The U.S. Army Element, Joint Special Operations Command’s organizational flash and Airborne background trimming (better known as an “oval”) were both approved for wear on 9 July 1981, just under seven months after the Command was established on 15 December 1980. Both insignias were amended on 17 March 1992 to add metric measurements.
Also referred to as a beret flash or simply “flash,” this shield-shaped insignia with a semi-circular base is worn centered on the stiffener of an appropriately colored beret based on the wearer’s qualifications (a former Ranger assigned to JSOC, for example, would be authorized to wear the JSOC flash on the tan beret).
Officers wear their insignia of grade centered on the flash, and General Officers ae able to choose the size of the stars worn on the flash even if it means they extend beyond its border. Noncommissioned Officers and Junior Enlisted Soldiers wear their Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) similarly placed on the flash; Enlisted personnel serving in units lacking a DUI wear their Regimental Distinctive Insignia.
With a few rare exceptions, the unit flash is worn by everyone serving in the organization. But ovals are a different story: they are authorized for wear only by those personnel serving in a unit that is designated as “Airborne” or “Air Assault” who have also been awarded a Parachutist or Air Assault badge. The oval is worn beneath these badges, with the main portion of the badge (i.e., excluding the star and wreath atop the Senior and Master Parachutist badges) centered on the oval. When worn together, the badge and ovals are considered one item when calculating placement and how many additional badges are permissible for a uniform.
Wear guidance for Airborne background trimming, including on what uniforms background trimming is allowed, is found
paragraph 21–32 of the January edition of DAM PAM 670-1. Instructions for determining the badge placement, distance measurements, and limits is found in Chapter 22 of the same edition of
DA PAM 670-1, with detailed instructions on badge limits and placement beginning in
paragraph 16.
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U.S. Army Element, Joint Special Operations Command DUI