The 108th Aviation Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia, commonly called a “unit crest” or by its initials a DUI, was approved for wear on 1 October 1987. “We Defend From Above,” the Regimental motto, emphasizes the combat capabilities of the Regiment’s units, which consist of the 1st Battalion, its Headquarters and Headquarters Company and its array of Assault, Forward Support, Medevac, and Maintenance units. The distinctive ultramarine blue used in the insignia is the branch color of Army Aviation. A winged eagle’s claw is a visual allusion to the Regimental mission and battlespace, while the black and white color scheme is a reference to the ability to provide its services on a day-and-night, 24/7 basis.
Distinctive Unit Insignias are worn by all Soldiers (except General Officers) in units that have been authorized to be issued the device. It is worn centered on the shoulder loops of the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU) and the blue Army Service Uniform (ASU, Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
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The lineage of the 108th Aviation Regiment, which today is represented by a single battalion, dates back to 8 March 1922 and the organization and Federal recognition of the HQ Detachment, 1st Squadron, 114th Cavalry, an element of the 24th Cavalry division. Before becoming an Aviation unit, the unit would be assigned to a variety of branches and roles over the next four decades, including Field Artillery in 1940 (HQ Battery, 127th Field Artillery), Tank Destroyer Corps in 1942 (Pioneer Company, 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion), Military Police in 1948 (Company B, 174th Military Police Battalion), and Transportation in 1959 (Aircraft Maintenance Detachment, 135th Transportation Battalion).
On 15 November 1965, while designated as the 1120th Transportation Detachment, it was converted and redesignated as the 169th Aviation Company, but it would be designated as a Transportation unit two more times between then and its designation as the 135th Aviation Battalion in October 1986.
The unit received its current designation on 1 October 1987 when it was reorganized and redesignated in the Arizona, Kansas, and Oregon Army National Guard as the 108th Aviation, a parent regiment in the U.S. Army Regimental System. In 1996, it was reorganized to consist of the 1st Battalion, a structure it retains in 2019. The Battalion, officially designated as 1-108 Assault Helicopter Battalion, is assigned to the 35th Combat Aviation Brigade and is headquartered at Topeka, Kansas.