The blue griffin’s head “erased” (a heraldic term referring to the image of an animal’s head displayed with a ragged edge at the bottom as if it were ripped from the body) that serves as the focal point of the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the Delaware Army National Guard Element, Joint Force Headquarters was originally the device for Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, or simply “Lord Delaware” for short. West was appointed governor of the Jamestown Colony in Virginia, and the Delaware Bay was named after him, which in turn became the source of the names for the Delaware River, the Delaware Indians, and ultimately the state of Delaware.
A black collar with silver borders and holding three silver discs are taken from the coat of arms of William Penn. Penn was granted the colony of Delaware in 1682 and it fell under the jurisdiction of the neighboring colony of Pennsylvania until Penn agreed to a separate Delaware assembly in 1701; the “erased” head can be seen to symbolize this event. A twisted wreath in red and white reflects the English heritage of the settlers who colonized Delaware.
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Originally approved for the HQ and HQ Detachment and non-color bearing units of the Delaware Army National Guard (ARNG) on 24 February 1971, this insignia was subsequently redesignated for HQ, State Area Command of the Delaware ARNG on 30 December 1983. this DUI was redesignated for the Delaware ARNG Element, Joint Force Headquarters on 1 October 2003.
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. Current regulations do not permit the DUI to be worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
Enlisted personnel wear the insignia centered on a shoulder loop by placing it an equal distance from the outside shoulder seam to the outside edge of the shoulder-loop button. Officers (except Generals) wearing grade insignia on the shoulder loops center the DUI by placing it an equal distance between the inside edge of the grade insignia and the outside edge of the button.
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.
Related Items
Delaware ARNG Element, Joint Force HQ Patch (SSI)