U.S. ARMY 53RD INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM UNIT CREST (DUI)

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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Nicknamed the “Gator Brigade” in honor of its home state of Florida, 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team was selected in 1996 as one of 15 units to become an Army National Guard Brigade Enhanced Brigade. The program, which provided selected brigades with a package of training, planning, and equipment to enable them to mobilize more quickly and effectively, classified either as eSB (Enhanced Separate Brigade) or eHSB (Enhanced Heavy Separate Brigade). The ultimate goal of the program was to ensure that any Enhanced Brigade could be mobilized and ready for combat in a period between 90 and 120 days.

Although the Enhanced Brigade program eventually was superseded by the development of Brigade Combat Teams—the 53rd became an Infantry BCT in 2006—the program did enable many Brigades and/or their subordinate units to mobilize and deploy in very short periods of time. The 53rd’s 1st Battalion, for instance, was able to deploy to Jordan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom after less than 40 days of training. And elements of the Brigade’s 2nd Battalion became some of the first Coalition troops to enter Iraq in early March 2003.

Since the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 53rd or major components of the Brigade have been deployed in the Global War on Terrorism on several occasions. In 2015, the 2nd Battalion was deployed to the Horn of Africa to ensure stability in the region. In 2015, the 2nd Battalion was deployed to the Horn of Africa to ensure stability in the region, and in November 2021 more than 150 members of the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team were deployed to Ukraine in November for a joint training mission. The Soldiers were evacuated from Ukraine in late February 2022 out of an “abundance of caution” due to the expected Russian invasion. Relocated to Grafenwoehr Training Area at U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, where the Grafenwoehr Training Area is located, the Soldiers continued training their Ukrainian counterparts in the operation of M777 Howitzers and radar systems throughout the spring and summer of 2022.

Related Items
53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Patch (SSI)
53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)

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U.S. ARMY 53RD INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM UNIT CREST (DUI)