The 83rd Field Artillery Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia, commonly called a unit crest or simply a DUI, was originally approved on 15 November 1923 while the unit carried that designation. Other unit designations for which the insignia has been approved approved include the 83rd Field Artillery Battalion (approved October 1942), 83rd Armored Field Artillery Battalion (May 1943), 83rd Field Artillery Battalion (30 June 1950), 83rd Artillery Regiment (November 1958), and finally the 83rd Field Artillery Regiment again (September 1971).
A dual heritage as both a Cavalry and Artillery unit is denoted in the insignia by the use of the colors yellow and red, respectively. In the center of the shield, a blue chevronel refers to the Regiment’s brief overseas service in World War I, while a Cheyenne warbonnet is an allusion to the unit’s location in Wyoming when it was organized. A bear below the chevronel, taken from the crest of the state of California, is a reminder of service in the 8th Division while stationed at Camp Fremont, California. The canton in the upper left symbolizes the formation of the Regiment in 1917 using personnel transferred the 1st Cavalry Regiment (previously 1st Dragoons). The unit motto, FLAGRANTE BELLO, is a Latin phrase that translates in English as “Blazing Hostilities” (though other sources state the translation is “During Hostilities).Full 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 constituted as the 25th Cavalry on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army, the 83rd Field Artillery Regiment was converted and redesignated as the 83rd Field Artillery on 1 November 1917. Serving with the 8th Division, the Regiment was awarded an uninscribed World War I Victory streamer following the end of hostilities. After considerable administrative shuffling during the Interwar Years, the unit began 1941 (January 9) as the 83rd Field Artillery Battalion, assigned to the 8th Division; it was relieved from the 8th Division assignment in June and was reorganized and redesignated as the 83rd Field Artillery Battalion on 21 October 1942. Under this designation, the unit would go on to fight in five campaigns in the European Theater, and its performance in the Ardennes was cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army.
The unit did not serve in Korea, and in July 1959 it was again designated a parent regiment, the 83rd Artillery, in the Combat Arms Regimental System. Its units would serve in eleven Vietnam War campaigns before it was redesignated as 83rd Field Artillery in 1971. Vietnam marked the last combat action the Regiment’s units would see, though some were deployed overseas to Germany before inactivation. The 3rd Battalion, 83rd Field Artillery was the last unit to be inactivated on 15 January 1996.