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.Approved in November 1968 when the Brigade was designated the 160th Signal Group, the 160th Signal Brigade Distinctive Unit Insignia features a semi-dragon that is an emblem of the unit’s extensive combat service in Vietnam on an orange background; orange is one of the Signal Corps’ official colors. Two black wings with fleur-de-lis stand for the unit’s service in France and Germany during World War II, while the red lightning flashes represent combat communications. “Finest of the First,” the unit motto, is emblazoned at the top of the crest.
Following a dozen years of inactivation, the 160th Signal Brigade was reactivated 16 October 2003 in Kuwait to provide battle-command communications and manage the Army’s first effort to implement C4 (Command, Communications, Control, and Computers) network capabilities in a modern-day combat environment. On 2 February 2009, the HHC of the 160th Signal Brigade was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) for its service between 22 July 2004 and 21 July 2005 in providing a full suite of communications services not only for Army units, but also for Joint and Combined operations.
The Brigade earned another MUC in 2013 for its role in facilitating the drawdown of United States Armed Forces in the Iraq Joint Area of Operations between September 2010 and September 2011. Serving as the main communication hub in the United States Central Command Theater, the Brigade maintained a network that allowed critical U.S. government officials to communicate securely and quickly at a time of high-paced operations.
Related Items160th Signal Brigade Patch (SSI)160th Signal Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)