Commonly called a unit crest or DUI for short, the 983rd Engineer Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia was first approved for the 436rd Engineer Battalion on 29 May 1961. It was subsequently given its current designation for 983rd Engineer Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve on 8 April 1977. Scarlet and white, official branch colors of the Corps of Engineers, are counterchanged on the shield portion of the insignia to denote teamwork and cooperation.
Three upright spears, emblems associated with combat or military preparedness, are a reference to the three areas in which the Battalion served in the European Theater during World War II. Behind the spears is a protractor, an essential Engineer device that conveys the unit’s basic function. “Strike, Build, Hold” is the Battalion motto.
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. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
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Constituted in the Army of the United States as the 1260th Engineer Combat Battalion on 4 January 1944, the 983rd Engineer Battalion would not receive its current designation until December 1965, earning battle honors for three campaigns in Europe as the 1260th ECB. Several decades would pass before the organization, allotted to the Reserve back 1947, was called into active military duty again from 26 October 2004 until 23 April 2006. In 2008, the Battalion’s outstanding service between January and November 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi, specifically Task Force Liberty, was recognized when the unit was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation.
The Battalion’s most recent active military service came in 2018-2019 when the unit was deployed to several Middle East location, including parts of Syria, Iraq, and Kuwait, returning home to various bases in Ohio. The unit’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company is located Toledo, Ohio.