The coyote poised in front of stylized mountains in the center of the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the South Dakota Army National Guard (ARNG) Element, Joint Force Headquarters (HQ) is taken from the crest of the South Dakota National Guard. Above the mountains, which suggest the famed Black Hills near the ARNG Element’s Joint Force HQ, a shining sun is suggested by the South Dakota State Flag and is a reference to the state’s nickname as “The Sunshine State.”
This insignia, which is also referred to as a unit crest or a DUI, was first approved for HQ and HQ Detachment and non-color bearing of the South Dakota ARNG on 2 December 1971. It was redesignated for the HQ, State Area Command, South Dakota ARNG in 1982 with an effective date of 1 October. With the National Guard’s transition to a Joint Force organization for each state’s Army and Air Force elements in 2003, the insignia was redesignated for the South Dakota ARNG Element, Joint Force HQ with an amendment to update the insignia’s description; both the redesignation and new description became effective on 1 October 2003.
The Joint Force Headquarters of the South Dakota National Guard are located in Rapid City, South Dakota.
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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.Related Items
South Dakota ARNG Element, Joint Force HQ Patch (SSI)