Referred to as Airborne background trimming in Army regulations, the oval worn today by 509th Infantry Regiment personnel who have earned a Parachutist or Air Assault badge was originally approved for the 2nd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment on 5 June 1963. On 20 February 1991, it was revised to change the description; it was subsequently amended to change the color of the border and redesignated for the 509th Infantry Regiment on 23 June 1992.
*Ovals are worn by all authorized personnel under the badges on the coats of the AGSU and ASU (including ASU Dress variation) and on Service Uniform shirts (except the Class B AGSU), while females may wear it on the blue or green Army Maternity Tunic. Refer to paragraph 21–32(b)2 of the January edition of DA PAM 670-1 for detailed wear guidance.
The 509th Infantry Regiment organizational flash was 20 February 1991. It is worn on the maroon beret authorized for wear by members of units designated by structure, equipment, and mission as Airborne, with the flash centered on the stiffener of the beret. Officers wear their non-subdued insignia of grade on the flash, while NCOs and Junior Enlisted Soldiers wear their Distinctive Unit Insignia (aka DUI and “unit crest”) or their Regimental Distinctive Insignia if their unit has no DUI.
Related Items
509th Infantry Regiment Unit Crest
509th Infantry Regiment “Geronimo” Unit Patch* U.S. Army Patches, Flashes and Ovals by Barry Jason Stein, page 417.