The 321st Military Intelligence Battalion was first constituted in the Army of the United States as the 321st Headquarters Intelligence Detachment and activated in Germany on 14 July 1945. It would be inactivated in November 1946 in Germany and was allotted to the Organized Reserves in February 1947 (these became the Army Reserves in 1952) and activated the same month. It would be redesignated a couple of more times before it was given its current numerical designation by being reorganized and redesignated as HQ, 321st Military Intelligence Battalion on 24 October 1950.
It was soon inactivated in March 1953 and would remain so for more than three decades. On 13 February 1996, it was redesignated on 13 February 1996 as HQ, HQ and Service Company, 321st Military Police Battalion and its organic elements constituted at the same time.
Since the launch of the War on Terrorism, the Battalion has deployed to Southwest Asia and Afghanistan in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. In 2006-2007, a detachment from the Battalion assigned to Joint Task Force-76 was later (September 2009) awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation.
In March 2011, the Battalions HHC, Companies B and C, and three Detachments from Company A were all tapped for an MUC for service between November 2009 and August 2010. And Company C was awarded another MUC in May 2011 for its service between October 2010 and April 2011 while assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment. As of Autumn 2023, the Battalion is assigned to 259th Military Intelligence Brigade, Military Intelligence Readiness Command, U.S. Army Reserve and is stationed in Austin, Texas.
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Commonly called a unit crest or DUI for short, the 321st Military Intelligence Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia was approved on 16 September 1997. Its oriental blue field is the branch color of the Military Intelligence Corps. “From Darkness To Light,” the unit motto, is illustrated through the use of counterchanged roundels of oriental blue and white. The roundels are also used to denote the numeric designation of the unit.istinctive 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.