The design of the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 4th Signal Battalion was first approved on 19 February 1943 while the unit was designated the 4th Armored Signal Battalion (it had been given that designation on the December 1 of the preceding year); it would be restored to its original designation as 4th Signal Battalion in June 1944. During the Second World War, it would take part in the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns before inactivation on 29 September 1945.
Redesignated 4th Signal Battalion, Corps in 1949, the Battalion was part of X Corps and took part in every campaign in the Korean War, earning four Meritorious Unit Commendations and two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations. Following a series of inactivations and activations, the Battalion was activated at West Point on 1 May 1966. It is currently not active, but the date when it was inactivated or disbanded is not clear.
Four mountains with lightning flashes between them are the centerpiece of the 4th Signal Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia, which is commonly called a DUI or a unit crest. The mountains represent California, the state where the unit was first activated at Camp Young; lightning flashes are a traditional Signal Corps icon indicating immediate contact. A bear’s head above the mountains is a reference to the California grizzly and is an allusion to the ferocity of that creature in the protection of its offspring and kindred. The Battalion’s success in fulfilling its mission is summed up in the motto, “We Get The Message Through.”
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Also known as a unit crest or DUI, the 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.
Full guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1,
Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia."