A gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/4 inches (3.18 cm) in height consisting of a shield divided per pairle white, red and blue and bearing the crest for the Army National Guard of the State of New York proper (on a wreath orange and blue, the full rigged ship "Half Moon" in gold).
The red, white and blue of the shield are the national colors of the United States. The crest is Henry Hudson's ship "Half Moon" in which he discovered and explored the Hudson River in 1609. The twists of the wreath are orange and blue, the color of the house of Nassau and refers to the original settlement of New York by the Dutch.
The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the Sate Staff and Detachment and 27th Infantry Division Headquarters, Headquarters Company, and Division Headquarters Detachment, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment Special Troops, New York National Guard on 9 June 1930. It was redesignated for the 42d Replacement Company, New York National Guard on 14 November 1956. It was redesignated for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment and noncolor bearing units of the New York Army National Guard on 5 February 1971. The insignia was redesignated effective 1 February 1983, for Headquarters, State Area Command, New York Army National Guard. It was redesignated effective 1 October 2003, for the New York Army National Guard Element, Joint Force Headquarters and amended to update the description.