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htm

Combat Arms

Branch Primary Piping Notes

Infantry
(1776- White NO PIPING
1851)
Infantry Light Blue
NO PIPING
(1851-1886 (aka Saxony Blue)
Infantry
(1886- White NO PIPING
1902)
In 1917, the cape was still lined with light
blue but the Infantry trouser stripes were
Light blue of white as were the chevrons for
Infantry
65014 cloth enlisted men. The infantry color is light
(Since
67120 yarn NO PIPING blue; however, infantry regimental flags
around
PMS 5415 and guidons have been National Flag blue
1903)
#607c8c since 1835. White is used as a secondary
color on the guidons for letters, numbers,
and insignia.
In March 1855, two regiments of cavalry
were created and their trimmings were to
be of "Yellow". In 1861, the designation
of dragoon and mounted rifleman
Yellow disappeared, all becoming Cavalry with
65002 cloth "yellow" as their colors.
Cavalry
67108 yarn
(Obsolete)
PMS 123 Yellow was continued as the color for
#ffc61e cavalry units subsequent to abolishment
as a branch. Although the regimental
flags for cavalry units are yellow, the
troop guidons are red and white without
an insignia on the guidon.
Armor was assigned the colors green and
Yellow
white by circular 49 on 21 February 1947.
65002 cloth
When the Cavalry branch was abolished,
Armor 67108 yarn NO PIPING
the present Armor was assigned the
PMS 123
former Cavalry color yellow by SR 600-60-
#ffc61e
1 dated 26 October 1951.
Artillery Scarlet NO PIPING The uniform for the Corps of Artillery,
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which was formed in 1777, included red

65002 cloth trimmings. The plume on the hat was also
red. Except for a short period at the
67111 yarn
beginning of the 1800's when yellow was
combined with it, scarlet has been the
PMS 200
color of the Artillery throughout the
#c41e3a history of the branch. Scarlet has been
#c41e3a used by the Coast, Field, and Air Defense
Artillery.
Golden
Cobalt Blue
yellow
65011 cloth The colors were originally those of the
Chemical 65001 cloth
67122 yarn American Chemical Society and were
Corps 67104 yarn
PMS 281 adopted by the Army in 1918.
PMS 116
#002868
#fcd116
Golden
The branch colors for aviation were
Ultramarine Blue Orange
approved concurrently with the branch
65010 cloth 65003 cloth
Aviation insignia on 7 August 1983 by the Chief of
67118 yarn 67109 yarn
Staff Army. These colors were used by the
#2b2c7c (Not sure) PMS 1375
Army Air Corps during its existence.
#fca311
Jungle Green The establishment of jungle green as the
80066 cloth branch color was approved by the
Special
67191 yarn NO PIPING DCSPER on 22 May 1987. Silver Gray is
Forces
PMS 343 used as a secondary color on flags and
#00563f guidons.

Service Arms

Adjutant Dark Blue Scarlet The pompons on the Adjutant

Generals 65012 cloth 65006 cloth Generals' caps were topped with white
67126 yarn 67111 yarn in 1851. The facings were listed in the
PMS 539 PMS 200 specification for the Adjutant
#003049 #c41e3a General's uniform in September 1915
as dark blue. In Circular number 70
dated 28 October 1936, the Adjutant
General's Corps and the National
Guard Bureau exchanged colors and
the present colors were established
for the Adjutant General's Corps. The
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blue used in the branch insignia is

ultramarine blue rather than the
branch color.
The Army Security branch USAR was
merged with the newly established
Army Intelligence and Security Branch
Army Security Teal Blue and
on 1 Jul 62. The branch was
(Obsolete) White
subsequently redesignated to the
Military Intelligence Branch on 1 Jul
1967.
Black Chaplains have used black since 1835.
Chaplain Corps cloth 65018 NO PIPING In regulations dated that year, a black
yarn 67138 coat was prescribed for Chaplains.
Purple
White
65009 cloth
65005 cloth The colors were approved for civil
Civil Affairs 67115 yarn
67101 yarn affairs units in June 1956.
PMS 267
PMS white.
#4f3595
Scarlet Scarlet and white were established as
White
65006 cloth the Corps of Engineers colors in 1872.
Corps of 65005 cloth
67111 yarn Before that date, several other colors
Engineers 67101 yarn
PMS 200 had been associated with the
PMS white.
#c41e3a Engineers.
Golden
Silver Gray
yellow
65008 cloth Silver gray piped with golden yellow
65001 cloth
Finance Corps 67137 yarn was prescribed for the Finance Corps
67104 yarn
PMS 422 in 1920.
PMS 116
#afaaa3
#fcd116
Command Teal Blue and Colors do not vary; is branch
Sergeant Major Yellow. immaterial.
The Inspector General's Department in
1851 had pompons of buff with upper
one third in scarlet. In 1915,
specifications established the facings
Dark Blue Light blue
as dark blue. The 14 October 1921
65012 cloth 65014 cloth
Inspector regulation established the colors as
67126 yarn 67120 yarn
General dark blue piped with white. Circular
PMS 539 PMS 5415
#70, dated 18 October 1936
#003049 #607c8c
announced the exchange of colors
with the Judge Advocate General's
Department that resulted in the
present colors.
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The Division of Customs and Insular

