Description/Blazon

A gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a blue fleur-de-lis bearing in gold a dagger, point down, between a flash and a propeller blade all convergent in base on a gray background enclosed at the bottom by a gold wreath of rice tied in red and at the top by a blue scroll inscribed "VANGUARD OF VIGILANCE" in gold letters.

Symbolism

Oriental blue and silver gray are the colors traditionally associated with Military Intelligence. The blue fleur-de-lis refers to the unit's World War II service in Western Europe. Their campaign participation in Vietnam is symbolized by the gold and red wreath of rice. The lightning flash represents signals intelligence and electronic warfare; the dagger represents human intelligence; the airplane propeller represents airborne imagery intelligence. The slanting of these symbols of the intelligence disciplines employed by the unit toward the fulcrum of the fleur-de-lis represents the convergence of intelligence from all sources to enable commanders to "see the battlefield."

Background