The United States Army Trial Defense Service (TDS) is part of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps and was established in 1980 as a separate activity of the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency.  To ensure objectivity and fairness, TDS counsel are completely independent of local commands and the post legal advisors.  They are supervised and rated by their superiors within TDS. 

TDS Counsel continue to wear the blue five pointed star, one point up, 1 3/8 inches in diameter emblazoned upon a white background and within a red encircled border outside diameter 2 1/4 inches inside invected of six. The TDS SSI has its origins in the crest of the Coat of Arms of the United States and involves the use of the national colors of red, white, and blue.