87TH AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY GROUP
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Distinctive Unit Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia
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A device of gold color metal and enamel 1 3/16 inches (3.02 cm) in height consisting of a black wavy scroll in base bearing the motto DEFENSORES BOREAE in gold letters and supporting two gold Burmese griffins crouching back to back with a gold five-pointed star centered above their heads issuing a circlet of red rays throughout.
The colors scarlet and gold (yellow) are for Air Defense Artillery. The two chinthe, or Burmese sacred griffins, facing outward in an attitude of defense are adapted from the seal of the Republic of Burma where the unit served in World War II. The gold star (placed uppermost to denote the North Star) alludes to the flag of Alaska where the Group is now stationed, and the rays suggest the Aurora Borealis, a phenomenon of the northern skies and a reference to the function of Air Defense. The motto translates to Defenders of the North.
The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 87th Artillery Group on 26 August 1969. It was redesignated for the 87th Air Defense Artillery Group on 4 April 1972.