The 14th Aviation Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia, also called a unit crest or a DUI, was originally approved on 12 August 1966 for the 14th Aviation Battalion and was redesignated for the 14th Aviation Regiment. This insignia is now worn solely by the 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment, a training unit at Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker) in Alabama. At first blush, the outline of the whole insignia resembles a parachute, but on closer inspection you see the upper half is a semi-circle and the lower an arrowhead-shaped figure with a nebuly in place of the tang (the end opposite the arrowhead’s point).
The nebuly divides a red and blue disc to represent the Battalion’s readiness to provide troop and cargo lift support in forward combat zones (red area). Encircling the disc is a silver ring, an allusion to the jobs of reconnaissance and reconnoitering, an example of the "Versatility" touted in the unit motto. A triangle with three lightning flashes inside—two of them flowing off he silver ring, one superimposed vertically to “bisect” triangle—simulates an arrowhead; together, they stand for the combat-assault role the Battalion’s Airmobile companies assume.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The 14th Aviation Battalion arrived in Vietnam in October 1964 and left on 27 October 1971. It was tasked with Aviation support in the north coastal region of the II Corps Tactical Zone and was based at Nha Trang before relocating to Qui Nhon on March 1966. In April 1967 it moved again to Chu Lai as part of Task Force Oregon, and in September it was assigned to FALCON Aviation Group (Provisional) before becoming part of the 16th Aviation Group in January 1968; 16th Aviation Group served with the 23rd Infantry Division (AMERICAL division). It was retroactively honored with a Valorous Unit Award for its service in Laos and along the Ho Chi Minh Trail between February and April of 1971.