Also known as a unit crest or DUI, a Distinctive Unit Insignia is 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. Current regulations do not permit the DUI to be worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
More 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.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team is a symbol of the unit’s history and military accomplishments. It was approved for the 116th Cavalry Brigade in 1989, when it took on its current designation.
The unit's status as a Cavalry organization is reflected in the use of yellow/gold, traditional colors of Cavalry units. Five arrows pointing upwards refer to the unit’s five campaigns in WWII. A coiled rattlesnake has several meanings for the 116th: it symbolizes both the military readiness and the capabilities of the Brigade and also alludes to the unit’s old association with the 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment. When both the arrows and the snake are taken together, however, they symbolize the unit’s history and achievement as a Field Artillery unit. But the snake also points to the Brigade's origins in another way: the 116th was originally conceived in the valley of the Snake River, near Boise, Idaho. The unit’s heritage, speed, and striking power led to its appropriate unit motto of “Move Strike Destroy”.
The unit served its country as the 183rd Field Artillery and the 951st Field Artillery Battalion during the Second World War, where it fought the five campaigns that the arrows refer to. In addition, the unit was cited the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for its actions near the Meuse River.
As of Autumn 2023, the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team is an active unit of the Idaho Army National Guard (ARNG) with subordinate units located throughout the American Northwest in states such as Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Utah, though its HQ is still stationed in Boise, where it was first created. The Brigade is the largest formation in the Idaho ARNG.
Related Items
116th Cavalry Brigade Patch (SSI)
116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)