Commonly called a unit crest or DUI for short, the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 61st Medical Battalion was approved on 13 January 1943. A unicorn is used to illustrate the Battalion's functions: in ancient times, its horn was seen as a cure for any serious disease and was an antidote for all poisons. Oak trees symbolize the unit's sturdy growth, and lush grass is an emblem associated with Kentucky, the state where the unit was activated. INEST CLEMENTIA FORTI, Latin for “Mercy Is Inherent In The Brave,” expresses the qualities of the Battalion’s personnel in carrying out their duties.
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.
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The 61st Medical Battalion was originally constituted in the Army of the United States under that designation on 7 August 1942 and activated on 25 September 1942. In May 1944, the Battalion was broken up and all units save its Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment began new lineages. The Battalion earned campaign streamers for Normandy and Northern France, with an Arrowhead device denoting the Battalion’s participation in the landings at Normandy. It was also awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater and a French Croix de Guerre with Palm for the Normandy landing.
After an eighteen-year inactivation (1945 to 1963), the Battalion was allotted to the Regular Army and reactivated on 26 March 1963. Deployed to Vietnam, it served in fourteen of the War’s seventeen campaigns and was honored with a Meritorious Unit Commendation. Inactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington in February 1972, it was reactivated nearly twenty years later on 15 January 1993 at Fort Hood, then reorganized on 16 October 2000 to comprise Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 61st Medical Battalion with its organic elements concurrently inactivated. Since that time, the Battalion has been awarded two Meritorious Unit Commendations for two tours in Iraq (2005-2006, 2009-2010).
As of Summer 2023, the 61st Multifunctional Medical Battalion is assigned to the 1st Medical Brigade and is stationed at Fort Cavazos, previously designated Fort Hood.