Commonly called a unit crest or DUI for short, the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 262nd Quartermaster Battalion prominently features a black globule representing petroleum, an allusion to the unit’s longtime mission to provide for the distribution, storage, and quality control of petroleum delivered to unit the Battalion supports.
The drop of petroleum is positioned so that it appears to be flowing from a Quartermaster Wheel in the center of the insignia, with thirteen spokes and thirteen stars inside and around the wheel respectively recalling the heritage of the Quartermaster Corps that goes back to our nation’s founding; it also symbolizes the transportation aspect of the petroleum-supply mission of the organization. Two red flashes are references to the Battle Honors the Battalion earned in France and Germany during World War II. “Life Line To Victory” is the unit motto.
The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 15 Feb 1967. Full 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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Established on 13 March 1942, the 262nd Quartermaster Battalion (Service) (Colored) was called into service on 28 July 1942, one of many all-black units activated during World War II. It would take part in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland campaigns and was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for its courageous service during the Normandy landings.
Inactivated in 1946, the unit was reactivated as the 262nd Quartermaster Battalion (Petroleum) at Fort Lee, Virginia in January 1967. Deployed to Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, the Battalion’s mission was to support pipeline-monitoring operations and provide wholesale distribution of bulk petroleum, as well as conduct surveillance and petroleum storage operations. It was during this time that the unit took up the motto “Life Line To Victory” as recognition of the importance of petroleum to conducting any military operation. In all, the Battalion took part in ten campaigns in Vietnam and was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its exceptional service.
Since 1987, the Battalion has been stationed at Fort Gregg-Adams (formerly named Fort Lee) in Virginia and is currently assigned to the 23rd Quartermaster Brigade. It carries out training and support for Soldiers in four Advanced Individual Training Departments: Aerial Delivery Field Services, Petroleum and Water, Joint Mortuary Affairs Center, and Paralegal, the most recent addition to the Battalion’s training lineup.