The 1144th Transportation Battalion is an inactive unit of the Illinois Army National Guard that traces its origins to the organization of Troop D, Squadron of Cavalry in the Illinois National Guard on 8 July 1897. Over the decades, it underwent numerous redesignations that led it to serve in Artillery, Armor, Cavalry, Quartermaster and Transportation roles.
During World War I, for example, it fought in three campaigns—St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, and Lorraine 1918—while designated as Battery A, 124th Field Artillery, an element of the 33rd Division. Its World War II campaign credits include Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, and the Rhineland, and its exceptional record of service was recognized with two French Croix de Guerre with Palm awards and a French Croix de Guerre Fourragere.
Before its inactivation in 2011, it was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for the crucial support it provided as HQ and HQ Detachment,1144th Transportation Battalion during a 2007-2008 deployment to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of Joint Logistics Task Force 1444. Additionally, the Battalion’s HQ Detachment was awarded the Deployment Excellence runner-up award in the National Guard’s small-unit category.
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Commonly called a unit crest or DUI for short, the Distinctive Unit Insignia for the 1144th Transportation Battalion was originally approved on 2 March 1970 and was subsequently amended to update the description and symbolism with an effective date of 1 September 2006. The six wavy bands in the disc in the center is a traditional heraldic “charge” (design element) called a fountain. When combined with the star, the symbol use to denote capital cities on maps, it is a reference to Springfield, capital of Illinois and the location of the Battalion’s first headquarters. The wheel stands for all types of motorized transport and denote the organization’s branch affiliation, as does the use of the Transportation branch colors of brick red and gold. "How Much How Far," the Battalion motto, reflects the readiness of the unit to carry out its mission.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.