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.
The 52nd Medical Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia was approved 9 August 1941. It features a battle axe with a broken handle that represents the Army’s combat personnel who have been brought low by sickness, injury, or battle wounds. A snake, symbol of the healing function of a medical organization, is depicted as binding the two pieces of the broken handle and thus bringing it back to full battle strength and combat efficiency.
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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First deployed to a combat zone during World War II, the 52nd Medical Battalion took part in seven World War II campaigns, with three in Italy, two in France, and one each in Germany and Central Europe. During the invasion of Southern France it was assigned to Alpha Attack Force, built around the 3rd Infantry Division. The Battalion was assigned to operate an evacuation holding hospital at Istres, which grew to a 1,000-bed facility with a turnover of some 600 patients per day.
During the Korean War, the Battalion was credited with participation in nine of the war’s ten campaigns while assigned to the 3rd Helicopter Detachment. Following the war, the unit was relocated to German, where it was stationed at Ludwigsburg until its inactivation. After its reactivation, the Battalion was once again stationed in Korea, where it was officially redesignated as the 52nd Medical Battalion (Evacuation) in 1985 and referred to as the 52nd Evacuation Medical Battalion. Most recently, it was inactivated along with the 168th Medical Battalion (Area Support) during a ceremony held at Yongsan Garrison in Korea on 20 October 2007.