Originally constituted as the 83rd Division in the National Army on 5 August 1917, the 83rd U.S. Army Reserve Readiness Training Center’s lineage and history includes service in World War I as a Depot Division in France (source of replacement troops for front-line units) as well as five World War II campaigns (Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe). Nicknamed “Thunderbolt,” it was redesignated as the 83rd U.S. Army Reserve Command in January 1970 following a five-year inactivation. It was given its current assignment as a Reserve Readiness Training Center on 27 November 2013 and activated on 6 February 2014 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. As of Winter 2024, it remains stationed at Fort Knox where it is part of the U.S. Army Readiness Training Academy.
The 83rd U.S. Army Reserve Readiness Training Center Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI), also called a unit crest, was originally approved for the Headquarters and Military Police Company, 83rd Division on 8 December 1942. Since then, it has been approved for the HHC, 83rd Infantry Division (November 1951), the non-color bearing units of the 83rd Infantry Division (RTU) (February 1966), the 83rd U.S. Army Reserve Command (January 1970), and finally its current designation on 27 November 2013.
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The Institute of Heraldry’s description of the insignia begins by calling the cross a “crusader’s cross,” but a more accurate term comes later in the description when it is referred to as “the Moline form of the cross.” In addition to denoting leadership and thus symbolizing the functions of the organization, the Moline cross in heraldry is also a mark of cadency (sequence) that stands for the eighth in a series; in addition to the mullet (star), which is a mark of cadency for the 3rd, the insignia displays the numerical designation of the unit. The unit motto FULGE translates as “Shine Forth.”Distinctive Unit Insignias (DUIs) 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 (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.
For Enlisted personnel, the insignia is centered on a shoulder loop by placing it an equal distance from the outside shoulder seam to the outside edge of the shoulder-loop button. Officers (except Generals) wearing grade insignia on the shoulder loops center the DUI by placing it an equal distance between the inside edge of the grade insignia and the outside edge of the button.
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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83rd United States Army Reserve Readiness Training Center Patch (SSI)