Also referred to as a unit crest, the Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) of United States Army Alaska features the same design as the organization’s Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (SSI) that was originally approved for the Alaskan Defense Command on 24 March 1943. The insignia was redesignated for the Alaskan Department on 31 December 1943 and then given its current designation for the Headquarters, United States Army Alaska on 1 March 1949.
A five-pointed star above the head of a polar bear symbolizes the North Star, also known as Polaris and referred to as the pole star. The bear’s head is a reference to the constellation or Ursa Major, Latin for the Great Bear, which in ancient mythology is the guardian and protector of the North Star.
The Combat Service ID Badge is the blue Army Service Uniform’s equivalent of the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia – Military Operations in Hostile Conditions, or SSI-MOHC, that was once worn on the Army Green Uniform and is now worn on Army Green Service Uniform. The SSI-MOHC was previously designated as the SSI-FWTS (Shoulder Sleeve Insignia – Former Wartime Service).
Related Items
U.S. Army Alaska Shoulder Patch (SSI)
U.S. Army Alaska Unit Crest (DUI)