Say hello to the newest logo for Special Operations Command Forward West Africa

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 14:55:32 -0400

Okay...so an email went out from the Commander where I'm deployed, asking for submissions for the new logo for the command. Being that I'm the initiative taker that I am, I go ahead and throw some stuff together.....well....8 different logos later, this is the one I went with...... Mine got picked Say hello to the newest logo for Special Operations Command Forward West Africa. I could do this stuff all day....lol (keep in mind, this isn't even my job in the Army, I do this crap for fun haha)

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 23 at 2014 3:04 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 15:04:28 -0400

Interesting design!

Congratulations!

Response by CW2 Joseph Evans made Jun 23 at 2014 3:39 PM

CW2 Joseph Evans — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 15:39:55 -0400

Wow... Wow...
The design is great. Beats the hell out of the Vagina patch for Africom...
The heraldric devices might need some explanation to prevent certain imperial overtones. The Trojan Horse representing the overreach of Greek Forces in the Trojan Wars... which if I remember right lasted 9 years... not as long as some of the sieges the US has been involved in recently, but long for the era. It was also the symbol of the ultimate deception that undid one of the world's greatest city states.
The Thunderbolt of Zeus, supreme god on Olympus... representative of divine mandate? or manifest destiny?
Not saying this is what you wanted to represent when you created it... unfortunately it's what I see when I look at it.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 23 at 2014 4:18 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 16:18:50 -0400

What does the horse stand for? How about a skull instead? But heck, it looks good regardless.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 23 at 2014 4:47 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 16:47:14 -0400

Great design! Amazing job!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 23 at 2014 5:07 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 17:07:45 -0400

Captain Roger Pezzelle designed the silver Trojan Horse badge for wear on the beret. It remained the unofficial badge until 1962

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 23 at 2014 5:50 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 17:50:13 -0400

Nice vector work. Did you use Illustrator or Corel Draw?

Response by SFC Cornelius Walsh made Jun 24 at 2014 2:00 AM

SFC Cornelius Walsh — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 02:00:32 -0400

Outstanding nod to 10th SFG(A). Well done.

Response by SGT Raquel Zornes made Jun 25 at 2014 9:36 AM

SGT Raquel Zornes — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 09:36:09 -0400

That is awesome!

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made Jun 25 at 2014 10:24 AM

Capt Brandon Charters — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 10:24:03 -0400

Now that is awesome. Congrats SSG Williams!

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jun 25 at 2014 9:07 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 21:07:38 -0400

That's quite an honor! Congrats SSG Williams.

Response by SFC Stephen Carden made Jun 26 at 2014 11:53 AM

SFC Stephen Carden — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:53:48 -0400

I am impressed with the 25M skills SSG Williams. You didn't show much originality by superimposing a map of Africa behind a symbol from the '60s, but it will do. As far as the symbolism of the logo is concerned, I think everyone's concern is misplaced. Symbols are very important in most societies, especially in tribal societies with low literacy rates. Symbols are how they communicate without verbal interaction. If this were a product being disseminated out to a specific target audience for the purpose of influencing a change in behavior, then I would be concerned. We could not assume that anyone either within the intended target audience or tangential to it had never read the story of the Trojan horse and wouldn't associate it with the treachery of the Greeks. I would probably kill the product in a murder board. This particular logo, however, is not intended for use in a product or for dissemination to a target audience. It is for INTERNAL USE ONLY. In that case, I would look at the value that the logo had to identify the command, increase the morale of the unit, and symbolize the mission, values, and scope of the command. This logo seems to do just that. It tells you what the unit does and where it does it, and by using the old 10th SFG logo, ties the unit in to the historical SOF units responsible for the AO. This is good work, if not terribly original, that accomplishes the purpose for which it is intended. I suggest that people should leave the analysis of symbols and audiences to those who are trained and do it for a living.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 26 at 2014 2:37 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 14:37:53 -0400

What program did you use to design this.

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Jun 27 at 2014 6:45 AM

MSG Wade Huffman — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 06:45:49 -0400

Looks great! Your talent is impressive!

Response by CPT Zachary Brooks made Jun 27 at 2014 7:26 AM

CPT Zachary Brooks — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 07:26:53 -0400

So what you are saying is we are sending in a Trojan horse to destroy them where they sleep?

Thats what I see.

It looks great though!

Response by 1SG David Niles made Jun 27 at 2014 9:03 AM

1SG David Niles — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 09:03:16 -0400

Nice, good job

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 28 at 2014 2:02 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 14:02:07 -0400

SSG Williams, I think this is an awesome design. You captured some heraldry and all the images represent something purposeful to the organization.
At the end of the day, its for internal use and a commander with insight into the region chose it. If you have West Africans sitting in on your CUB/BUB you may have an issue (kidding). I doubt very many people in the AO are ever even going to see this thing. And if they do I think it sends a message. Lets face it, West Africa is not a friendly place and they are there for a reason.

Im not criticizing anyone else's opinion, as I think you posted this to get some feedback on it. But if some people want to read into patches and logos, let them, I would be more worried about the image the SF patch itself. It clearly implies that they will shoot three lightning bolts at you than kill you with a dagger.....even though thats not what either of those symbols mean...

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2014 1:26 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 13:26:06 -0400

Congrats! A history question for you though. Why the Trojan Horse? That has some "underhanded" tones to it. Sneak in, fool someone with a gift and then shove a spear down their throat.

Response by SSG V. Michelle Woods made Jul 17 at 2014 8:59 PM

SSG V. Michelle Woods — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 20:59:43 -0400

I get so aggravated when non 46s and 25s produce stuff better than me.

Lol this is stellar SSG Williams, good job!

Response by PO1 Brian Palay made Jul 18 at 2014 2:13 PM

PO1 Brian Palay — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 14:13:37 -0400

That's a neat logo

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made Feb 27 at 2015 7:14 AM

GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 07:14:37 -0500

Congratulations on having your design chosen! Nice!!

Response by SPC Mark Beard made Feb 27 at 2015 7:18 AM

SPC Mark Beard — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 07:18:22 -0500

as a artist you did a outstanding job my brother !!!!! very nice indeed

Response by 1SG Randy Ford made Apr 16 at 2015 2:20 PM

1SG Randy Ford — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 14:20:00 -0400

Great Design, congratulations on the win. when I was deployed there we were still under SOCCENT.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 4 at 2018 1:38 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 13:38:08 -0500

The Trojan Horse is a uniquely apt piece of symbolism.
I am astonished that it was approved.