3d MILITARY INTELLIGENCE BATTALION
COAT OF ARMS
Shield: Per bend azure and checky or and gules in chief a chess piece with a griffin™s head argent. Crest: On a wreath of the colors, or and azure, a Vietnamese sunburst of the first surmounted by a bamboo cross pierced at center proper. Motto: WINGED VIGILANCE.
Symbolism: The colors oriental blue and silver gray are used to represent military intelligence and scarlet and gold to symbolize military strength and operational excellence. The griffin, traditionally a creature of vision, alertness, and intelligence, is shown as a chess
piece adjacent to a chessboard, suggesting the type of operation, requiring ingenuity and intellect, which the battalion is called upon to carry out. The squares on the chessboard represent the many engagements in which the unit participated in Vietnam. The sunburst,
taken from the Hien Nhan gate to the Imperial City in Hue, represents Vietnam and has three principal flames, suggesting the Meritorious Unit Commendations (Army) awarded to the organization. The bamboo cross stands for the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm awarded to the unit.
DISTINCTIVE UNIT INSIGNIA
The distinctive unit insignia is the shield and motto of
the coat of arms.
LINEAGE RA (active)
- Constituted 1 June 1966 in the Regular Army as the 146th Aviation Company and activated in Vietnam. Inactivated 17 February 1973 in Vietnam.
- Converted and redesignated 1 July 1974 as the 146th Army Security Agency Company and activated in Korea.
- Reorganized and redesignated 16 June 1982 as Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company, 3d Military Intelligence Battalion (704th Military Intelligence Detachment [see ANNEX 1] and 542d Military Intelligence Detachment [see ANNEX 2] concurrently
redesignated as Companies A and B and activated in Korea).
ANNEX 1
- Constituted 25 September 1950 in the Regular Army as the 704th Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment. Activated 6 October 1950 in Korea. Inactivated 28 March 1955 in Korea.
- Redesignated 28 December 1961 as the 704th Intelligence Corps Detachment. Activated 25 January 1962 in Vietnam. Inactivated 7 March 1966 in Vietnam.
- Redesignated 1 November 1966 as the 704th Military Intelligence Detachment. Activated 15 March 1967 in Japan. Inactivated 15 June
1972 in Japan.
- Activated 25 September 1976 in Korea. Inactivated 16 May 1979 in Korea.
ANNEX 2
- Constituted 7 July 1945 in the Army of the United States as the 1002d Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment. Activated 25 July 1945 in France. Disbanded 24 January 1946 at Holabird Signal Depot, Maryland.
- Reconstituted 7 December 1950 in the Regular Army as the 442d Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment. Activated 20 December 1950 in Korea. Inactivated 25 December 1951 in Korea.
- Redesignated 26 March 1965 as the 542d Intelligence Corps Detachment. Activated 7 April 1965 at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. Inactivated 1 December 1965 at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.
- Activated 19 December 1969 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Redesignated 29 December 1969 as the 542d Military Intelligence Detachment. Inactivated 19 November 1973 at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
Vietnam
- Counteroffensive
- Counteroffensive, Phase II
- Counteroffensive, Phase III
- Tet Counteroffensive
- Counteroffensive, Phase IV
- Counteroffensive, Phase V
- Counteroffensive, Phase VI
- Tet 69/Counteroffensive
- Summer-Fall 1969
- Winter-Spring 1970
- Sanctuary Counteroffensive
- Counteroffensive, Phase VII
- Consolidation I
- Consolidation II
- Cease-Fire
Company A additionally entitled to:
Korean War
- UN Offensive
- CCF Intervention
- First UN Counteroffensive
- CCF Spring Offensive
- UN Summer-Fall Offensive
- Second Korean Winter
- Korea, Summer-Fall 1952
- Third Korean Winter
- Korea, Summer 1953
Vietnam
Company B additionally entitled to:
Korean War
- CCF Intervention
- First UN Counteroffensive
- CCF Spring Offensive
- UN Summer-Fall Offensive
- Second Korean Winter
DECORATIONS
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer
embroidered VIETNAM 1966-1967 (146th Aviation
Company cited; DA GO 17, 1968, as amended by DA
GO 1, 1969)
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer
embroidered VIETNAM 1967-1969 (146th Aviation
Company cited; DA GO 2, 1971)
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer
embroidered VIETNAM 1971-1972 (146th Aviation
Company cited; DA 60 32, 1973)
- Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered
1985-1986 (3d Military Intelligence Battalion cited; DA
GO 30, 1987)
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm,
Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1970-1971 (146th
Aviation Company cited; DA GO 6, 1974)
Company A additionally entitled to:
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered KOREA (704th Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment cited; DA GO 46, 1954)
- Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1950-1952 (704th Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment cited; DA GO 33, 1953, as amended by DA GO 41, 1955)
- Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1952-1953 (704th Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment cited; DA GO 24, 1954)