The 53rd Support Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia, commonly referred to as a unit crest or DUI, was approved on 30 March 1966. “Support And On Time,” the unit motto, expresses the Battalion’s commitment to timely support. In the center is a blue pile, a symbol of support in heraldry that in this symbolizes the various functions which the unit is capable of performing. The cable crossing it symbolizes the coordination of these services.
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.
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Now referred to as the 53rd Brigade Support Battalion, the 53rd Support Battalion is a Florida Army National Guard unit with a lineage and history that includes eight campaigns during World War II. Units from the Battalion have been called into Federal service on numerous occasions since the inception of the War on Terrorism. Mobilized for Federal service in 2004, the Battalion was the recipient of a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its tour of duty in Iraq in 2005-2006. In 2009, personnel from the Battalion were deployed to Afghanistan in support of the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
The Battalion is headquartered at St. Petersburg, Florida and is assigned eight companies, with five of them providing forward support for a Cavalry Squadron, Engineer Battalion, Field Artillery Battalion, and two Infantry Battalions.