File:016-Engineer-Battalion-COA.png

Description016-Engineer-Battalion-COA.png	16th Engineer Battalion Coat of Arms
Date	25 April 1952
Source	United States Army Institute of Heraldry
Author	US Army
Permission (Reusing this file)	Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse This image shows a flag, a coat of arms, a seal or some other official insignia produced by the United States Army Institute of Heraldry. It is in the public domain but its use is restricted by Title 18, United States Code, Section 704 [1] and the Code of Federal Regulations (32 CFR, Part 507) [2], [3]. Permission to use these images in the USA for most commercial purposes must be obtained from The Institute of Heraldry prior to their use. Deutsch ∙ English ∙ فارسی ∙ 日本語 ∙ русский ∙ +/− - US Army Institute Of Heraldry

Coat of Arms[edit]

Blazon:[edit]

• Shield: Per chevron reversed Argent and Gules, on a bar in base Sable fimbriated of the first a cat-a-mountain salient guardant of the third, armed langued, collared and lined of the second, in sinister chief a mullet voided and fretted Vert.

• Crest: From a wreath Argent and Gules from two palm branches saltirewise Proper issuing a demi-scimitar palewise of the first gripped of the second and enfiled by a cogwheel Or.

• Motto: SEMPER ULTIMO (Always To The Top).

Symbolism:[edit]

• Shield:

1. Red and white are the colors used for the Corps of Engineers.
2. The bar symbolizes a treadway bridge, the construction of which was a major combat mission of the organization.
3. The cat-a-mountain, a European wildcat, indicates the stealth and swiftness required in combat engineer operations, and the soldiers of the battalion are know as "Catamounts."
4. The black cat also connotes the darkness in which operations are conducted.
5. The star from the flag of French Morocco represents service in that area during World War II.
6. The inverted chevron symbolizes the battalion's spearheading of armored engineer activity in World War II.

• Crest:

1. The six teeth on the gear wheel represent the unit's campaign service during World War II.
2. Gold denotes excellence, while the gear wheel alludes to engineering.
3. The scimitar honors the battalion's Valorous Unit award for IRAQ-KUWAIT, and the crossed palms highlight the unit's Southwest Asia campaigns.

• Background:

1. The coat of arms was originally approved for the 16th Armored Engineer Battalion on 1952-04-25.
2. It was redesignated for the 16th Engineer Battalion on 1957-09-12.
3. The coat of arms was amended on 1984-12-05 to correct the motto.
4. On 1994-10-21 the coat of arms was revised to change the symbolism.
5. It was amended on 1999-09-29.