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.
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.
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The 45th Sustainment Brigade's Distinctive Unit Insignia was originally approved on 7 November 1968, when the unit was known as the 45th Support Group. (It would not be designated a Sustainment Brigade until 2006). Dominating the insignia is the image of a gauntleted hand grasping an upright sword, a symbol of the unit’s willingness to engage in combat whenever necessary to fulfill its primary service mission.
That imagery serves to reinforce the unit motto, “We Fight To Serve,” which is inscribed on a scroll looped over the blade of the sword to form the letter “S.” At the time, it was understood that “S” was for “Support,” but this was simply switched to “Sustainment” when the insignia’s symbolism and description were updated on 21 December 2005.
According to an article on the official U.S. Army Web site, the 45th Sustainment Brigade “transitioned” to become the 25th Sustainment Brigade on 1 July 2015, but there has been no subsequent announcement regarding whether the 25th Sustainment Brigade will inherit the 45th Sustainment Brigade’s various insignias, or if the 25th will seek to have new heraldry created.
Related Items
45th Sustainment Brigade Patch (SSI)
45th Sustainment Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)