How and why do DUIs change often through reorganization or redesignation

[ksearl]

Hello - Non-military guy here...my Dad was in. I collect DUIs and to this day, I can't figure out why or how they change within units and get transferred to other units. If you look at lineage, there are countless occurrences where crests/DUIs change within the same battalion or battalions, regiments, etc. adopt new ones. A couple examples, both Mass National Guard:

 

26th Cavalry in the 60s-80s (armored cav) had a DUI with Yankee Eyes on it. That battalion was then re-designated the 1-110th Cavalry. They kept the DUI. Not sure the 26th has any lineage to the 26th Cavalry from earlier in the Philippines, but again confusing.

 

126th Signal Battalion had a crest, silver with the motto "So others may command"...in 1984, 220th Infantry was redesigned to the 126th Signal, and they took over their DUI...Currently, the 126th Signal is gone, and the 211th Military Police Battalion, which I think is still the case. I may have some of this wrong, but I think it's fairly accurate.

 

Has anyone here been involved in this and what are the deciding factors on keeping a crest for a unit, or reinstating a crest...changing its battalion/regiment number or reassigning? As a private sector person, it's all super confusing. My Dad told me it was easy if you were around it long enough.

 

Thoughts? Help?

 

Thanks,
Karl

[rlyoun3910]

Karl, The Army is authorized distinctive unit insignia (DUI) from Title 10 U.S.C. 4594. This is specified in Army Regulation (AR) 670-1 Chapter 21-22 governing DUI design and requests. The creation of a DUI is entirely up to the unit commander: either continue using what was developed previously or alter completely. Instances of change exist based on unit deployments or honors from their participation in battle. The lineage (and honors) is determined by The Institute of Heraldry (TIOH) under the Army G1/Adjutant. A lineage is usually considered and developed with the TIOH, however, brand new, original organizations can design their own crest with motto, or incorporate approved heraldic ascriptions (honors) into the design. Some units are created based on an Army need and in their organizational activation orders the Chief of Staff of the Army and Adjutant General will specify that a DUI is authorized and warranted. Temporary units (provisional) usually do not. One criteria that is not often mentioned:  in order for a unit to create a DUI it must have enlisted soldiers on its MTOE/TDA (Mission Table Organization Equipment/Table of Distribution & Allowances). Units are only allowed to solicit vendors approved by the US Army. A representative strike, or fist issue must be sent to the TIOH for record keeping. Units can inherit both lineage and honors if they are a child of older units, split up or created to make more, maybe they get larger, changing their status, echelon, or assignment beneath another unit. Some Army units enjoy their lineage dating back to the Revolutionary war. Some National Guard units claim lineage dating back before the French/Indian War.  See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Institute_of_Heraldry for more information. Also: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/06/12/2020-12176/manufacture-sale-wear-and-quality-control-of-heraldic-items 

 

I'm certain others here can contribute to this discussion. 

[atb]

Lineage and honors of Army organizations are determined by a branch within the US Army Center of Military History, not the US Army Institute of Heraldry.

[SGM (ret.)]

Well, I was assigned to CSC, 2-6 INF for about one year in Berlin.  Before I departed, the battalion was redesignated 4-502 INF resulting in a change of our regimental DUI.  Instantly, overnight, all the soldiers there had an entirely new regimental affiliation with all new (to us) lineage and history.  Voila!  With the snap of the fingers!  Poof!  One day your regimental history is this and tomorrow it's that.

My professional experience with 26+ years of service in the regular Army was that there was no rhyme nor reason for how or why the Army reshuffled the deck of regimental affiliations (and consequently, the lineage and history) of the soldiers assigned to one unit one day and then, overnight without any change in duty station, you walked out of the barracks the next morning belonging to an entirely new regiment.

Aside from Clothing Sales and the PX selling a bunch of new DUIs, it made absolutely no sense.  From time to time the Army made a lot of hay out of how significant the regimental affiliations were for soldier moral and pride, but, in practice, my opinion was that it was all frankly just so much BS.  Convenience and senior officer politics seemed to be the main driving force behind these changes.

Of course, some units were quite stable and had regimental histories that could be traced back in history, mostly unbroken from original organization to the present.  But for the rest, it was all just "feel good" babble.