The beret flash and Airborne background trimming (oval) worn by the 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment was approved for the 143rd Infantry Regiment on 18 March 2010. On 1 November 2011, the Regiment was reorganized in the Texas, Alaska, and Rhode Island Army National Guard to consist of the 1st Battalion, which explains why the flash and oval do not have any type of mark, notch, or indentation to denote the Battalion’s numerical status within the Regiment.
Called an “oval” for obvious reasons, Airborne background trimming is worn by personnel in an Airborne-designated unit or organization who have earned a Parachutist and/or Air Assault badge. The oval is placed beneath the badge with its main portion centered on the insignia and the combination worn on the coats of AGSU and ASU/ASU Dress coats, Class B ASU shirts, and green or blue Army Maternity tunics (female Soldiers only).
Also called an organizational flash because it represents a specific unit or organization, the 143rd Regiment 1st Battalion flash is worn centered on the maroon beret that has been officially authorized for wear by personnel serving in Airborne units since 1981. Officers wear nonsubdued rank insignia centered on the flash; NCOs and Junior Enlisted wear the 143rd Infantry Regiment Unit Crest, officially referred to as a Distinctive Unit Insignia.
A unit in the Texas Army National Guard, the 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment has been associated with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team as part of the Army’s Associated Unit Pilot Program since 2016, making it the only Airborne-designated unit in the Army National Guard. Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment is assigned to the 71st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard.
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143rd Infantry Regiment Unit Crest (DUI)