According to the January-February 1924 edition of The Military Engineer, the 379th Engineer Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia, or unit crest, was originally designated for the 343rd Engineer Regiment some time in 1924 (or perhaps late 1923). Distinctive Unit Insignias are worn by all Soldiers (except General Officers) in units that have been authorized to be issued the device. It is worn centered on the shoulder loops of the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU) and the blue Army Service Uniform (ASU, Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
Full guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1,
Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia" and 21–3(d) and (e),
"Beret" and
"Garrison Cap," respectively.
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Classified as a “General Service” Regiment, the 343rd Engineer was an Organized Reserve unit allocated to the District of Columbia and five Maryland counties, with its 1st Battalion headquartered in Washington, D.C. and 2nd Battalion headquartered in Baltimore. This is reflected in the fact that the shield contains the arms of Washington (top) and Baltimore (bottom), along with part of the arms of the Stewarts (center).
ASPERA JUVANT—a motto shared by this regiment as well as the 326th Infantry and the 379th Engineer Battalion—is said to translate into English as “Difficulties Delight.”
During World War II, the 343rd Engineer Regiment was credited with an Assault landing during the Southern France campaign in Europe, one of eight the Regiment took part in. It also served Occupation duty from 2 May until 18 September 1945.
Because neither the insignia nor unit are listed at The Institute of Heraldry or the U.S. Army Center of Military History respectively, finding when the insignia was redesignated for the 379th Engineer Battalion—or even how the 379th Engineer Battalion came to be—is almost impossible.
We do know that the 379th Engineer Battalion was an Army Reserve unit headquartered at Fort Missoula, Montana and was deployed to Baghdad in 2004. Its mission was to locate mines and use the geospatial data to create a Tactical Minefield Database, as well as train other personnel in the identification and disabling of IEDs. It returned to Fort Missoula on 4 June 2005.
There is no indication this unit is still active, and it is not clear if it was disbanded, redesignated, or inactivated. Please
email us if you have any additional information on the 379th Engineer Battalion.