English: The Distinctive Unit Insignia of the Maryland Army National Guard Element, Joint Force Headquarters pays homage to two of Maryland’s most famous families, with the two quarters of the insignia’s shield, arranged catawampus (roughly the 4 o’clock and 10 o’clock positions) displaying the arms of the Calvert family and the other two featuring the arms of the Crossland family. Cecil Calvert, the 2nd Lord Baltimore, inherited the second coat of arms from his grandmother, Alicia, who was the wife of Leonard Calvert, father of George Calvert who was the 1st Lord Baltimore.

The coronet serving as a crest above the shield denotes that the fact that Calvert was an earl in Maryland despite being a lower-ranked baron in England. Flanking the shield are two figures representing the true backbone of Maryland during its founding, a plowman on the left symbolizing agriculture and ranching and a fisherman on the right as an emblem of Maryland’s seafaring industries.

Also called a unit crest, this Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) was originally designed and approved for the HQ and HQ Detachment and all non-color bearing units of the MD Army National Guard on 9 April 1971. It would subsequently be redesignated twice, once in October 1982 for the HQ, State Area Command of the Maryland Army National Guard and again exactly 21 years later in 2003 for the Army element of Joint Force HQ, Maryland National Guard.

Distinctive Unit Insignia

• Description: A gold color metal and enamel device 7/8 inch (2.22 cm) in height and 1 inch (2.54 cm) in width overall consisting of the shield, coronet, supporters and motto scroll and motto from the complete heraldic achievement of Lord Baltimore as delineated on the reverse side of the official seal of the State of Maryland and blazoned as follows:

• Shield:

1. Quarterly I and IV, paly of six pieces Or (gold) and Sable (black) a bend counterchanged; quarterly II and III quarterly Argent (silver) and Gules (red) a cross bottony counterchanged.
2. Above the shield an earl's coronet.

• Supporters: Dexter, a plowman Proper, holding a spade in dexter hand. Sinister, a fisherman Proper, holding a fish in sinister hand.

• Motto Scroll: A scroll folded in four undulating sections and inscribed "FATTI MASCHII PAROLE FEMINE" (Deeds are Manly, Words are Womanly) all gold.

• Symbolism:

1. The first and fourth (gold and black) quarters of the shield are the arms of the Calvert family and the second and third (silver (white) and red) quarters are those of the Crossland family which Cecil Calvert inherited from his grandmother, Alicia, wife of Leonard Calvert, the father of George, first Lord Baltimore.
2. The earl's coronet above the shield indicates that although Calvert was only a baron in England, he was an earl or count palatine in Maryland.

• Background:

1. The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment and non-color bearing units of the Maryland Army National Guard on 1971-04-09.
2. It was amended to correct the spelling of the motto on 1971-06-08.
3. The insignia was redesignated effective 1982-10-01 for Headquarters, State Area Command, Maryland Army National Guard.
4. The distinctive unit insignia was amended to correct the spelling of the motto on 2001-12-07.