The U.S. Army Alaska Distinctive Unit Insignia—also called a unit crest or a DUI for short—was first approved on 11 May 1970 for U.S. Army Alaska. It was rescinded on 28 September 1976, but then was reinstated for U.S. Army Alaska on 7 May 1996.
A single star on a blue background of this eye-catching insignia stands fore the North Star, which can also be seen on the state flag of Alaska. A series of stacked, gold rays form an archway that symbolizes the mission of U.S. Army Alaska as the first line of defense an enemy would encounter trying to aggressively enter North America; they also allude to the Northern Lights.
A totem pole bookended by stylized snow-covered peaks is reminiscent of Alaska, with the totem pole featuring an American eagle as depicted by an Alaskan Indian possessing penetrating eyesight and phenomenal hearing alluding to the alertness and protection provided by U.S. Army Alaska (USARAK).
The first iteration of what would become today’s United States Army Alaska was created in January 1947 as Alaskan Command, but this soon was redesignated as U.S Army Alaska, or USARAL.
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U.S. Army Alaska Patch (SSI)
U.S. Army Alaska Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)Among the many military missions given to USARAL were ground and air defense of the territory of Alaska (not a State until 1959), in particular the areas of Anchorage and Fairbanks; carrying out training of National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve personnel; using the climate to develop cold-weather tactics and the terrain to form mountain-warfare doctrines; and serve as a front-line defense against incoming ballistic missiles (from the USSR, of course). Several Nike Hercules missile battalions were located in the areas around Fairbanks and Anchorage; these operations lasted until 1979.
USARAL was discontinued as a major subordinate command on 31 December 1972 and in its place the 172nd Infantry Brigade assume command and control of the region. It was replaced by the 6th Infantry Division in 1986, which in turn was inactivated and replaced by the current United States Army Alaska in 1993.