The 313th Military Intelligence Battalion traces 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, today known as Headquarters and Service Company; the 3191st Signal Service Company (World War II) and 358th ASA Company, today known as A Company; the 82d Military Intelligence Company and 337th Communications Reconnaissance Company, today known as B Company; and 371st Radio Research Company, today known as C Company. On 1 November 1988, A, B, and C companies were designated as direct support companies for each of the three infantry brigades and D Company 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 Delta Company as the general support company and redesignation of the Long Range Surveillance Detachment

Long Range Surveillance Detachment

The United States Army Long Range Surveillance Detachment is organized as a detachment organic to the military intelligence battalion at division level for the purpose of Long Range Surveillance. The LRSD's are organized into a headquarters section, communications section , and six surveillance...

 from the division's cavalry squadron to the 313th Military Intelligence Battalion.

Today's organization provides 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 includes 23 campaign and battle streamers from World War II, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

, Grenada

Invasion of Grenada

The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was a 1983 United States-led invasion of Grenada, a Caribbean island nation with a population of about 100,000 located north of Venezuela. Triggered by a military coup which had ousted a four-year revolutionary government, the invasion...

, Panama

United States invasion of Panama

The United States Invasion of Panama, code-named Operation Just Cause, was the invasion of Panama by the United States in December 1989. It occurred during the administration of U.S. President George H. W...

, and the Persian Gulf

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

. The battalion has earned seven Meritorious Unit Commendations, one Army Superior Unit Award, and five foreign unit awards.

The 313th Military Intelligence Battalion is also one of the most diverse units in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, with soldiers holding 47 different military occupational specialties and speaking eight different languages.

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 inches (2.86 cm) 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

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

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.

External links

• 313th Military Intelligence- official web page
• 313th Lineage Honors
• 82nd Airborne Division – official web page