Approved on 9 June 1937, the 33rd Field Artillery Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia—commonly called a unit crest or simply “DUI” for short—feature a scarlet shield with the image of a sleeping lion. But lions are said to sleep with their eyes open even though they appear shut and are thus always and ever on guard for any threat or opportunity, exemplifying the Regiment’s vigilance and readiness for service. SERVABO FIDEM, the unit motto, is Latin for "I Will Keep Faith."
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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The 33rd Field Artillery Regiment was constituted on 5 July 1918 in the National Army as the 33rd Field Artillery. Assigned to the 11th Division, it was organized on 5 August 1918 at Camp George G. Meade, but it did not see action during World War I and was subsequently demobilized on 12 December 1918. Reconstituted on 22 July 1929, it would be redesignated as a battalion on 1 October 1940 and assigned to the 1st Division (redesignated 1st Infantry Division February 1942) and would serve with the “Big Red One” in nine campaigns in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater. It was awarded two French Croix de Guerre with Palm, a French Fourragere, and a Belgian Fourragere with two citations in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army.
From 1957 to 1987 the unit was designated as a parent regiment in the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), first as the 33rd Artillery and then from 1971 to 1987 as the 33rd Field Artillery. As the 33rd Artillery, it took part in eleven Vietnam War campaigns, with its outstanding service recognized with the awarding of two Meritorious Unit Commendations. It was withdrawn from CARS in 1987, reorganized under the U.S. Army Regimental System, and transferred to the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC); it remained with TRADOC until its withdrawal in August 1995.
During the War on Terrorism, only the 1st Battalion of the 33rd Field Artillery Regiment has been active for participation; its “A” Battery received a Meritorious Unit Commendation for it service while assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division in 2006.
The 1st Battalion, 33rd Field Artillery Regiment was inactivated in June 2006.