The 118th Field Artillery Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI), also called a unit crest by many Soldiers, was originally approved on 26 June 1930. It has been redesignated numerous times since then, including for the 118th Field Artillery Battalion (redesignation August 1842), 118th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (May 1956), and 118th Artillery Regiment (April 1961) before being rescinded on 14 February 1975. It was reinstated and redesignated for the 188th Field Artillery Regiment on 10 November 1992 and its description was amended on 1 November 2004.
NESCIT CEDERE, the Regimental motto, is a Latin phrase meaning “He Knows No Surrender.” Taken from the family crest of Georgia luminary James Ogelthorpe, founder of the colony of Georgia, it also serves as the motto for Ogelthorpe University. The lion and fleur-de-lis signify service in he Revolutionary War and First World War, while the gray saltire reflects Civil War service for the Confederacy.
Distinctive Unit Insignias 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. 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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Organized in the Georgia Army National Guard, the 118th Field Artillery Regiment’s only active Battalion as of 2023 is the 1st, which is assigned to the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and is headquartered in Savannah, Georgia. The 118th FA can trace its origins to the organization of four volunteer companies on 18 April 1751 in the George Militia in the District of Savannah, making it one of just a few National Guard companies with battle honors from both the Revolutionary War and War of 1812; its other Regimental campaign streamers include six from the Civil War (serving the Confederate Army), one from World War I (uninscribed), and five from World War II. (Please note that several units in the Regiment's 1st Battalion—its HQ Battery, Service Battery, and Batteries A, B, and C—are individually entitled to a substantial number of additional campaigns.
Regimental decorations include Four Meritorious Unit Commendations during World War Two, a French Croix de Guerre with Palm, and a Belgian Fourragere (for two citations in the Order of the Belgian Army). HQ Battery, 1st Battalion is individually entitled to a World War II Presidential Unit Citation and a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for service in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, while Battery B, 1st Battalion was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its action in Southwest Asia (i.e., First Gulf War). In 2010, the 1st Battalion’s HQ Battery and Batteries A and B were awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2010 for their May 2009-March 2010 deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.