Organized and Federally recognized 10 March 1951 in the Alabama Army National Guard at Eufaula as Battery D, 278th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, the unit eventually designated as the 1103rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB) went on to serve in whatever capacity it was needed, whether as Antiaircraft Artillery, Infantry, Military Police, Transportation, or Support.
During the First Gulf War, it deployed as the 1103rd Transportation Battalion in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, earning a Meritorious Unit Commendation and all three campaign streamers from the conflict. And as a Support Battalion, it returned to the region four more times between 2004 and 2014, garnering a second Meritorious Unit Commendation for its 2007-2008 deployment as part of the “Iraqi Surge.” WhILE under state control following its last tour in support of the War on Terrorism, the 1103rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion was a component of the 111th Ordnance Group up until 2017, when it was assigned to the 135th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). As of Autumn 2023, the 1103rd CSSB is assigned to the 122nd Troop Command, Alabama Army National Guard.
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The 1103rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia, also called a DUI or “unit crest,” was first approved on 12 March 1971 while the unit was still designated as the 1103rd Transportation. It was redesignated for the 1103rd Support Battalion on 24 October 1997. The insignia’s brick red and yellow (gold) tones denote the organization’s status as a Transportation Corps unit at the time the insignia was first authorized. A wheel, the emblem of mobility, is an allusion to the organization’s motor-transport mission, with a gold hub denoting depot and terminal operations and the stokes simulating roads.
Beneath the wheel, the wavy bar with directional arrows on both ends is a symbol of the Battalion’s ability to evaluate the flow of traffic and calculate the most efficient routing of vehicles. The saltire formed by the spokes set on white background recalls the saltire of the state flag of Alabama. A pair of cotton plants recalls the crest of the Alabama Army National Guard coat of arms, as well as the cotton mills found in the Battalion’s home city of Eufaula. “God And Country” is the Battalion motto.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.