The 173rd Airborne Brigade Special Troops Battalion beret flash, also called an organizational flash, was approved on 8 January 2007, almost nine months after the Battalion’s Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) was approved for wear. It was worn centered on the stiffener of the maroon beret that is authorized for wear by personnel serving in Airborne units. Generally speaking, Officers wear their non-subdued insignia of grade centered on the flash, while all NCOs and Junior Enlisted Soldiers wear the organization’s DUI. Note that the flash is worn by personnel in an Airborne organization regardless of their personal Airborne experience or qualifications.
Such is not the case with the oval, which is technically referred to as Airborne background trimming. This embroidered, oval-shaped patch is authorized for wear only by those members of the Battalion who have qualified for a Parachutist or Air Assault badge. The term “background trimming” comes from the fact that the wearer place the oval underneath one of badges, with the main portion of the badge centered on the patch so that its edges do effectively serve as “trim” or “trimming” for the Parachutist or Air Assault device.
The combination of a Parachutist / Air Assault badge and an oval counts as one device toward the maximum number of badges and other devices that may be worn on a given uniform. Ovals are authorized for wear on the coats of the AGSU and ASU (including the Dress variant of the latter), the Service Uniform shirt (ASU only), and the blue or green Army Maternity Tunic (female Soldiers only).
On 17 June 2015, the Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Airborne Combat Team was reflagged as the 54th Engineer Battalion. It is headquartered at Caserma Ederle in Vincenza, Italy.
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