The 103rd Engineer Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia—commonly called a unit crest, or simply DUI for short—was originally approved for the 103rd Engineer Regiment of the Pennsylvania National Guard on 12 December 1931. It was redesignated for the 103rd Engineer Battalion, Pennsylvania Army National Guard on 3 September 1942, with a subsequent amendment to update the description and add symbolism on 1 June 2016.
A white shield is employed for the insignia to commemorate the old Infantry color, and blue chevronels signify that the organization served during the Civil War and World War I as Infantry. Ten mullets (stars) represent ten Civil War campaigns, and six fleurs-de-lis are for six World War I campaigns. A red lion indicates service in the War of 1812, and the red border is used to identify the unit as now being part of the Corps of Engineers. PARATUS is Latin for “Ready.”
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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To recount the full history and lineage of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 103rd Engineer Battalion would take a novella: It was constituted over 270 years ago on 7 December 1747 through the official recognition of the Military Association of the City of Philadelphia, founded on 21 November 1747 at Philadelphia by Benjamin Franklin.
Yes, Benjamin Franklin.
The “Dandy First” Battalion’s combat history includes participation in more than three dozen campaigns spanning the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, and World War I and II, with the possible addition of campaigns from the War on Terrorism. Surprisingly, the Battalion’s number of military decorations is quite small—just the Luxembourg Cross de Guerre for the entire Battalion, and a Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Citation, and a citation in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army from World War II for its Support Company (Philadelphia) and a Meritorious Unit Citation for its Company C (2005).
As of Summer 2023, the 103rd Engineer Battalion is assigned to the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania Army National Guard.