This Distinctive Unit Insignia (also called "unit crest" or DUI) was approved for the 501st Aviation Regiment on 16 October 1988. It had originally been approved for the 501st Aviation Battalion on 31 January 1962 but was rescinded briefly from July 1976 until June 1978, when it was reinstated with revised symbolism. The symbolism was subsequently revised a second time in 1988 when the insignia was approved for the Regiment. The design elements refer to different aspects of the unit’s mission. An annulet around an eagle’s head symbolizes a lens and alludes to photo reconnaissance, aerial observation, and surveillance; it also is a reference to armor (as in a link of chain mail) to commemorate its association with the 1st Armored Division.
Wings obviously symbolize the Aviation mission in general, as well aerial transportation and aerial photography (due to the location of the annulet). A lightning flash in the primary Signal Corps branch color of orange is a reference to communication duties, and the eagle’s is an emblem of keen vision and the unit’s lofty standards. “The Warding Eye,” a play on words emphasizing the organization’s reconnaissance mission, is the unit motto.
Distinctive Unit Insignia is 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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Since its constitution in the Regular Army as the 501st Aviation Company on 15 February 1957 and activation at Fort Polk, Louisiana, the 501st Aviation Regiment has a long-running relationship with the 1st Armored Division, the first unit to which it was assigned. Reorganization and redesignation led to its new name, the HQ and HQ Company, 501st Aviation Battalion in February 1962, a designation it basically retained for a decade (notwithstanding minor organizational changes during that time).
From August 1972 until inactivation in November 1987 in Germany, the Battalion was designated as the Aviation Company, 1st Armored Division, an assignment from which it was relieved on 16 October 1988 when it was reorganized and redesignated as the 501st Aviation under the U.S. Army Regimental System. In the 1990s, the Regiment was deployed in support of Operation Joint Endeavor, followed by deployments to Iraq and other locations in the region in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom before inactivation in 2006.
Upon reactivation in 2011, the Regiment self-deployed its 4th Battalion to support Operation Spartan Shield in December 2012; deployments of other units to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom followed shortly thereafter in February 2013. In July 2014, the Regiment’s 4th Battalion was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for aviation operations throughout the Kuwait Joint Area of Operations during the period of 1 December 2012 to 22 August 2013. And in 2019, the 1st Battalion—deployed as Task Force Iron Eagle—was deployed to support Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, accumulating 58,000 combat hours performing aerial recon, attack, and lift operations in conjunction with Afghan forces and Resolute Support partners.
As of Summer 2023, all the Regiment’s units—the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, the 2nd Aviation Battalion, and the 3rd Assault Battalion—are assigned to the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division.