Inactivated in 2005, the 212th Signal Battalion was consti-tuted in the Arkansas Army National Guard on 1 January 1954 and was organized a few months later on 3 May 1954 with its HQ in the state capital of Little Rock. Over the course of its five decades of service, the Battalion was ordered in active service on several occasions, most notably during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004-2005. Although the Battalion as whole did not earn credit for participation in any military campaigns, the lineage of Company A included units that fought in the Aleutian Islands, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns, while Company C's forebears also took part in the Aleutian Islands campaign.
The Battalion was demobilized in 1991.
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Commonly known as a unit crest or DUI, the 212th Signal Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia was approved on 9 February 1956. Its orange shield and white (silver) border and devices reflect the unit’s status as a Signal Corps organization, with the diamond in the middle suggested by the state flag of Arkansas, the unit’s home area, as well as the capital of Little Rock, once home to the Battalion's HQ. The diamond also suggests a radio antenna, with the disc holding the star simulating the diaphragm in telephonic devices and thus symbolizing the sound board for various types of signal apparatus. The unit motto “Communications Always” reflected the Battalion’s commitment to mission success.
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.