A major component of the Guam Army National Guard, the 294th Infantry Regiment comprises a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, four Companies of Infantry, and a Field Artillery detachment (HQ and HQ Battery, 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery Regiment). In 2002, a detachment from the Regiment’s 1st Battalion were deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the first of three deployments to that country.
In 2010, a detachment from C Company, 1st Battalion was honored with a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its outstanding service in Afghanistan between 21 July 2009 and 21 March 2010. That same year, Guam was in the news when Congressman Hank Johnson, during hearings regarding the possible deployment of 8,000 Marines to the island, voiced concerns that adding that many troops to the island might cause it top “tip over and capsize.”
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Often referred to as a unit crest or DUI for short, the 294th Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia was approved on 29 September 1993. A wavy blue and white field is an emblem of the Pacific Ocean, while the rifle represents the combat readiness of the Infantry. A cutlass commemorates the origins of the Guam National Guard in 1917 as the Navy-founded Guam Militia, and the slingstone is a long-established symbol of the island. MASEHA NGAI’AN YAN MANU, the unit motto, translates as “Anywhere, Anytime.”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.
More 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.