U.S. ARMY 136TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT UNIT CREST (DUI)

The 136th Field Artillery was constituted in June 1936 in the Ohio National Guard and assigned to the 37th Division (later designated the 37th Infantry Division). Nearly ten months elapsed from the unit’s induction into Federal Service in October 1940 before the Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI), or unit crest, for the 136th Field Artillery Regiment was approved; it was redesignated for the 13th FA Battalion on 25 August 1942, then redesignated once again for the 136th FA Regiment in 1960 and yet again in 1972.

The imagery used in the unit crest is about as a subtle as a creeping artillery barrage. On a red shield (red is the color of Artillery) is a golden powder charge and, beneath it a similarly colored rammer. Beneath this imagery is the encouragement “Push On,” which could be a generic exhortation to keep up a fight or, more likely, a precise instruction on how to deal with the powder charge using the rammer. According to multiple reliable sources, both the rammer and powder charge are unique to the 155mm howitzer that was used with such efficacy in World War II.

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 (Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.

For Enlisted personnel, the insignia is 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.

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.