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Patch and Distinctive Unit Insignia
The 94th Air Defense Artillery was constituted on 16 December 1940 in the Regular Army as the 94th Coast Artillery. On 17 April 1941 it was activated at Camp Davis, North Carolina. The Regiment was later broken up on 15 May 1943 and its elements reorganized and re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th Antiaircraft Artillery Group. During the Second World War, the 94th Coast Artillery participated in major war campaigns within the East Indies, New Guinea, Leyte, and Luzon during which it received commemorate streamers and was additionally decorated with the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation streamer.
After World War II, the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th Antiaircraft Artillery Group, was inactivated on 15 March 1947 in the Philippine Islands. On 01 April 1960, it was re designated in Kaiserslautern, Germany as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th Artillery Group, as part of the 32nd Army Air Defense Command. The 94th Air Defense Artillery Group was re-designated on 15 March 1972 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th Air Defense Artillery Group.
The 94th Air Defense Artillery Group was later re-designated on 16 July 1983 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.
During the Cold War period, the 94th Artillery Group defended NATO with Nike Hercules, HAWK, PATRIOT, Chaparral and Vulcan Air Defense Systems inspiring the motto of “First Line of Defense.” After the collapse of communism in Europe, the 94th Air Defense Artillery Brigade continued to support European Command contingencies throughout the European Command Area of Operations.
From September 1991 thru February 1992, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 94th Air Defense Artillery Brigade earned the Army Superior Unit Award for its direct support of United States led multinational operation “Determined Resolve” in the Persian Gulf. Before it’s inactivation in 1998, the 94th Air Defense Artillery Brigade formed the nucleus for the first ever Joint Theater Missile Defense Task Force that deployed to Israel in support of Operation Noble Safeguard and Desert Thunder.
The 94th Air Defense patch initially authorized for wear on 29 June 1984 is described by its red rectangle arched at the top and bottom with a yellow border. A red sea lion grasping a sword on a yellow tower issuant from base all below two yellow parallel arrows pointing up from lower right to upper left. The colors red and yellow allude to the Air Defense Artillery organization. The sea lion grasping the sword is from the Seal of the President of the Philippines which commemorates the actions during World War II for which the unit received the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. The two arrows stand for the amphibious assault landings during World War II campaigns in New Guinea and Luzon. The arrows in flight also represent ground to air missiles referring to the unit’s Air Defense mission. The domed tower, characteristic of Germany, symbolizes a strong defensive position.
The patch was re-designated for the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC) with an effective date of 14 October 2005. On 14 October 2005, the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command will be activated at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, under Headquarters, United States Army Pacific, to provide support under the Pacific Command (PACOM), with a mission of on order, deploying in the PACOM AOR and conducting Joint and Combined Theater Air and Missile Defense in support of designated OPLANS and contingency operations. The 94th AAMDC will serve as a joint integrator providing synchronization of Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines Joint Theater Air and Missile Defense Operations.
DEFINITION FROM US ARMY
OFFICIAL WEBPAGE OF THE 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command