There are two types of beret flashes in the Army: standard and organizational. Standard flashes are worn only on the black beret and denote only that the wearer is in the Army, while organizational flashes identify the specific unit or organization in which the wearer serves, and are worn on colored berets authorized for specific classes of units: maroon for Airborne, tan for Ranger, green for Special Forces, and brown for Security Assistance Command/Brigades.
Ovals, or Airborne background trimming, are worn beneath Parachutist or Air Assault badges on several types of uniforms/garments, but only by personnel serving in a unit that is “designated (by structure, equipment, and mission) by HQDA as ‘Airborne’ or ‘Air Assault.’”
Wear guidance for both organizational flashes and background trimming are detailed in paragraph 21–32 of the January 2021 editions of both DA PAM 670-1 and AR 670-1. Special instructions on the placement and wear of insignia on top of flashes is found paragraph 4–10(e) of AR 670-1.
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The 1st Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment has been a part of the 82nd Airborne Division since it was first constituted on 5 August 1917 as Battery A, 319th Field Artillery, an element of the 82nd Division. Its battle honors include three campaigns in World War I and a half-dozen in World War II, two of which saw the unit taking part in Airborne assaults in the Normandy and Rhineland campaigns. Its military decorations from the Second World War include, but are certainly not limited to, the French Croix de Guerre World War II Fourragere, Netherlands Orange Lanyard, and a Belgian Fourragere 1940.
After World War II, the Battalion fought in two Armed Forces Expeditions and in all three campaigns of the Persian Gulf War, earning a Meritorious Unit Commendation during that deployment. Since the launch of the War on Terrorism, the Battalion has been tapped for a Valorous Unit Award and two Meritorious Unit Commendations.
As of June 2021, the 2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment’s relationship with the 82nd Airborne Division is as strong as ever: it is assigned to the Division’s 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The Battalion is based at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) in North Carolina, longtime home of the 82nd Airborne Division.
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319th Field Artillery Regiment Unit Crest