Also known as unit crests, Distinctive Unit Insignias (DUIs) 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 (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.
For Enlisted personnel, the insignia is 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.
Full 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.
An ellipsis with a partially husked ear of corn in its center and flanked by a pair of symbols that represent fortified bases forms the Nebraska Army National Guard Element, Joint Force HQ Distinctive Unit Insignia that was approved for it on 1 October 2003. The ear of corn, along with the cornstalk holding it, is a reference to the state’s official nickname as the “Cornhusker State.”
A blue stripe denotes “flat water,” which is the rough translation of the Indian name of “Nebrathka” which they gave the Platte River. The overall elliptical shape is a reference to the state capital of Lincoln, location of the State HQ of the Army National Guard which itself is located in a shallow, elliptical area. The five-sided structures are forts that symbolize the state and the important role its militia played in the settling of America’s West.
This Distinctive Unit Insignia, also called a DUI or a unit crest, was first approved for HQ and HQ Detachment and non-color bearing units of the Nebraska Army National Guard on 9 July 1971. It was redesignated for the HQ, State Area Command, Nebraska Army National Guard on 30 December 1983. It was redesignated for its current unit on 1 October 2003.
Related Items
Nebraska ARNG Element, Joint Force HQ Patch (SSI)