313th Military Intelligence Battalion (United States)

The 313th Military Intelligence Battalion traced its lineage back to 25 September 1942, with the activation of the 215th Signal Depot Company; the battalion was officially activated and assigned to the 82d Airborne Division on 16 October 1979. Companies were derived from many different units, including the 313th Army Security Agency (ASA) Battalion, formerly known as Headquarters and Service Company; the 3191st Signal Service Company (World War II) and 358th ASA Company, formerly known as Company A; the 82d Military Intelligence Company and 337th Communications Reconnaissance Company, formerly known as Company B; and 371st Radio Research Company, formerly known as Company C. On 1 November 1988, Companies A, B, and C were designated as direct support companies for each of the three infantry brigades and Company D was reactivated and assigned to the 313th Military Intelligence Battalion as the general intelligence support company. The battalion continued to evolve in the 1990s, with the activation of Company D as the general support company and reassignment of the Long Range Surveillance Detachment from the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, the division's cavalry squadron, to the 313th Military Intelligence Battalion.

The unit provided direct and general support to the 82d Airborne Division in the form of intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination; counterintelligence and interrogation; signals intelligence, including ground and air based intercept, jamming, and direction finding; remote battlefield sensors and ground surveillance radar; moving target indicators; and long range surveillance.

The unit's lineage included 23 campaign and battle streamers from World War II, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, and the Persian Gulf. The battalion earned seven Meritorious Unit Commendations, one Army Superior Unit Award, and five foreign unit awards.

The 313th Military Intelligence Battalion was also one of the most diverse units in the United States Army, with soldiers holding 47 different military occupational specialties and speaking eight different languages.

In 2006 the battalion was inactivated when, as part of the Army-wide reorganization of combat forces to the modular structure, its was broken up and most of its personnel and equipment were reassigned to the brigade support battalions in each of the division's brigade combat teams. The battalion's long range surveillance detachment was reorganized, reflagged and reassigned as Company F (Pathfinder), 2d Battalion, 82d Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 82d Airborne Division.

Campaign participation credit

 * World War II: Normandy (with arrowhead); Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
 * Vietnam: Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase II; Counteroffensive, Phase III; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase IV; Counteroffensive, Phase V; Counteroffensive, Phase VI; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase VII
 * Armed Forces Expeditions: Dominican Republic; Grenada
 * Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait

Company A additionally entitled to

 * World War II – AP: Luzon
 * Armed Forces Expeditions: Panama (with arrowhead)

Description
A Silver color metal and enamel device 1+1/8 in in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Azure (Teal Blue), a fess checky Argent and Tenne, overall a mullet of six points of the second. Attached around the sides and bottom of the shield a Silver scroll inscribed, "SAVOIR C'EST POUVOIR" in Black.

Symbolism
Teal blue and white are the colors used for units not assigned to branch and refer to the original unit designation, the 313th Army Security Agency Battalion. The colors orange and white refer to the organization's former affiliation with the Signal Corps and the six points of the mullet allude to the Battalion's decorations for World War II and Vietnam service.

Blazon
Shield : Azure (Teal Blue), a fess checky Argent and Tenne, overall a mullet of six points of the second.

Crest : From a wreath Argent and Azure (Teal Blue), a dragon passant Gules garnished or in front of a mount Vert impaled with twelve bamboo spikes Proper, the dragon's tail interlaced with the spikes.

Motto : SAVOIR C'EST POUVOIR (Knowledge is Power) or (knowledge is be able to) French...

Symbolism

Shield : Teal blue and white are the colors used for units not assigned to branch and refer to the original unit designation, the 313th Army Security Agency Battalion. The colors orange and white refer to the organization's former affiliation with the Signal Corps and the six points of the mullet allude to the Battalion's decorations for World War II and Vietnam service.

Crest : The dragon, symbolic of alertness and readiness, denotes the unit's service as an Army Security Agency Battalion in Vietnam. The mount refers to the lush terrain of that country and the twelve spikes to the number of campaigns in which the unit participated.