The Defense Language Institute (DLI) originally began as a secret school founded at The Presidio of San Francisco to teach Japanese language to second-generation Japanese Americans. Interestingly, the school began classes on 1 November 1941, which gives us today an idea of just how imminent a war with Japan seemed at the time. As the school expanded, it was named the Military Intelligence Service Language School, and it was relocated first to Camp Savage in Minnesota and then to larger facilities at nearby Fort Snelling.
Following the end of World War II, the school again moved, this time to The Presidio of Monterey, and was renamed the Army Language School. In 1963, the Department of Defense consolidated all foreign-language training and instruction in the various branches to establish the Defense Language Institute; the Army Language School became the DLI West Coast branch, the foreign language department at the Naval Intelligence School became DLI East Coast.
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Distinctive Unit Insignias are 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. Current regulations do not permit the DUI to be 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.
Originally approved in 1954 for the U.S. Army Language School, the Distinctive Unit Insignia of U.S. Army Element Defense Language Institute is worn by Army personnel at the DLI Foreign Language Center and its sister school, the DLI English Language Center based at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. In the upper right of the shield portion of the insignia is the Rosetta Stone; on it is the name of the Egyptian ruler Ptolemy in two languages (Greek and ancient Egyptian) and three scripts (Greek capital letters and Egyptian hieroglyphic and demotic).
The cap on the lower left was worn by Spanish Soldiers accompanying Father Junipero Serra on an expedition in 1769-1770 to build a series of missions in Alta California. In 1770, they constructed a small fort, or presidio, to serve as a defensive bulwark for the San Carlos Borromeo Mission.
Red and blue denote the peacetime and wartime missions of DLI, while the green olive branch is an emblem of peace achieved through understanding. A gold torch at the top is a symbol of learning and knowledge. d and blue reflect the wartime and peacetime missions of the institute, and the green olive branch reflects the aim of promoting peace through understanding. The gold torch on top is a traditional symbol of learning and knowledge.
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U.S. Army Element, Defense Language Institute Patch (SSI)