Also known as a unit crest or DUI, the 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.
Full guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1,
Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia."
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The Distinctive Unit Insignia of the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team 3rd Infantry Division is cemented with the inscription of the unit motto “Vigilance And Honor” at the bottom. A blue stripe on a white background reflects the relationship between the Battalion and its role as support and the Brigade as unit of maneuver and combat. The buffalo in the upper portion recalls the 317th Engineer Battalion, an all-black unit which had direct ties to the “Buffalo Soldiers” of the 9th and 10th Divisions. A lighting flash represents the speed of data being received and sent, responsibilities of both Military Intelligence an Signal units. A red compass rose signifies the unit’s ability to deploy to any location in the word.
The design of the DUI, often a called unit crest, was the work of members of the Brigade in response to a call for submissions for an insignia to reflect the history and mission of the Special Troops Battalion, a new type of unit designed for incorporation into the new, modular Brigade Combat Teams. Derived from the Headquarters Company of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade, the Special Troops Battalion was established on 16 May 2004; the DUI was approved in September of the following year.
Before its inactivation in 2015, the unit—also known as the 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division—was recognized for its commitment to duty with two Meritorious Unit Commendations and an Army Superior Unit Award in the period between March 2007 and February 2015.