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.
Enlisted personnel wear the insignia 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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The Institute of Heraldry, the most authoritative source on the origin, history, and symbolism of Army insignia, patches, and other heraldic items does not have a listing for the 279th Support Battalion. Without such an official source, only generalities can be made regarding the symbolism of its meaning and color patterns, but the sparse design of this insignia—simply a knight rendered in black on a gold shield—has none of the images or design patterns (millrind, chevron, counterchanged colors) typically associated with Support organizations. The “Maximum Support” motto, in fact, appears to be the only clear sign pointing to the unit’s Support role.
Located in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, the unit's home station of Bamberg fell within the purview of the 98th Area Support Group, the 279th Base Support Battalion’s parent organization. The primary military units the Battalion supported were from V Corps, 1st Infantry Division, and 3rd Corps Support Command, and small organizations.
The Battalion was ultimately responsible for all the functions one might expect from a small local government, including infrastructure construction and maintenance, housing, law enforcement, some social services, and overall administration. It took a great deal of care to keep up the morale of non-military residents living in its domain, providing a large variety of activities including sports leagues, fitness programs, libraries, arts facilities, moving theaters, shopping destinations, etc.
Simultaneously, it had to ensure that its “townsfolk”—i.e., military units and their individual personnel—had the materiel and resources necessary to perform their missions, from Signals and Military Intelligence to Air Defense Artillery, Armor, and Infantry. How well it performed this balancing act is evinced by the fact that it was regularly seen as a top military Support organization by the Army Community of Excellence (ACOE) program for more than ten years in a row; in fact, it had been awarded the ACOE Chief of Staff three ears running.
In 2005, the 279th Support Battalion (Base) was inactivated and reflagged as the U.S. Army Garrison Bamberg.