UNITED STATES ARMY EUROPE AND AFRICA UNIT CREST (DUI)

According to the description at The Institute of Heraldry Web site, the Distinctive Unit Insignia of United States Army Europe was originally approved on 27 July 1970 but was cancelled with an effective date of 16 July 2009. However, it goes on to state that the “insignia was reinstated for United States Army Europe on 7 July 2009, revoking the upcoming effective cancellation" (the announcement of the cancellation obviously preceded this decision).

It was cancelled again, this time with an effective revocation date of 17 April 2010, but was reinstated on 21 January 2011. On 20 November 2020, the Army consolidated U.S. Army Europe and U.S. Army Africa to create a single force, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, and on 22 January—ten years to the day plus one from the time of the insignia's most recent reinstatement—it was redesignated for U.S. Army Europe and Africa.

“Sword Of Freedom,” motto of United States Army Europe and Africa, is visually rendered on the Distinctive Unit Insignia with an upright, flaming sword; the upright position denotes military strength, while the flames highlight military strength. The red flames (red is for courage and sacrifice), blue scroll (blue = loyalty and faithfulness), white blade (white is for pure and noble thoughts and intentions), and gold handle (gold is for excellence and high achievement) are a nod to the colors used on the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia for United States Army Europe and Africa.

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Also known as a unit crest or DUI, a 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. Current regulations do not permit the DUI to be worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.

Enlisted personnel wear the insignia centered on a shoulder loop by placing it an equal distance from the outside shoulder seam to the outside edge of the shoulder-loop button. Officers (except Generals) wearing grade insignia on the shoulder loops center the DUI by placing it an equal distance between the inside edge of the grade insignia and the outside edge of the button.

More 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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UNITED STATES ARMY EUROPE AND AFRICA UNIT CREST (DUI)