Little can be discerned about the lineage or history of the now inactivated 151st Medical Battalion, more specifically designated as the 151st Medical Battalion (Evacuation). As the book C
all Sign – Dustoff: A History of U.S. Army Aeromedical Evacuation From Conception to Hurricane Katrina says about units such as the 151st Medical Battalion that were organized under Individual National Guard organizations, they “have lineages that evolve from previous units of all Army branches. Unit redesignations are common and occur yearly. Any unit may have existed for decades, at one time as an infantry unit, then transportation, then aviation, then medical, etc.”
In the appendix of the book, the 151st Medical Battalion is listed as a MEDEVAC unit in the Georgia Army National Guard, and its Distinctive Unit Insignia certainly conforms to this description. In addition to the standard imagery seen in the heraldry of Army Medical Department units, most notable the use of the branch color of maroon and a Greek cross, the winged charge in the center (a chalice?) signifies the Aviation capabilities of the unit, reinforced by the motto “Wings Of Mercy”—although a more accurate phrase might have been “Rotary Wings Of Mercy,” since MEDEVAC units used helicopters, not fixed-wing aircraft, for 99% of their flights.
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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. 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.