A shield 3 inches (7.62 cm) in height and 2 inches (5.08 cm) in width consisting of a 1/8 inch (.32 cm) white border around a scarlet field charged at center with a white hexagonal fortress with six turrets surmounted by two vertical crusaders swords their points to top with white blades and yellow hilts.
The shield shape is similar to those of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam and the United States Army, Vietnam, symbolizing the Engineer Commands common interest and joint efforts with these headquarters. The colors, scarlet and white, refer to the Corps of Engineers, while scarlet and yellow are the colors of the flag of the Republic of Vietnam. The three colors combined (scarlet, white and yellow) represent the Engineer Commands commitments in combat engineering, construction and facilities engineering services throughout the entire Republic of Vietnam. The two crusaders swords symbolize the roles of the Engineer Command with its two major military arms, the 18th and 20th Engineer Brigades, in military assistance and defense of the Republic of Vietnam. The hexagonal figure is a fortress viewed from above and represents a fortification traditionally associated with military engineering through the ages. The upper three turrets of the fortress represent the three Engineer Groups of the 18th Engineer Brigade which operate in the upper half of the Republic of Vietnam, and the lower three turrets the three Engineer Groups of the 20th Engineer Brigade whose area of operations is the lower half of the Republic of Vietnam. The division of the fortress into three elements by the superimposed swords refers to the three Engineer Districts into which the Command area of responsibility is divided for Facilities Engineering.
The shoulder sleeve insignia was approved on 2 February 1971. It was cancelled effective 30 April 1972. (TIOH Dwg. No. A-1-543)