An image of the blockhouse of Fort Dearborn, one of the earliest United States military establishments in the Northwest Territory, serves as the backdrop for a sprig of oak on the Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) of the Illinois Army National Guard Element’s Joint Force Headquarters. Constructed in 1804, the Fort was burned by Potawatomi Indians during the War of 1812 but was rebuilt in 1816, and it was from this iteration of the installation that the image of the blockhouse has been taken. It was the first of three fires at the Fort, with the final conflagration in 1871 destroying the Fort's few remaining structures.
In heraldry, the oak is a symbol of courage and bravery, and together with the blockhouse it represents the attributes of the Illinois Army National Guard. “We Accommodate” is the motto of the organization.♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
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.This insignia was originally approved for the HQ and HQ Detachment and all non-color bearing units of the Illinois Army National Guard on 3 May 1971. It would be redesignated for the HQ, State Area Command, Illinois Army National Guard on 30 December 1983, a designation it would retain for almost thirty years before being redesignated to represent the Illinois Army National Guard personnel assigned to the Illinois National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters on 1 October 1983.
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
Illinois ARNG Element, Joint Force HQ Patch (SSI)