A chameleon scaling the wall of a Korean Castle in the center of the 84th Engineer Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI), or unit crest, hints at the unit’s heritage: it was originally constituted as the 602nd Camouflage Battalion, Corps of Engineers. The gold and red of the castle and streamers are a reference to the unit’s service in Vietnam, with the tridents on either side of the castle alluding units bestowed upon the battalion by the Navy. The Battalion’s extensive service in Korea—it took part in all ten campaigns of the Korean War and was the recipient of a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, among other awards—is epitomized by the castle itself.
A Distinctive Unit Insignia was first approved for the 84th Engineer Battalion on 20 August 1941, but it wasn’t this one. The unit crest the Battalion wore for over twenty-five years was replaced with the one you see here on 30 March 1967.
Distinctive Unit Insignias are 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. 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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The 84th Engineer Battalion was originally constituted as a Camouflage battalion in 1931, and after a brief stint as the 84th Engineer Battalion it was once again designated as a Camouflage unit—the 84th Engineer Camouflage Battalion—before it was deployed to fight in World War II, where it earned a half-dozen campaign streamers and an Arrowhead device for the Southern France campaign commemorating its planned participation in an assault landing.
Designated as the 84th Engineer Construction Battalion before the start of the Korean War, the unit took part in every campaign of that conflict, earning two awards from the U.S. Navy (Presidential Unit Citation and a Navy Unit Commendation), three Meritorious Unit Commendations, and a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. It was equally active during the Vietnam War, garnering four Meritorious Unit Commendations and Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class, putting real meaning behind its unit motto “Never Daunted.”
Officially credited with participation in two campaigns in the War on Terrorism (more may be added to it later), the Battalion has been awarded three Meritorious Unit commendations for its service between 2004 and 2011. Currently, the Battalion is stationed in Hawaii and is assigned to the 130th Engineer Brigade.