The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, or SHAPE, is the designation of the headquarters of the NATO Allied Command Operations. The name dates back to 1951 and General Dwight Eisenhower’s April 1951 activation order for Allied Command Europe (ACE), with SHAPE being designated as the headquarters for Officers and Commanders from the twelve member nations (symbolized by the twelve rays on the organization's Distinctive Unit Insignia, see below).
With his order, the headquarters was moved to Rocquencourt, roughly twenty-five kilometers west of Paris, where a special headquarters building was erected over the next three months. SHAPE remained at Rocquencourt until 1967, when France’s decision to remove the military structure of NATO led to the HQ being relocated to the village of Casteau in the Belgian municipality of Mons.
SHAPE served as headquarters for Allied Command Europe sine its inceptions until 2003, when it became the headquarters of Allied Command Operations and assumed control of all NATO operations around the globe. While this necessitated the expansion of its geographical scope of activities beyond the area traditionally associated with Europe, the name SHAPE was kept for legal necessities. Similarly, the commander of NATO’s Allied Command Operations” is still called the “Supreme Allied Commander Europe,” a position that is held by a four-star U.S. General who is dual-hatted as Commander, U.S. European Command.
The motto "Serving SHAPE Proudly" points to the wearer as part of the U.S. Army Element serving at SHAPE.
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Also known as a unit crest or DUI, a 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.