What is this goverment logo?

October 11, 2005 10:42 AM

I went with some friends to the X Prize Cup Countdown in Las Cruces, NM this weekend. While we were there we saw a very odd looking logo on the side of a (presumably) government vehicle. It consists of a black triangle on a blue circular background. Around the triangle are images of a fighter jet, a tank and a rifle. In the middle of the black triangle is a white eight-pointed star. Here is a picture we took of it. Any ideas?
posted by signalnine to law & government (7 comments total)

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - part of the dept. of defense?). Website seems to be down though, so I can't check...
posted by Mave_80 at 11:45 AM on October 11, 2005

Were there people in uniform getting into/around the truck? Was there any writing in the logo? Why do you think it was a government vehicle? If it was, it would have had government plates.

It could be a military unit insignia, assuming that it was indeed a military vehicle. But, they usually have writing--the name of the unit plus the unit's motto. Anyway, there are thousands of military units, all with their own insignia, so I don't know more than that. Based on the jet, tank, and rifle, I'd say it was either a Marine Corps or Army unit.

Given that it was the X Prize, though, couldn't that "jet" have actually been some sort of space shuttle? In which case, I'd be at more of a loss.
posted by CiaoMela at 11:48 AM on October 11, 2005

The insignia you took a picture of isn't any one particular branch of service. That most certainly looks like a unit insignia. They normally have a lot of flashy, detailed iconography in them, like yours does. Plenty of examples by unit function in this Pentagon link.
posted by mnology at 12:16 PM on October 11, 2005

Your insignia is most likely an Air Force unit. Previous examples are Army. Here's some Air Force insignias.
posted by mnology at 12:20 PM on October 11, 2005

It may be a rocket, not a rifle.
posted by smackfu at 2:24 PM on October 11, 2005

You're right, it appears to be a missle of some kind. Also, it's definitely an F-16, not a shuttle.
posted by signalnine at 2:33 PM on October 11, 2005

I agree it's a missile, an airplane, and a tank. I doubt it's a USAF unit since those almost always have a shield logo, and what does the air force have to do with tanks anyway?

My bet is that it's some obscure interservice office like the the Quality Assurance Directorate or something like that. The four-pointed star in a rectangle that's in the center is bugging me -- it's a bit like the Lincoln logo but I'm sure I know it as something else. I tried all the obvious ones like the AF Office of Scientific Research. Anyway an obvious interpretation is that it's some office dealing with propulsion or communication systems for standoff weaponry.
posted by dhartung at 2:42 AM on October 12, 2005