The Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 213th Regional Support Group was originally formed as the Lehigh Fencibles in 1849, but it was as the Allen Rifles in 1861 that the unit earned national acclaim and an official Special Designation. At the outbreak of the Civil War, President Lincoln sent out a call for troops to defend the Capital against possible Confederate attack. Along with four other Pennsylvania companies of Infantry, the Allen Rifles were the first to arrive and establish defenses in and around the Capital building. Because of their alacrity and swift answer to their nation’s call, the unit and those thereafter in its lineage carry the Special Designation “First Defenders.”
In more modern times and under different designations, the unit has fought in campaigns in World War I (six), World War II (eight, one with Arrowhead), Southwest Asia/First Gulf War (three), and Operations Enduring Freedom (one) and Iraqi Freedom (one). Its military decorations include two Meritorious Unit Commendations, one for Southwest Asia service in 1990-1991 and another for service in Iraq between 2007 – 2008. As of Autumn 2023, the 213th Regional Support Group is an active unit in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and is headquartered in Allentown. In addition to its HQ and HQ Company, its subordinate units are the 728th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion and the 228th Transportation Battalion.
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The 213th Regional Support Group Distinctive Unit Insignia—a device also known as a DUI or a unit crest—highlights this honor, with the dome of the Capital at the apex of the insignia. A cross potent below it, inspired by the seal of Puerto Rico, recalls the unit’s service in the War With Spain, while a pair of demi-fleurs-de-lis are references to service in France in both World Wars.
A golden arrow denotes the unit’s participation in an assault landing during the Naples-Foggia campaign of World War II, and the keystone and heart inside it represent the unit’s home state of Pennsylvania and its home base of Allentown (the heart is on the town’s seal). And with service in six wars over its 170-year history and its ready response to Lincoln’s call for patriots, the motto “Honor First” could not be more apt.
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.
Related Items
213th Regional Support Group Patch (SSI)
213th Regional Support Group Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)