COMANDOS N°3: Chilean Army Commando Company Patch (Early Variant) – Cía. de Comandos N°3 “Lautaro”

Highly collectible Chilean Army Special Operations insignia linked to the early development of Commando units in northern Chile.

In 1975, the Compañía de Comandos N°3 “Lautaro” was established as a special unit under the I Army Division, and assigned to its own barracks located in the southern sector of the Ruinas de Huanchaca, in Antofagasta—a distinctive and historically significant setting for one of Chile’s elite formations.

The unit’s shield was originally designed by Cabo Primero Manuel Martínez Mella, and went through multiple design variations before reaching a final standardized version. The example offered here corresponds to an early variant, and is among the first to be produced in embroidered format—a major step forward from the earliest versions, which were hand-painted on cardboard.

What makes this piece especially rare is the short operational lifespan and transformation of the unit. On July 16th, 1982, during the redistribution of special units within the Army, the company was redesignated as “Compañía de Comandos N°5.” It retained that designation until its final deactivation in 2002.

Standout Features

Early embroidered variant of the Cía. de Comandos N°3 “Lautaro

Designed by Cabo Primero Manuel Martínez Mella.

Transitional format: embroidered issue (replacing earlier cardboard-painted examples)

Rare due to the unit’s brief existence and later redesignation

Essential piece for collectors of Chilean Special Forces history

Collector Notes

Early variants from this period are seldom seen, and examples connected to the original “Lautaro” designation are especially desirable. A true historical artifact for advanced collectors, display, or institutional collections.