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. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
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A unit in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, the Special Troops Battalion, 26th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was designed to provide the Brigade with logistics and command and control support for combat for its combat support elements, typically Military Intelligence and Signal units that were previously taken from division-level assets and attached to brigades. These typically included Military Intelligence and Signal units, but they could also be Military Police, Chemical Corps, Engineer, Maintenance, and Support units, either platoons or companies.
The imagery and colors of the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the Special Troops Battalion, 26th Infantry Brigade Combat provides an idea of the types of a unit that might be found in an STB. A lightning flash symbolizes a Signal Corps unit, while the oriental blue background it is on stands for Military Intelligence. A bayonet indicates support for Infantry units (26th IBCT), and the cobalt blue behind it represents Chemical Corps elements in the Battalion. At the top, a scarlet embattlement denotes Engineer capabilities. The motto, "Fighting Spirit," denotes enthusiasm for supporting combat elements.
On 1 September 2008, the 26th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was converted to the 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. All of the units of the Special Troops Battalion were either inactivated or consolidated into a similar force structure in the Massachusetts Army National Guard.