More commonly referred to as a “unit crest” or a DUI, the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 478th Personnel Company features a pair of crossed quill pens with an upright sword superimposed over them at their intersection; the pens denote administrative functions and the sword represents the individual Soldiers receiving support from the Company. “Service With Distinction” is the unit motto.
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" and 21–3(d) and (e),
"Beret" and
"Garrison Cap," respectively.
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The Company was originally designated as the 478th Replacement Company when it was constituted on 21 January 1944. Activated the following month, the Company would wind up participating in five campaigns in the European Theater of World War II before inactivation in June 1946 in Belgium. It was allotted to the Organized Reserves (forerunner of the Army Reserve) on 18 March 1947 and remained a Reserve unit for the rest of its service life.
In November 1967, the Company was redesignated as the 478th Personnel Service Company. It was ordered into active military service on 25 January 1991 at Chicago in support of Operation Desert Storm and was released from active service on 1 June 1991. It would undergo both a reorganization and a redesignation on 17 September 1995 to become the 478th Personnel Services Battalion.
It would retain this designation for a period of thirteen years minus one day when it was again reorganized and redesignated as the 478th Personnel Company. Deployed to Iraq in 2009, elements from the Company would be recognized for their outstanding service with a Meritorious Unit Commendations.
In 2012, a Detachment from the 478th Personnel Company serving with the 15th Sustainment Brigade was awarded a MUC for service between19 September 2009 to 2 July 2010, and on the same day (4 April 2012) that award was announced, another Detachment from the Company—this one assigned to the 82nd Sustainment Brigade—was tapped for a MUC for its service between January and December 2010.
Note: The organization for which this unit was last officially designated does not appear to be active and may have been redesignated, inactivated, or disbanded, or consolidated or merged with another unit.