MARYLAND ARMY NATIONAL GUARD ELEMENT, JOINT FORCE HQ UNIT CREST (DUI)

The Distinctive Unit Insignia of the Maryland Army National Guard Element, Joint Force Headquarters pays homage to two of Maryland’s most famous families, with the two quarters of the insignia’s shield, arranged catawampus (roughly the 4 o’clock and 10 o’clock positions) displaying the arms of the Calvert family and the other two featuring the arms of the Crossland family. Cecil Calvert, the 2nd Lord Baltimore, inherited the second coat of arms from his grandmother, Alicia, who was the wife of Leonard Calvert, father of George Calvert who was the 1st Lord Baltimore.

The coronet serving as a crest above the shield denotes that the fact that Calvert was an earl in Maryland despite being a lower-ranked baron in England. Flanking the shield are two figures representing the true backbone of Maryland during its founding, a plowman on the left symbolizing agriculture and ranching and a fisherman on the right as an emblem of Maryland’s seafaring industries.

Also called a unit crest, this Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) was originally designed and approved for the HQ and HQ Detachment and all non-color bearing units of the Maine Army National Guard on 9 April 1971. It would subsequently be redesignated twice, once in October 1982 for the HQ, State Area Command of the Maryland Army National Guard and again exactly 21 years later in 2003 for the Army element of Joint Force HQ, Maryland National Guard.

Joint Force Headquarters, Louisiana National Guard can be found in Baltimore, Maryland.

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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.

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.

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MARYLAND ARMY NATIONAL GUARD ELEMENT, JOINT FORCE HQ UNIT CREST (DUI)