The 478th Civil Affairs Battalion 350th Civil Affairs Command was originally constituted as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 78th Military Government in August 1945. The unit was inactivated in Japan in 1946, was reactivated as the 478th Civil Affairs and Military Government Company in 1955 in Miami, and was then redesignated as the 478th Civil Affairs Company, which took part in Operations Just Cause (1989) and Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990-1991).
It received its current designation as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD), 478th Civil Affairs Battalion in 1992. Since that time it has deployed to numerous locations across the globe, most often in Southwest Asia and at various points in Africa. Between 16 June 2010 and May 2011, it served in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and its C Company was subsequently awarded Meritorious Unit Commendation for its contributions to the success of United States Forces-Afghanistan, Regional Command-South, Combined Joint Task Force-10 and the Afghan Security Forces in Zabul, Uruzgan, and Kandahar Provinces.
As of Autumn 2023, the 478th Civil Affairs Battalion is a U.S. Army Reserve unit assigned to the 360th Civil Affairs Brigade, 352nd Civil Affairs Command. It is headquartered in Perrine, Florida.
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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.
The 478th Civil Affairs Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia, or unit crest, was approved on 26 January 1993. Its purple and white hues are associated with Civil Affairs units, and the sword and scroll in the center of the insignia are based upon the Civil Affairs branch insignia. The interlocking sections of the pale symbolize the process of transition and the transfer of governmental functions, the ultimate mission of the Battalion. “Supporting The Victory” is the organization’s motto.
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.