A unit in the Washington Army National Guard, the 303rd Cavalry Regiment—also written 1-303rd Cavalry to reflect the fact it now consists only of the 1st Squadron—is assigned to the 81st Brigade Combat Team. Its lineage goes back to 14 August 1940 and the constitution of the 103rd Antitank Battalion in the Washington National Guard. After induction in Federal service in February 1941, it was converted and redesignated on 24 July 1941 as the 103rd Infantry Battalion, Antitank and again on 15 December 1941 as the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion.
The Battalion would fight in five World War II campaigns in Europe before inactivation in December 1945, with units in the lineage of its current HQ Troop being chosen for a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation; similarly, units in the lineage of its current Troop A, 1st Squadron were awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for service at Hurtgen Forest, and a Belgian Fourragere 1940 for two citations in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army (for action in Belgium and along the Meuse River).
In the decades following World War II, the unit was reorganized and redesignated numerous times and served in a variety of roles as a Tank unit and then in Armor and Infantry formations. By September 1993, it had become the 303rd Armor, comprising the 1st Battalion, an element of the 81st Infantry Brigade. When it was consolidated with the 303rd Cavalry in September 2005, the newly formed unit was designated as the 303rd Cavalry Regiment consisting of the 1st Squadron, an element of the 81st Brigade Combat Team.
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The 303rd Cavalry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia—a device more commonly called a “unit crest” or DUI—was originally approved on 30 June 1989 (for the 303rd Cavalry that was consolidated with the main lineage in 2005). An embattled chevron in yellow, traditional color of Cavalry, suggests the spearhead capabilities of Cavalry and Armor-protected mobility. Inside the chevron is a spur, an allusion to the storied past of the Cavalry branch that also symbolizes quick-response and mobility. The black background of the insignia is the color of dependability, determination, and 24-hour mission capability. “Always In The Lead” is the Battalion motto.
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.
Full guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1,
Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia."