dragons of the Battle") are the branch of the United States Army tasked with defending against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear ( CBRN) weapons. The corps was founded as the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service (CWS) during World War I.
What is the size of the US Army branch insignia?
The branch insignia, which was adopted in 1918 by the fledgling Chemical Service, measures .5 inches in height by 1.81 inches in width. Crossed shells with a dragon head was also commonly used in France for the Chemical service.
What are the colors of the Army Chemical Corps?
Chemical Corps. Symbolism of Regimental Insignia: Cobalt blue and golden yellow are the colors of the Army Chemical Corps. The battle scarred tree trunk, taken from the Coat of Arms of the 1st Chemical Regiment, refers to the historical beginnings, or root of American chemical warfare. The dragon, a legendary creature,...
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What does the Chemical Corps insignia mean?
The insignia consists of a 1.2 inch shield of gold and blue emblazoned with a dragon and a tree. The shield is enclosed on three sides by a blue ribbon with Elementis Regamus Proelium written around it in gold lettering. The phrase translates to: "Let us (or we) rule the battle by means of the elements".
What does the dragon on the regimental insignia represent?
The dragon, a legendary creature, symbolizes the fire and destruction of chemical warfare. Cobalt blue and golden yellow are the colors of the Army Chemical Corps. The regimental insignia for the Chemical Corps was approved on May, 2 1986.
Does the U.S. have a chemical weapons program?
The United States chemical weapons program began in 1917 during World War I with the creation of the U.S. Army's Gas Service Section and ended 73 years later in 1990 with the country's practical adoption of the Chemical Weapons Convention (signed 1993; entered into force, 1997).
What are the three major force capabilities that the Chemical Corps maintains?
CHEMICAL CORPS MISSION (what we do across the regiment) The Chemical Corps conducts operations to protect the force and the nation from Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) / Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threats and hazards.
What insignia does a colonel wear?
silver eagleThe insignia for a colonel is a silver eagle which is a stylized representation of the eagle dominating the Great Seal of the United States (which is the coat of arms of the United States).
What does the Special Forces insignia mean?
In the current Special Forces crest, the intersecting dagger represents the V-42 dagger issued to each member of the force. The encircling scroll which arches at the base bears the Special Forces motto, "DE OPPRESSO LIBER" which is translated from Latin as "To Free the Oppressed."
What country has the most chemical weapons?
RussiaState declaration: Russia possessed the world's largest chemical weapons stockpile: approximately 40,000 metric tons of chemical agent, including VX, sarin, soman, mustard, lewisite, mustard-lewisite mixtures, and phosgene.
Does NATO have chemical weapons?
No NATO member country has a chemical or biological weapons programme. The Alliance is committed to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation of all weapons of mass destruction.
What is the deadliest nerve agent?
VXVX is the most potent of all nerve agents. Compared with the nerve agent sarin (also known as GB), VX is considered to be much more toxic by entry through the skin and somewhat more toxic by inhalation.
What are CBRN weapons?
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Weapons, or CBRN Weapons, are often labelled as Weapons of Mass Destruction. However, radiological weapons, can better be classified as Weapons of Mass Disruption, as they will generally not be able to cause massive destruction, but merely chaos and panic.
What are the 5 categories of chemical weapons?
Types of Chemical Weapon AgentsNerve agents (such as sarin, soman, cyclohexylsarin, tabun, VX)Vesicating or blistering agents (such as mustards, lewisite)Choking agents or lung toxicants (such as chlorine, phosgene, diphosgene)Cyanides.Incapacitating agents (such as anticholinergic compounds)More items...
What are the 3 types of military forces?
Armies, navies, and air forces are organized hierarchically into progressively smaller units commanded by officers of progressively lower rank. The prototypical units are those of the army.
What is a dragon in the Army?
The M47 Dragon, known as the FGM-77 during development, is an American shoulder-fired, man-portable anti-tank guided missile system. It was phased out of U.S. military service in 2001, in favor of the newer FGM-148 Javelin system.
What is a dragon soldier?
The mythical chlorine breathing green dragon symbolizes the first use of chemical weapons in warfare (chlorine). Individual Chemical Corps soldiers are often referred to as "Dragon Soldiers."
What is the regimental crest?
The Regimental Corps Crest signifies each service member's unique regiment and is worn over the right breast pocket on the Class A uniform.
What is the Ordnance Corps regimental motto?
ARMAMENT FOR PEACE.The white background symbolizes the Ordnance Corp's motto, 'ARMAMENT FOR PEACE. '
What is the chemical corps branch insignia?
Branch Insignia: A benzene ring of cobalt blue enamel superimposed in the center of crossed gold color retorts, 1/2 inch in height and 1 13/16 inches in width overall. The insignia (in bronze metal) was originally adopted in 1917 for the Chemical Service.
What is the color of the chemical corps?
Symbolism of Regimental Insignia: Cobalt blue and golden yellow are the colors of the Army Chemical Corps. The battle scarred tree trunk, taken from the Coat of Arms of the 1st Chemical Regiment, refers to the historical beginnings, or root of American chemical warfare. The dragon, a legendary creature, symbolizes the fire and destruction of chemical warfare. The regimental insignia for the Chemical Corps was approved on 2 May 1986.
