Commonly referred to as a “unit crest” or a DUI, the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 169th Regiment was approved on 2 March 1927 while the organization was still designated the 169th Infantry Regiment. It was redesignated for the 169th Regiment on 17 September 1997 with a revised description and symbolism.
A white shield is used to signify the unit was in the Infantry branch while white was still the official color, and the blue saltire (“X”) is a symbol of Civil War service in the Union Army. The fleur-de-lis represents World War I service, while the giant cactus denotes service along the Mexican Border in 1916. A golden lion, taken from the British coat of arms, is placed on a red chief as an allusion to service against British “Red Coats” in the Revolutionary War. ARMIS STANT LEGES, the unit motto, is a Latin phrase that translates as “Laws Are Maintained By Force Of Arms.”
Distinctive Unit Insignias are 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. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
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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While the lineage of the 169th Regiment can be followed back to the 17th century and the forming of the Regiment of Hartford County in 1672, the Regiment considers the organization of the First Connecticut Regiment on 11 October 1739 as its official founding date. During the Revolutionary War, the unit fought in the Battle of Long Island and at Saratoga, and during the Way of 1812 they served as a deterrent to possible invading British forces along the coast Connecticut, making it one of a handful of active National Guard units with a heritage that includes War of 1812 campaign credits. It fought in the Battle of Bull Run during the Civil War, but when the enlistment period of the Regiment expired it was not reformed, though many of its Soldiers wound up fighting in other Connecticut regiments.
It was also mustered into service for the War with Spain and for Mexican Border duty, but did not leave the country in either case. During World War II, it served with the 43rd Infantry Division and took part in three campaigns in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater: New Guinea, Northern Solomons, and Luzon—before carrying out occupation duty for a brief period in Japan. Though it would be called into service during the Korean War, it was never deployed, and the action in the Pacific would be the last combat it would see before it was inactivated in 1992.
In 1997, the Regiment was reconstituted, reorganized, and redesignated as the 167th Regiment and assigned command of the Connecticut National Guard's 169th Regional Training Institute, a training facility for active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard Soldiers and Officers from across the Nation. On 19 January 2017, the 169th RTI was not only certified by U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command as an Institution of Excellence, but also received no negative remarks on any of the 28 specific accreditation-based functional areas.
As of Autumn 2023, the available courses offered by the 169th Regional Training Institute include Officer Candidate School (Phases 1 and 2), 68W Combat Medic Specialist (Transition and Phases 1-3), Comprehensive Medical Training (formerly designated as 68W Sustainment), 31B Basic Military Police (MOS Transition and Phases 1 and 2), and Common Faculty Development (Instructor Course).