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."♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The 773rd Maintenance Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI), or unit crest, was originally approved for the 2222nd Engineer Battalion. On 1 December 1967, Headquarters, 2222nd Engineer Battalion was consolidated with Headquarters Detachment, 139th Signal Battalion, with the consolidated unit being reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 2222nd Engineer Battalion.
The 2222nd Engineer Battalion was then converted and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 773rd Supply and Service Battalion, and the insignia was redesignated for it, a process that was repeated when the unit was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 773rd Maintenance Battalion on 1 April 1982. On 1 February 1993, the HHD, 773rd Maintenance Battalion was consolidated with the 3673rd Maintenance Company and the new unit given the latter’s designation.
But the 773rd Maintenance Battalion must have remained in the Army’s Tables of Organization and Equipment following the consolidation, because on 1 May 1993 this insignia was cancelled and a new insignia was designated for the Battalion. This new insignia had a new motto, “LES CHARROIS,” and remained designated for the 773rd Maintenance Battalion until it was redesignated for the 773rd Military Police Battalion, which presumably was formed through the redesignation of the 773rd Maintenance Battalion. (Click here to see the LES CHARROIS insignia.)
The Institute of Heraldry does not have an entry for the 773rd Maintenance Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia per se, but a basic knowledge of the unit’s lineage and history and an understanding of heraldic charges can tell us the symbolism of the imagery. A fleur-de-lis in the center is most likely a commemoration of wartime service in France, probably World War II. Because these units were based in Louisiana, the crescent is obviously a reference to New Orleans. “Come What May” was the organization’s motto.