1st Armored Division insignia

The 1st Armored Division —nicknamed “Old Ironsides”— is an armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Wiesbaden, Germany. It was the first armored division of the U.S. Army to see battle in World War II.

The division was nicknamed, "Old Ironsides", by its first commander, Major General Bruce R. Magruder, after he saw a picture of the USS Constitution, which is also nicknamed "Old Ironsides". The large "1" at the top represents the numerical designation of the division, and the insignia is used as a basis for most other sub-unit insignias. The three colors, red, yellow, and blue represent the Artillery, Cavalry, and Infantry Branches respectively, which are the colors of the three original combat arms which forged into one created the field of armor. The cannon and tracked vehicle symbols are represent the mechanized role of the Division