The 196th Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia, also called a DUI or unit crest, pays homage to the various organizations from which today’s South Dakota Army National Guard unit is descended. Scarlet and white, the branch colors of the Corps of Engineers, are used exclusively in the design of the insignia to reflect the fact that the design was originally approved for an Engineer organization (the 132nd Engineer Regiment). The cactus is taken from the coat of arms of the 125th Field Artillery Regiment and two Engineer regiments, the 109th and 110th; the fleur-de-lis is from the same organizations. The eagle’s head at the bottom is taken from the 110th Engineers’ arms, and the castle is from the 125th Field Artillery. NUNC ET SEMPER, the unit motto, is Latin for “Now And Always.”
First approved for the 132nd Engineer Regiment on 3 October 1942, the insignia was redesignated for the 132nd Engineer Combat Battalion on 31 July 1943. It was redesignated for the 196th Infantry Regiment from 18 January 1951 to 3 August 1961, when the Regiment was disbanded and the insignia rescinded. When the 196th Infantry Regiment was reconstituted, reorganized and redesignated as the 196th Regiment, the insignias was reinstated and redesignated for it on 24 February 1997.
Also known as a unit crest or DUI, a Distinctive Unit Insignia is 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.
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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The 196th Regiment is responsible for the operation, supervision, and management of the South Dakota Army National Guard Regional Training Institute (RTI). One of the four major commands of the South Dakota ARNG, the 196th Regiment (RTI) has two subordinate battalions, the 1st and 2nd, based at Fort Meade and in Sioux Falls, respectively. 1st Battalion runs the Officer Candidate School and manages the Warrant Officer Candidate School Program. 2nd Battalion’s focus is on training in a variety of Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) and Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Education courses.
Specialties covered in MOS training include Motor Transport Operator (88M), Multiple Launch Rocket System crewmembers (13M), and Fire Control Specialist (13J), with offerings for NCOs related to these specialties. Other courses include Combat Lifesaver, Small Group Instructor, Army Basic Instructor, and Resilience Trainer Assistance, as well as the Modern Army Combatives Program.