Leaders Identification Insignia
Who is authorized to wear the Leaders Identification Insignia, when, how and the History of the LII

Posted Tuesday, June 13, 2006

From Army Regulation
AR 670-1 (Feb 2005), 28-21, Page 242

1. Leaders in all units (Active Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserves), regardless of unit category (MTOE or TDA), will wear the leaders identification (LI) insignia.
2. The following specific leaders are authorized to wear the leaders identification insignia.
   1. Commanders.
   2. Deputy commanders.
   3. Platoon leaders.
   4. Command sergeants major.
   5. First sergeants.
   6. Platoon sergeants.
   7. Section leaders.
   8. Squad leaders and tank commanders.
   9. Team leaders.
   10. Assistant SF detachment commanders.
   11. SF operational detachment “B” sergeants major.
   12. SF operational detachment “A” senior sergeants.
3. The LI insignia is a green cloth loop, 15⁄8 inches wide, worn in the middle of both shoulder loops on the Army green coat, the cold-weather coat (field jacket) and on the center tab of the extended cold-weather clothing system (ECWCS) (Gortex) parka. When the LI is worn on the parka, personnel wear their grade insignia centered on the LI. Personnel may wear pin-on grade insignia, or they may sew onto the LI the same cloth grade insignia that is worn on the collars of the utility uniform (see fig 28–137).
4. Personnel will not wear the LI when reassigned from a command position or from an organization designated above, or when taking an official photo.

When the CLI was adopted Army-wide in 1948 IDA Circular 202, dated 7 July 1948), it was authorized for Infantry, Armored, Airborne and Cavalry Divisions, Artillery, Constabulary organizations and certain Engineer and Chemical Battalions. Authority was expanded by DA Circular 315, dated 8 October 1945, to Corps and personnel of units whose primary mission was to direct combat training of Infantry, Armored and Artillery.

In a discussion of the CLI in 1950, the Army Uniform Board pointed out that while in close proximity to the enemy it was advisable to remove symbols of rank, and the green tab, which was inconspicuous yet distinctive, was adopted as a substitute for symbols of rank to identify the leaders of such organizations.

SUBJECT: WEAR OF THE LEADERS IDENTIFICATION INSIGNIA

A. AR 670-1, 5 SEP 03, WEAR AND APPEARANCE OF ARMY UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA.

1. THIS MESSAGE SERVES AS IMPLEMENTING INSTRUCTIONS TO A CHANGE TO AR 670-1, PARAGRAPH 28-21 ON THE WEAR OF THE LEADERS IDENTIFICATION INSIGNIA.

2. THE ARMY IS AN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE THAT CHALLENGES OUR LEADERS ARMY-WIDE TO REMAIN VIGILANT AND COMMITTED TO LEAD, SUPPORT, AND TOGETHER WIN THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM. THESE WARFIGHTERS ARE BEST SERVED BY RECOGNIZING THEIR SKILLS, COURAGE, AND COMMITMENT IN FIGHTING TODAY'S UNCONVENTIONAL WAR.

3. TO THIS EFFECT, THE CURRENT POLICY OF COMBAT ARMS (CA) SOLDIERS WEARING THE COMBAT LEADERS IDENTIFICATION INSIGNIA ON THE UNIFORM IS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE LEADERS OF COMBAT SUPPORT (CS) AND COMBAT SERVICE SUPPORT (CSS) UNITS. ADDITIONALLY, BASED ON THESE NEW COMBATIVE ROLES OUR LEADERS ENGAGE IN WHILE IN THE "FIGHTING FIELD" (WHETHER IN CONUS OR ABROAD) THE CLI INSIGNIA REQUIRES AN ALIGNMENT IN ITS NAME TO IDENTIFY TODAY'S LEADERS AS UNCONVENTIONAL WARFIGHTERS. TO THIS EFFECT, THE INSIGNIA CURRENTLY KNOWN AS THE CLI IS RENAMED AS THE "LEADERS IDENTIFICATION" INSIGNIA.

4. LEADERS MUST ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING POLICY CHANGE: A. AUTHORIZE THE WEAR OF THE LEADERS IDENTIFICATION INSIGNIA TO ALL CA, CS, AND CSS LEADERS AS FOLLOWS:

(1) COMMANDERS.

(2) DEPUTY COMMANDERS.

(3) PLATOON LEADERS.

(4) COMMAND SERGEANTS MAJOR.

(5) FIRST SERGEANTS.

(6) PLATOON SERGEANTS.

(7) SECTION LEADERS (WHEN SO DESIGNATED IN THE UNIT MTOE).

(8) SQUAD LEADERS AND TANK COMMANDERS.

(9) TEAM LEADERS.

(10) ASSISTANT SF DETACHMENT COMMANDERS.

(11) SF OPERATIONAL DETACHMENT "B" SERGEANTS MAJOR.

(12) SF OPERATIONAL DETACHMENT "A" SENIOR SERGEANTS.

B. THE LEADERS IDENTIFICATION INSIGNIA IS A GREEN CLOTH LOOP, 1 5/8 INCHES WIDE, WORN IN THE MIDDLE OF BOTH SHOULDER LOOPS ON THE ARMY GREEN COAT, THE COLD-WEATHER COAT (FIELD JACKET) AND ON THE CENTER TAB OF THE EXTENDED COLD-WEATHER CLOTHING SYSTEM (ECWCS) (GORTEX) PARKA. WHEN THE LEADERS IDENTIFICATION INSIGNIA IS WORN ON THE PARKA, PERSONNEL WEAR THEIR GRADE INSIGNIA CENTERED ON THE INSIGNIA. PERSONNEL MAY WEAR PIN-ON GRADE INSIGNIA, OR THEY MAY SEW ONTO THE LI INSIGNIA, THE SAME CLOTH GRADE INSIGNIA THAT IS WORN ON THE COLLARS OF THE UTILITY UNIFORM.

C. PERSONNEL WILL NOT WEAR THE LEADERS IDENTIFICATION INSIGNIA WHEN REASSIGNED FROM A COMMAND POSITION, OR WHEN TAKING AN OFFICIAL PHOTO.

5. THE NEW POLICY IS IN EFFECT UPON THE LEADERS' ABILITY TO PROCURE THE INSIGNIAS; HOWEVER, MANDATORY WEAR DATE OF THE LEADERS IDENTIFICATION INSIGNIA ON THE UNIFORMS LISTED ABOVE IS NLT 11 SEP 04.

6. THE ABOVE STATED CHANGES WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT REVISION TO AR 670-1.

7. POC FOR UNIFORM POLICY IS SGM W. MORALES, DSN 426-5129; COMM. (703) 696-5129. E-MAIL IS WALTER.MORALES@HQDA.ARMY.MIL OR VISIT THE ARMY, G-1 WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.ARMYG1.ARMY.MIL/HR/READINESS.ASP .

8. THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE CHIEF OF STAFF, ARMY. 9. EXPIRATION DATE CANNOT BE DETERMINED. BT #0119