Affairs was organized on 13 December
1898. This Division was responsible for
the administration of U.S. possessions
and islands under military occupation.
The War Department managed some
Dark Blue of the possessions and the State
65012 cloth Department managed some of the
Insular Affairs
67126 yarn affairs. In 1902, the Bureau was
(1902-1939)
PMS 539 established with the War Department
#003049 responsible for all of the possessions.
The insignia was authorized on 31
December 1902 in General Regulations
and amended by General Orders No.
132 on the same date. The Bureau was
transferred from the War Department
to the Department of Interior in 1939.
In 1851, the pompon for the Judge
Advocate was prescribed as all white.
Specifications in 1915 indicated that
the facings of the Judge Advocate
General were dark blue. AR 600-35,
Dark Blue
White October 1921 assigned dark blue piped
65012 cloth
65005 cloth with light blue to the Judge Advocate
JAG Corps 67126 yarn
67101 yarn General. Circular 70, 28 Oct 1936,
PMS 539
PMS white. announced the exchange of colors of
#003049
the Inspector General's Department
with the Judge Advocate General's
Department so that dark blue and
white were adopted on that date for
the Judge Advocate General.
Soldier Red
80095 cloth
Logistics 67157 yarn
PMS 209
#75263d
Medical Maroon White Green was prescribed as the first
Department 65017 cloth 65005 cloth Medical Department color in 1847
67114 yarn 67101 yarn when the sash for Medical Officers was
PMS 504 PMS white. described. The green was established
#511e26 in the insignia of the Hospital Stewards
uniform on 31 October 1851 and in
1857 the green was piped with yellow
and the pompon was topped with
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medium or emerald green. Later the

pompon was green piped with white
until 1902 when the maroon color was
adopted. In 1903, the Hospital Corps
chevrons were maroon piped with
white. Maroon and white were
established for all branches of the
Medical Department by the uniform
specifications dated October 1916.
DA GO 38 dated 3 July 1962
announced the establishment of the
Army Intelligence and Security
Oriental Blue Silver Gray
Branch.  In October 1962, DCSPER
80176 cloth 65008 cloth
Military approved the colors for the branch. 
67172 yarn 67137 yarn
Intelligence The branch was redesignated as the
PMS 285 PMS 422
Military Intelligence Corps by GO 25
#3a75c4 #afaaa3
dated 16 June 1967.  The same colors
were used when the name was
changed.
Military
Golden Yellow and
Intelligence
Purple
(Obsolete)
Yellow Green
65002 cloth 65007 cloth The color yellow piped with green was
Military Police
67108 yarn 67129 yarn assigned to the Military Police by AR
(1922-1951)
PMS 123 PMS 357 600-35 dated 20 April 1922.
#ffc61e #215b33
With the establishment of yellow for
Green Yellow the Armor and the use of green for the
65007 cloth 65002 cloth insignia on the Armor flag, the colors
Military Police
67129 yarn 67108 yarn for the Military Police were reversed.
(1951-Present)
PMS 357 PMS 123 The current colors, green piped with
#215b33 #ffc61e yellow, were assigned by regulation
600-60-1 dated 26 October 1951.
Dark Blue
65012 cloth
National Guard
67126 yarn
Bureau
PMS 539
#003049
Ordnance Corps Crimson Yellow In 1835, the Ordnance Corps had a red
65013 cloth 65002 cloth plume - the same as Artillery. Crimson
67112 yarn 67108 yarn was prescribed as the Ordnance color
PMS 220 PMS 123 in 1851. In 1902, it was changed to
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black and scarlet. Crimson and yellow

#aa004f #ffc61e were established as the branch colors
on 14 October 1921.
Bottle Green Silver Gray
65025 cloth 65008 cloth The colors were traditionally used on
Psychological
67191 yarn 67137 yarn the Psychological Operations flags and
Operations
PMS 343 PMS 422 guidons.
#00563f #afaaa3
Since the public affairs functions are
multi-branch, teal blue (branch
unassigned) is the color used on the
Public Affairs
plaque and guidons. Yellow is used as
the secondary color for the insignia
and numbers on guidons.
The plumes for the Quartermasters in
1835 were prescribed to be light blue.
In 1851, the pompon on the caps of all
members of the staff corps consisted
Buff
of the lower two-thirds in buff and the
65015 cloth
Quartermaster upper third of the color of the corps.
67135 yarn
Corps Light or saxony blue was used for the
PMS 465
Quartermaster Department. In 1884,
#c1a875
the color buff was adopted which is
presently used. Light blue is still used
as the secondary color on flags for
Quartermaster units.
Orange was selected in 1872 as the
Orange
White Signal Corps branch color. In 1902, the
65004 cloth
65005 cloth white piping was added to conform to
Signal Corps 67110 yarn
67101 yarn the custom that prevailed of having
PMS 1655
PMS white piping of a different color for all
#f95602
branches except the line branches.
Green
65007 cloth
Staff Specialist 67129 yarn
PMS 357
#215b33
Transportation Brick Red Golden During World War I, the personnel of
Corps 65020 cloth Yellow the Motor Transport Corps wore
67113 yarn 65001 cloth purple piping on overseas caps. In
PMS 202 67104 yarn 1919, the Transportation Corps was
#8c2633 PMS 116 assigned the colors scarlet piped with
#fcd116 green. Under the requirement of an
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Act of Congress of 1920, these services

were combined under the
Quartermaster Corps. When the
Transportation Corps was established
in 1942, the brick red piped with
golden yellow was assigned as the
branch color.
Warrant
Brown has been used as the color to
Officers Brown NONE
represent warrant officers
(Obsolete)
Women's Army
Mosstone Green
Corps
and Old Gold
(1942-1978)