Description: A silver color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 (2.86cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Per chevron reversed Argent and Gules, on a bar in base Sable fimbriated of the first a cat-a-mountain salient guardant of the third, armed, langued, collared and lined of the second, in sinister chief a mullet voided and fretted Vert. Attached below the shield a silver scroll inscribed "SEMPER ULTIMO" in red letters.
Symbolism:
Red and white are the colors used for the Corps of Engineers.
The bar symbolizes a treadway bridge, the construction of which was a major combat mission of the organization.
The cat-a-mountain, a European wildcat, indicates the stealth and swiftness required in combat engineer operations, and the soldiers of the battalion are known as "Catamounts."
The black cat also connotes the darkness in which operations are conducted.
The star from the flag of French Morocco represents service in that area during World War II.
The inverted chevron symbolizes the battalion's spearheading of armored engineer activity in World War II.
Background:
The Distinctive Unit Insignia was originally approved for the 16th Armored Engineer Battalion on 1962-04-25.
It was redesignated for the 16th Engineer Battalion on 1957-09-12.
On 1984-12-05 the insignia was amended to correct the symbolism.
On 1994-10-21 it was revised to change the description and the symbolism.
{{Information |Description=16th Engineer Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia |Source=United States Army Institute of Heraldry |Date=April 25, 1962 |Author=US Army |Permission={{PD-USGov-Military-Army-USAIOH}} - US Army Institute Of Heraldry |other_version