U.S. ARMY 417TH SIGNAL BATTALION UNIT CREST (DUI)

Orange and white, official branch colors of the Signal Corps, predominate in the 417th Signal Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia, with its red and white elements suggested by the colors of the Florida State flag since the unit was a unit in the Florida National Guard and later Florida Army National Guard. Additionally, the use of blue, white, and red in such close proximity to each other is a reference to the tri-color flag of France, where the organization served during World War I, and is also a nod to the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation the unit won for its service in the Southern Philippines campaign of World War II. “Guards The Peace” was the unit motto.

A pair of lightning flashes converge to simulate an arrowhead, the palms above them are a reference to tropical growth, the wavy blue lines and gold area denote an island, and the seven-pointed white star is taken from the flag of Australia. Together, these symbolize Australia, the location where the unit was activated during World War II; New Guinea, site of an assault landing in which the organization participated in during World War II; and the wavy blue bars recall the Presidential Unit Citation it was awarded for the action.

Despite its long history (1897 to 1963) as an Infantry organization, the unit was not authorized a Distinctive Unit Insignia until 1970 when it was approved one as the 53rd Signal Group. That insignia was redesignated for the 53rd Signal Brigade on 5 August 1986 before being redesignated for the 417th Signal Battalion on 18 July 1998.

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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Originally organized on 4 March 1897 as the Company C (Governor’s Guards), 4th Battalion of Infantry in the Florida State Troops, the 417th Signal Battalion was designated to served as an Infantry organization for the vast majority of its service life. It would serve as an Infantry unit until it became the HHC, 260th Engineer Group in February 1963, and another five years would elapse before it received its first designation as a Signal Corps Unit as the HHD, 53rd Signal Group after consolidating with the 489th Medical Detachment in 1968. In October 1985, it was redesignated as HHC, 53rd Signal Brigade, and it did not receive its final designation as the 417th Signal Battalion until 1 October 1997.

The 417th Signal Battalion is no longer an active unit. It is unclear whether it was inactivated/deactivated or redesignated, reorganized, or converted to another type of unit, with the last mention of it coming in 2003.

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U.S. ARMY 417TH SIGNAL BATTALION UNIT CREST (DUI)