The 179th Air Defense Artillery Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia (also known as a DUI or a unit crest) was first approved for the 179th Field Artillery Regiment on 24 August 1940. Three years later it was redesignated for the 179th Field Artillery Battalion (August 1943), and in September 1956 it was redesignated for the 179th Armored Field Artillery Battalion. It would be changed again, for the 179th Artillery Regiment, on 25 April 1961. Its last redesignation came on 18 February 1999 when it was approved for the organization’s last designation, the 179th Air Defense Artillery.
A gray saltire denoting Confederate service in the Civil War divides the shield into four quadrants, with the bottom two in red to commemorate the organization’s past service as an Artillery unit and the top two in blue to represent the unit’s Infantry origins. A giant cactus in the lower blue quadrant signifies service along the Mexican Border prior to World War I, while the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the 31st Division denotes service in that Division during World War I. IN BELLO PACEQUE PRIMUS, Latin for "First In War And Peace,” is the unit motto adopted from the Gate City Guards, the oldest existing company of the 179th Field Artillery.
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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. DUIs are not 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.