The 164th Engineer Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia—also known as a unit crest or DUI—was originally approved on 23 July 1957. Its symbolism was revised and the insignia amended to reflect the changes on 29 October 1979. A series of wavy blue and silver partition lines in the middle are a heraldic representation of water and hence overseas service; a field of ermine, commonly seen in European coats of arms, denotes the area of service as Europe. In the base, a rising sun taken from the coat of arms of the 164th Infantry Regiment signifies the Battalion’s descent from that organization. OKICIZE EL WAKAGAPI, the unit motto, translates to “Builders In Battle.”
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. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
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Currently a unit in the North Dakota Army National Guard based in Minot, the 164th Engineer Battalion began its service on 3 April 1923 as HQ Company, 3rd Battalion, 164th Infantry, an element of the 34th Division. Disbanded a little over six years later on 24 January 1929, it was reorganized and redesignated as HQ Detachment, 3rd Battalion, 164th Infantry on 1 May 1940; in October of the same year it was converted and redesignated as HQ Battery, 1st Battalion, 188th Field Artillery and subsequently inducted into Federal service on 1 April 1941.
Following the war, the unit was reorganized and Federally recognized as Company B, 231st Engineer Battalion, the designation under which it would serve in the Korean War until it was released from active Federal service in October 1954. On 15 April 1955, it was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Service Company, 164th Engineer Battalion, and in 1993 was redesignated as HQ and HQ Company, 164th Engineer Battalion.
Since the launch of the War on Terrorism, the Battalion has been able to show the value of “Builders In Battle” in the harsh environs of Southwest Asia. From August 2007 to April 2008, the Battalion—aided by Infantry and Cavalry elements—was tasked with base defense operations for the Victory Base Complex, a series of military installations around the Baghdad International Airport. In all, more than 50,000 military and civilian personnel stationed there benefitted from the successful mission of the Battalion, which was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation.
Even more critical was the Battalion’s year-long assignment to clear IEDs from some 84,000 miles of routes and roadways over the course of a year (November 2005 to November 2006). In all, some 450 IEDs were discovered and disabled, saving countless lives and providing safe travel for thousands of troops and civilians. In 2019, the work of Company A in successfully completing that mission was finally recognized with the announcement it would receive a Valorous Unit Award, to be presented at a formal ceremony on 14 September 2019.