What This Field Means
An earlier official name used by the same supported unit lineage.
This records an earlier official designation carried by the same supported organizational lineage. It lets veterans who knew the old name reach the current or later record without counting both names as unrelated units.
How to Read It Correctly
A former designation is not merely a nickname, spelling variant, similarly numbered unit, predecessor with a separate identity, or another organization that performed the same mission.
Example
A communications squadron’s earlier designation before formal redesignation.
Technical Specification
The database column is [USMIL-Unit].[Unit].[FormerDesignation]. Optional former-name summary. Similar names are not enough; redesignation or lineage continuity must be established by authoritative evidence.
Record the exact former official designation only when redesignation or continuity is supported. Connect dates and source evidence, and use separate predecessor/successor records when the event created a distinct canonical identity.
| Property | Definition or current value |
|---|---|
| Database column | FormerDesignation |
| Column order | 47 |
| SQL data type | nvarchar(1024) |
| Kind of information | Evidence-derived text |
| Cardinality | One stored value per Unit row. |
| Required | No; NULL is permitted |
| Database default | No database default |
| Key or relationship | None |
| Database check constraint | ([CurrentStatus]=N'Planned' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Status unknown' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Historical' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Inactive' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Current') |
| Live population | 259 of 9341 Unit records (2.77%) |
| Distinct nonblank values in the live table | 259 |
| Live profile measured | September 2, 2026, 20:43 UTC |
Allowed Values and Definitions
No preset menu applies to this field. It stores an identifier, relationship, measurement, date, timestamp, or evidence-derived narrative. Valid content is governed by the SQL type, key relationship, nullability, retained evidence, and the field-specific recording rule above. A list of observed contents would be data, not a list of allowed options.
Missing, Unknown, and Conflicting Information
A database NULL is permitted and means that no value is presently stored. It does not prove that the fact never existed, that the answer is no, or that the concept does not apply. Missing information must remain visibly different from a supported negative or inapplicable conclusion.
Connections to Other Fields
- Official Unit Designation — The unit’s full official name or designation as supported by military records.
- Unit Short Name — A shorter name, acronym, or familiar form veterans may recognize more quickly.
- Predecessor Unit — The earlier unit identity officially connected to this unit’s lineage.
- Successor Unit — The later unit identity officially connected to this unit through succession, redesignation, consolidation, or another supported lineage event.
- Lineage Continuity — What the evidence says about whether two names or organizations belong to the same official lineage.