Originally approved for the 156th Military Police Battalion on 6 June 1975 but redesignated for the 231st MP Battalion on 1 September 1981, this Distinctive Unit Insignia employs a gold saltire with a dual meaning: it symbolizes confidence and support while also referencing the design of the state flag of Alabama, the unit’s home state. A gold star placed on the center of the saltire is a sign of authority, while the black disc upon which it rests suggests wisdom and prudence. The yellow (gold) and green on the annulet are the branch colors of the Military Police Corps; the annulet itself is a symbol of total control. "In Trust" is the Battalion motto.
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. 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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The 231st Military Police Battalion was originally organized and constituted on 11 November 1925 in the Alabama National Guard at Prattville as Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 167th Infantry. It has held several designations over the decades, primarily as an Infantry organization but also as HQ and HQC, 131st Transportation Battalion, 131st Supply and Transport Battalion, and the 229th Heavy Equipment Maintenance Company. It received its current designation on 1 November 1972.
The Distinctive Unit Insignia was originally approved for the 156th Military Police Battalion on 6 June 1975. It was redesignated effective 1 September 1981, for the 231st Military Police Battalion.
The 231st Military Police Battalion most recently made the news as it took part in an exercised titled Saber Guardian 23 during the Summer of 2023. A component of Defender Europe 23, Saber Guardian 23 is an exercise co-led by Romanian Land Forces and the U.S. Army locations throughout Romania in which personnel from both forces engage in events such as vehicle road marches, medical training exercises, and river crossings in order to improve the integration of multinational combat forces.
As of Autumn 2023, the Battalion remains a part of the Alabama Army National Guard and is stationed at Prattville, Alabama.