U.S. ARMY 173RD ENGINEER BATTALION UNIT CREST (OBSOLETE DUI)

The 173rd Engineer Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia, also called a DUI or unit crest, was originally approved for the 426th Engineer Battalion on 7 March 1969 and, as a result, much of its imagery is related to that unit’s origins and its achievements in World War II. In the disc in the center is a pair of crossed sticks; these refer to both to the strong support provided by the Battalion, as well as the game of La Crosse, named after the city where it and the Battalion were organized. Below the sticks are gold and green wavy bars intended to symbolize the Mississippi and La Crosse Rivers, as well as conjure images of the verdant woodland of the unit’s home area of Wisconsin. Two fleurs-de-lis allude to combat in France during World War I. Green and red are also the colors of the French Croix de Guerre with Palm the Battalion was awarded, also during World War I; the Philippine sun rays behind the disc symbolize service in the Pacific during World War II and specifically service for which the unit awarded the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

“Soldiers Of The Great Rivers” is the unit motto and refers to the La Crosse and Mississippi Rivers.

This unit crest was redesignated for the 173rd Engineer Battalion on 8 June 1998, but it was subsequently cancelled on 21 November 2014. On 1 September 2015, the 173rd Engineer Battalion was assigned a new Distinctive Unit Insignia inspired by its previous service as the Special Troops Battalion, 32nd Infantry Brigade. Today, the unit is known as the 173rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard.

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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. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.

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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U.S. ARMY 173RD ENGINEER BATTALION UNIT CREST (OBSOLETE DUI)