U.S. ARMY 319TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT, 4TH BATTALION BERET FLASH AND/OR OVAL

Four horizontal lines on the organizational flash and Airborne background trimming—the latter more commonly referred to as an “oval—denote the numerical designation of the 4th Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment. The flash is worn centered on the stiffener of the maroon beret, the color that was officially chosen to designate members of Airborne units back in 1981. The flash and maroon beret is worn by all members serving in the Battalion.

The 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Battalion oval, on the other hand, is worn only by personnel who have earned a Parachutist and/or Air Assault badge. It is called background trimming because it is worn beneath those badges by both male and female Soldiers on Service Uniform coats (AGSU and ASU, including ASU Dress variation) and Service Uniform shirts (except on the Class B AGSU), while only female Soldiers are authorized to wear it on the blue or green Army Maternity Tunic.

Detailed information on both the flash and oval is found in the January 2021 editions of AR 670-1 and DA PAM 670-1:

The 4th Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment was originally constituted as Battery D, 319th Field Artillery on 5 August 1917. Like the other three Battalions in the Regiment, it fought in three World War I campaigns (St Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918) and six World War II campaigns, earning Presidential Unit Citations for action at Chiunzi Pass in Italy and Ste. Mare Eglise in France.

Its WWII service was also recognized with numerous foreign military decorations, including two French Croix de Guerre with Palm awards and a French World War II Fourragere, the Military Order of William (Degree of the Knight of the Fourth Class), a Netherlands Orange Lanyard, three citations in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army, and a Belgian Fourragere 1940.

The Battalion would not see combat again until the War on Terrorism. For its service in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom between May 2007 and November 2010, the Battalion was tapped for two Meritorious Unit Commendations, while its B Battery was selected for a Valorous Unit Award while assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry as part of Task Force Rock. And in May 2013, the Battalion was honored with its third MUC, also for its outstanding performance during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

As of June 2021, the 4th Battalion is assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and is stationed in Grafenwöhr, Germany.

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