More commonly referred to as an oval, the Airborne background trimming authorized for the Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division was approved for wear 16 September 2005. Issued to Battalion members who have qualified for a Parachutist or Air Assault badge, the oval is placed beneath the badge when it is worn on the AGSU or ASU coat, the Class B ASU shirt, or the Army Maternity Tunic (female Soldiers only).
The badge and oval are considered a single item when worn on a uniform, with the edge of the oval (and the top of the star/wreathed star on some Parachutist badges) used when measuring distance between devices. The rules regarding the maximum allowable number of badges and/or devices and their placement varies between these uniform types, and we suggest you consult Chapter 22-16 (b) of the January 2021 for detailed instructions.
Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division was originally constituted in the National Army as Headquarters, 159th Infantry Brigade, an element of the 80th Division, on 5 August 1917. Arriving in France in the second half of June 1918, the Division fought in three campaigns before returning to the U.S. and demobilizing on 1 June 1919.
Following conversion and several redesignation, the unit fought in four World War II campaigns as the 80th Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized. The unit would undergo no fewer than three reorganizations and four redesignations (as well as being reconstituted after being disbanded for four-and-a-half years) before it would serve in Vietnam as HHC, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. In all, the unit took part in a dozen campaigns during the conflict and was the recipient of three Republic of Vietnam (ROV) Cross of Gallantry with Palm awards and an ROV Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class.
The Battalion fought in two campaigns during the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991 and has seen extensive combat in the Global War on Terrorism starting with a 2003 deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for which it was awarded the first of three Meritorious Unit Commendations. And for its service between June 2010 and April 2011, the Battalion’s superior performance and courage under fire were recognized with a Presidential Unit Citation (15 September 2010 to 6 December 2010) and a Valorous Unit Award (20 June 2010 to 15 April 2011), the latter for its role in the success of Combined Task Force Strike.