Colorado Army National Guard repatching ceremony brings new heraldry to organization
The Colorado Army National Guard hosted a repatching ceremony Sept. 12, 2026, at Joint Force Headquarters-Colorado, Centennial, Colorado, signifying the retirement of the organization’s “Circle C” patch and implementing the wear of the new COARNG heraldry.
Discussions about changing the patch began with Command Sgt. Maj. (Retired) Jon Assaad, former COARNG State Command Sergeant Major.
“This whole process started when I was first selected as the state CSM by General [Douglas] Paul” Assaad said. “It was already something he was noting but hadn’t started the process yet.”
In October 2024, Command Sgt. Maj. Erik Miller, current state CSM, took over responsibility to finish what Assaad started.
“We just wanted to get away from the circle C patch we have had since 1955,” Miller said. “I just happened to be able to pick up the ball and run, finish the project for him.”
Prior to Miller’s involvement there was only a rough concept of design.
“Sergeant 1st Class [Charles] White already had a concept proposed; it looked really sharp,” Assaad said. “It exemplified to me that it tied the Guard to the state of Colorado by its rich mining histories and the colors that it represented, and then I did some research on the circle C that we have, that currently is worn now and saw nothing more outside the institute of heraldry. That it was just a snapshot of our flag.”
Both Miller and Assaad agreed that the “Circle C” doesn’t distinguish the wearer as unique to the state Guard and our history.
The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment and other non-divisional units of the Colorado National Guard Nov. 4, 1955.
The insignia was redesignated with a description amended for Headquarters, State Area Command, Colorado Army National Guard, Dec. 30, 1983.
It was again redesignated with the description amended for Colorado Army National Guard Element, Joint Force Headquarters, effective Oct. 1, 2003.
“This new design “goes back to the mining days of Colorado: the red clay, the mountains, the blue skies, and then the one thing we did take from the Colorado seal, is the fasces,” Miller said.
A fasces is a bound bundle of wooden rods containing a projecting axe blade that originated in Etruscan civilization and became a primary symbol of power.
The fasces from the state of Colorado seal symbolize strength, authority and leadership. Additionally, the red denotes the soil as first observed by the early explorers. Yellow suggests the mineral wealth that helped found the state of Colorado and is representative of golden sunsets. Three white peaks against the blue above represent the majestic Rocky Mountains overlooking the front range standing amongst the brilliant sky. The crossed pickaxe and sledgehammer signify mining, leading to the foundations of current cities and towns where CONG units reside.
“We tied everything back into the history of Colorado,” Miller said. “This patch is more fitting than a “C” basically saying, hey, I'm from Colorado. This will actually say what our history and our heritage is.”
Assaad got the whole process moving through a little research which included other states’ experiences.
“I was fortunate I had heard that folks in the Arizona Guard had implemented a new patch, and so I reached out to my counterpart there at the time,” Assaad said. “He gave me the kind of step-by-step of how to generate this packet for the National Guard Bureau.”
Now that the new patch has been made official, Miller has begun distributing them to the units.
Commanders from the units were present at the repatching ceremony. They will hold their own distribution process with their units.
Miller said he had hoped to get the patch into the hands of the Soldiers faster, but obstacles made September the most logical.
“This took over two years to complete, then it took me a little time to get all of these orders,” Miller said. “Six hundred were handed out this past weekend. Two thousand more are on order. That way, the units will have a good surplus of it, and when new Soldiers come in, they'll get patches.”
Miller also stated that it will take some time to get the new patches into the post exchange and available for Soldiers to purchase.
All of the units previously wearing the Circle C will replace their patch with the new patch including Joint Force Headquarters-Colorado, 89th Troop Command, 193rd Military Police Battalion and subordinate units, the COARNG medical detachment, and High Altitude Army Nation Guard Aviaton Training Site.
“We had the government shut down in October 2025, which set things back, and then, this year, the 250th/150th was happening,” Miller said. “I didn't want to affect everybody trying to get new patches sewn onto their AGSUs (Army Green Service Uniform) before the Military Gala.”
Though the process was long, both Assaad and Miller said it was rewarding.
“I felt that this unique design tied us more into the foundational legacy of our state,” Assad said.
“It distinguishes us a little bit differently than just the state of Colorado, Miller said. “It says we are the Colorado Army National Guard.”
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