U.S. ARMY 139TH REGIMENT UNIT CREST (DUI)

The 139th Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia, also called a DUI or a unit crest, was originally approved on 24 May 1956 for the 139th Infantry Regiment. It was rescinded on 23 March 1960, but was reinstated and redesignated for the 139th Regiment, with revised description and symbolism, on 30 April 1997.

According to the description posted on The Institute of Heraldry’s Web page for the 139th Regiment, the gray saltire (“X”) on the 139th Regiment unit crest “represents service as Confederate troops during the Civil War,” but this appears to be a myth that originated in World War II and somehow gained enough traction to influence the design of the insignia. According to The Story of the 139th Infantry, written by Clair Kenamore and published in 1920—just three years after the 139th Infantry was given that designation and attached to the 35th Division—the Regiment was formed through the consolidation of the 4th Missouri Infantry and the 3rd Kansas Infantry, neither of which came from units that fought for the Confederacy.

Below the saltire is a castle, an allusion to the Portuguese “Tower And Sword” decoration the unit was awarded in World War I. A crossed key and battle-ax represent the Normandy and Central Europe campaigns, the final two in which the Regiment participated during World War II and the last time the Regiment would serve in a combat zone.

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.

In 1958, the Regiment assumed its new mission as a training organization for officers, and was subsequently redesignated as the 139th Regiment to reflect this role. Today, the Regiment runs the 139th Regional Training Institute, where it conducts training in MOS Qualification and Additional Skills Identifiers and hosts schools for Officer candidates and Noncommissioned Officer professional education.