Known colloquially as a unit crest, the Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) of the U.S. Army Regional Health Command-Pacific was originally approved on 18 December 2012 for the Pacific Regional Medical Command. It was subsequently amended in order to correct both the description and the symbolism on 26 April 2013 before being redesignated, with appropriate changes to the symbolism, for the U.S. Army Regional Health Command, Pacific on 1 October 2016. Following the redesignation of the Regional Health Command, Pacific to the U.S. Army Medical Readiness Command, Pacific, this inisignia was redesignated for the latter organization on 14 April 2022.
The main portion of the insignia is a shield of blue, a color that in heraldry often represents water; here it also represents healing and the purity of the Command’s intentions in supporting and providing the treatment of wounded, injured, and ill soldiers. On the shield is a tortoise with a red cross superimposed on its shell; the insignia’s description of the symbolism says nothing about this image, so one can only assume that sea tortoises are abundant in the area of Hawaii where Command installations are located.
Behind the shield and extremely difficult to discern are a crossed Rod of Aesculapius (also spelled Asclepius) in bend (diagonally from upper left to lower right) and a
leiomano, a Hawaiian warrior’s weapon crafted with shark teeth in bend sinister (vice-versa of bend). The Rod of Aesculapius is a centuries-old image that alludes to medical treatment and care, and here it is oriented so the snake is “reaching” toward the leiomano to symbolize the provision of medical treatment of warriors.
This dedication to providing the health and medical treatment of Service Members serving throughout the Pacific Rim during both war and peace is reinforced with the Command’s motto,
Na Koa Imua, a Hawaiian phrase that translates as “Warriors Go Forth.”
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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.
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.