Insignia

LtCol. Bruce P. Crandall, U.S. Army receives the Medal of Honor in 2007 for extraordinary heroism in the Vietnam War (1965).

Insignia (the plural of Latin insigne: emblem, symbol) is a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction. Insignia are especially used as an emblem of a specific or general authority.

Typical examples of insignia are:

• Crowns
• Flags of a country or state
• Coats of arms and Heraldry
• Seals
• Ensigns
• Roundels
• Badges
• Cockades

• Order of DeMOLAY insignia
• Other National Emblems
• Shoulder patch, or shoulder sleeve insignia (SSI)
• Military rank and unit markings:
  • British Army officer rank insignia
  • British Army Other Ranks rank insignia
  • British Royal Air Force officer rank insignia
  • British Royal Air Force other rank insignia
  • British Royal Navy officer rank insignia
  • British Royal Navy ratings rank insignia
  • Croatian military ranks insignia
  • U.S. Army officer rank insignia
  • U.S. Army enlisted rank insignia
  • U.S. Navy officer rank insignia
  • U.S. Navy enlisted rate insignia
  • United States Air Force enlisted rank insignia
  • United States Air Force officer rank insignia
  • United States Marine Corps enlisted rank insignia
  • United States Marine Corps officer rank insignia
  • Polish Armed Forces rank insignia
  • Nazi Party rank insignia

Official insignia are often protected by law as to allow their use only by people holding a specific office or staff members action on behalf of such a person. Misuse, defacement and destruction of such symbols is considered an offense in many countries.^[clarify]