What is the background of the branch plaque?
Branch Plaque: The plaque design has the branch insignia in gold with the benzene ring in cobalt blue , outline in gold. The letters and border are gold and the background is cobalt blue.
What is the dragon in the Coat of Arms?
The dragon, a legendary creature, symbolizes the fire and destruction of chemical warfare. The regimental insignia for the Chemical Corps was approved on 2 May 1986.
When was the insignia adopted?
The insignia (in bronze metal) was originally adopted in 1917 for the Chemical Service. In 1921, this insignia was approved for the Chemical Warfare Service. In 1924, the ring was changed to cobalt blue enamel.
When did the Chemical Warfare Service change to the Chemical Corps?
After the change in the designation of the Chemical Warfare Service to the Chemical Corps in 1946 , the insignia was retained by the Corps. The elements of the design allude to the chemical related functions of the Corps.
When was the chemical warfare service established?
The Chemical Warfare Service was established on 28 June 1918, combining activities which until then had been dispersed among five separate agencies of Government. It was made a permanent branch of the Regular Army by the National Defense Act of 1920. In the act of 1945, it was redesignated the Chemical Corps.
What is the Army's intelligence branch?
The Army's Military Intelligence branch is responsible for all intelligence gathered or learned during Army missions. Military Intelligence Careers. MILITARY POLICE INSIGNIA. The Army depends on Military Police (MP) to maintain order and discipline. They serve as the Army's law enforcement and security officers.
What is the Chaplain Branch?
The Chaplain Branch is responsible for providing spiritual comfort and support to Army Soldiers of all religious backgrounds. The threat of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) weapons requires the Army to have a corps of dedicated professionals capable of using the latest CBRN defense technology.
What is the Army Public Affairs Branch?
The Army Public Affairs Branch participates in and assists with the supervision and administration of Army public affairs programs primarily through news releases, newspaper articles, web-based material and photographs for use in military and civilian news media. Public Affairs Careers. QUARTERMASTER INSIGNIA.
What is armor crew?
Armor Crewmembers use tanks and other track vehicles to engage enemy targets. Armor Careers. AVIATION INSIGNIA. The Aviation branch is responsible for the coordination of Aviation operations from maintenance to control tower operations to tactical field missions.
Organization and mission
From 1952 until 1999 the Chemical Corps School was located at Fort McClellan. Since its closure due to Base Realignment and Closure in 1999, the Army's Chemical Corps and the United States Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) School are located at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Current Composition
All units below ONLY show the units of the Corps, not other corps (excluding HQ & HQ Companies/Detachments)
Awards and notable soldiers
The Chemical Corps Regimental Association operates the "Chemical Corps Hall of Fame". The list includes soldiers from many different eras of the Chemical Corps history, including Amos Fries, Earl J. Atkisson, and William L. Sibert. [41] The organization conducts annual inductions, and the honor is considered the highest offered by the corps. [42]
Further reading
Faith, Thomas I. Behind the Gas Mask: The U.S. Chemical Warfare Service in War and Peace. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2014.
External links
Army Chemical Review ( Archive ): "The Professional Bulletin of the Chemical Corps"
What is the branch insignia?
Branch insignia for Soldiers not affiliated with an infantry, armor, field artillery, air defense artillery, cavalry, special forces, or aviation regiment, generally wear their assigned basic branch insignia; however, as an option, Soldiers who are not affiliated with one of the above regiments, but who are assigned to a color-bearing regiment or separate operational battalion of their branch, may wear their branch insignia with the numerical designation of the battalion or regiment affixed, when approved by the Army command (ACOM) commander, Army service component command commander, or Army direct reporting unit commander. Officers and enlisted personnel assigned to cavalry regiments, cavalry squadrons, or separate cavalry troops are authorized to wear cavalry collar insignia in lieu of the branch insignia, when approved by the ACOM commander.
When was the Army branch insignia first used?
The first use of Army branch insignia was just prior to the American Civil War in 1858 for use on the black felt hat. A system of branch colors, indicated by piping on uniforms of foot soldiers and lace for mounted troops, was first authorized in the 1851 uniform regulations, with Prussian blue denoting infantry, scarlet for artillery, ...
What is the difference between branch insignia and army badge?
Army branch insignia is separate from Army qualification badges in that qualification badges require completion of a training course or school, whereas branch insignia is issued to a service member upon assignment to a particular area of the Army.
What did the Army wear in the 20th century?
By the start of the 20th century, Army personnel began wearing various branch insignia on the stand-up collars of the Army dress uniform. Branch insignia was also worn by officers on the wool uniform shirt when worn as outerwear.
What is the purpose of special assignment insignia?
Certain special assignment insignia is worn in place of branch insignia to denote the officer's or NCO's particular responsibility. The enlisted versions of these are borne on a golden disk in the same manner as their customary branch device. Officers so assigned continue to wear their basic branch colors on the epaulets of the blue Army Service Uniform and the Army Blue Mess uniform.
