Colloquially referred to as a unit crest, the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 387th Military Police Battalion was approved on 19 February 1952. It is crafted exclusively in green and gold, the official branch colors of the Military Police Corps, and the organization’s law enforcement function is symbolized by the design of the star, obviously inspired by the star on badges worn by U.S. Marshals and Sheriffs in the Old West. The shape immediately conjures vigilance in the mission to maintain law and order, one of the primary aspects of the Military Polce mission.
Inside the star is fleur-de-lis, which in U.S. military heraldry invariable denotes wartime service in France during the First or Second World War. In this case, it commemorates the fact that the Battalion was originally activated in France. This French connection is further emphasized with the unit motto “Toujours En Vedette,” French for “Aways Alert.”
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 (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."
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The 387th Military Police Battalion was awarded an uninscribed European-African-Middle Eastern Theater campaign, with the lack of a campaign or battle name merely indicating that not enough of the Battalion served together during a single campaign or battle to make it possible to credit all the Battalion for participation in said action.
Inactivated in December 1945, the Battalion was subsequently allotted to the Organized Reserves—predecessor of today’s Army Reserve—just over a year later, but it was not activated until 20 February 1947. The Battalion remained activated until New Year’s Eve, 1965, the start of an inactivation that lasted over forty-six years, ending on 16 September 2016.
Today, the 387th Military Police Battalion remains a unit in the Army Reserve, with its HQ and HQ Detachment based at Scottsdale, Arizona. It comprises three Military Police Companies and two Detachments and is assigned to the 11th Military Police Brigade, 200th Military Police Command.