The Distinctive Unit Insignia worn by members of the 429th Brigade Support Battalion was approved on 22 October 1992 for the 429th Support Battalion, which was organized from new and existing units in the Virginia Army National Guard, with the lineage of some of the existing units dating back to the Civil War.
Also called a unit crest or a DUI, the 429th Support Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia features a shield divided into quadrants of blue and gray to commemorate the heritage and tradition of the state of Virginia; the four quarters, in combination with a millstone denoting support, refers to the four major areas of service the unit provides (Administration, Medical, Maintenance, and Supply & Transport). An upright spear is a reference to Virtus triumphant over Tyranny as displayed on the state seal (although Virtus is holding the spear point down on the seal). "Support Is Survival" is the Battalion motto.
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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While the Battalion as a whole has not yet been determined to have earned any campaign credits in the War on Terrorism, the lineages of the existing units used to create the Battalion yields a great number of campaigns credited to individual companies:
Company | Campaigns |
Headquarters | 11 Civil War (Confederate), 2 World War I |
“A” | 4 World War II (Arrowhead for Normandy) |
“B” | 4 World War II |
“E” | 4 World War II (Arrowhead for Normandy) |
“G” | 2 World War I, 1 World War 2 |
Similarly, the Battalion as whole has no military decorations, but Company A was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation and French Croix de Guerre with Palm for action during the Normandy landings, while Company E was tapped for two Presidential Unit Citations (Normandy, Vire), a Meritorious Unit Commendation for support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006-2007, and two French Croix de Guerre, one with a Palm device (Normandy landings) and a second for Vire. Company F was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its service with the 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment in Iraq from 2007-2008, and Company G was also honored with a French Croix de Guerre with Palm for its courage and heroism during the Normandy landings.
As of Autumn 2023, the 429th Brigade Support Battalion remains an active unit in the Virginia Army National Guard. It is assigned to the 116th Brigade Combat Team and is headquartered in Danville, Virginia.