Why do soldiers wear insignia?
In the United States Army, soldiers may wear insignia to denote membership in a particular area of military specialism and series of functional areas. Army branch insignia is similar to the line officer and staff corps officer devices of the U.S. Navy as well as to the Navy enlisted rating badges. The Medical, Nurse, Dental, Veterinary, Medical ...
What color epaulets did the Army use?
Army began developing a series of colored rank epaulets for wear by officers of various Army branches, the scheme included yellow for cavalry officers, red for artillery officers, and light blue or white for infantry officers . General officers wo re dark blue epa ulets, whilst doctors wore green.

History
- Early history
Discussion of the topic dates back to the American Civil War. A letter to the War Department dated 5 April 1862 from New York City resident John Doughty proposed the use of chlorine shells to drive the Confederate Army from its positions. Doughty included a detailed drawing of the she… - World War I, 1914–18
The earliest predecessors to the United States Army Chemical Corps owe their existence to changes of military technology early in World War I. By 1915, the combatants were using poison gases and chemical irritants on the battlefield. In that year, the United States War Department fir…
Organization and Mission
- From 1952 until 1999 the Chemical Corps School was located at Fort McClellan. Since its closure due to Base Realignment and Closure in 1999, the Army's Chemical Corps and the United States Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) School are located at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. There are approximately 22,000 members of the Chemical Corps in the U.S. Ar…
Current Composition
- All units below ONLY show the units of the Corps, not other corps (excluding HQ & HQ Companies/Detachments) 1. 31st Chemical Brigade (Alabama Army National Guard) 1.1. Headquarters and Headquarters Company, in Tuscoloosa, Alabama 1.2. 145th Chemical Battalion, in Centreville 1.3. 151st Chemical Battalion, in Godsden, Alabama 1.4. 440th Chemica…
Traditions
- Branch insignia
The Chemical Corps, like all branches of the U.S. Army, uses specific insignia to indicate a soldier's affiliation with the corps. The Chemical Corps branch insignia consists of a cobalt blue, enamel benzene ring superimposed over two crossed gold retorts. The branch insignia, which w… - Regimental insignia
The regimental motto, Elementis Regamus Proelium translates to: "Let us (or we) rule the battle by means of the elements"or "Elements rule the battlefield" The Chemical Corps regimental insignia was approved on 2 May 1986. The insignia consists of a 1.2 inch shield of gold and blu…
Awards and Notable Soldiers
- The Chemical Corps Regimental Association operates the "Chemical Corps Hall of Fame". The list includes soldiers from many different eras of the Chemical Corps history, including Amos Fries, Earl J. Atkisson, and William L. Sibert.The organization conducts annual inductions, and the honor is considered the highest offered by the corps. Baseball Hall of Fame baseball player, ma…
See Also
- Chemical weapon designation
- Chemical Defense Training Facility; (CDTF)
- Chemical Weapons Convention
- Combat support
Notes
- ↑ Miles, Wyndham. "The Idea of Chemical Warfare in Modern Times," (JSTOR), Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 31, No. 2. (Apr.–Jun., 1970), pp. 297–304. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Brophy, Leo P. "Origins of the Chemical Corp," (JSTOR), Military Affairs, Vol. 20, No. 4. (Winter, 1956), pp. 217–226. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 van Courtland Moon, John Ellis. "United States Chemical Warfare Policy in Worl…
- ↑ Miles, Wyndham. "The Idea of Chemical Warfare in Modern Times," (JSTOR), Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 31, No. 2. (Apr.–Jun., 1970), pp. 297–304. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Brophy, Leo P. "Origins of the Chemical Corp," (JSTOR), Military Affairs, Vol. 20, No. 4. (Winter, 1956), pp. 217–226. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 van Courtland Moon, John Ellis. "United States Chemical Warfare Policy in World War II: A Captive of Coalition Policy?" (JSTOR), The Journal of Military History, Vol. 60, No. 3. (Jul....
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Gross, Daniel A. (Spring 2015). "Chemical Warfare: From the European Battlefield to the American Laboratory". pp. 16–23. https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magazine/...
Further Reading
- Faith, Thomas I. Behind the Gas Mask: The U.S. Chemical Warfare Service in War and Peace.Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2014.
- Marsh, Hannah. "Memory in World War I American museum exhibits" (MA thesis, Kansas State University, 2015, online), about the Chemical Corps Museum at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
- Faith, Thomas I. Behind the Gas Mask: The U.S. Chemical Warfare Service in War and Peace.Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2014.
- Marsh, Hannah. "Memory in World War I American museum exhibits" (MA thesis, Kansas State University, 2015, online), about the Chemical Corps Museum at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
- Mims, Samuel E. "Survey: Perceptions About the Army Chemical Corps" (Abstract, PDF), April 1992, Army War College: Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, accessed 12 October 2008.
External Links
- Army Chemical Review (Archive): "The Professional Bulletin of the Chemical Corps"
- United States Army Chemical Corps Museum Library, includes several historical Army manuals.
- United States Army Chemical School, official site, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri