The 105th Aviation Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia was approved on 1 October 1987. The ultramarine blue seen throughout the insignia is the branch color of Army Aviation; blue also recalls the sky, which not only is the unit’s theater of operation but is also symbolic of devotion and faithfulness. A golden eagle with spread wings and a laurel branch denotes the organization’s achievements and lofty ideals. “Commitment To Excellence” serves as the unit motto and is prominently displayed on the unit crest.
Distinctive Unit Insignias are worn by all Soldiers (except General Officers) in units that have been authorized to be issued the device. It is worn centered on the shoulder loops of the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU) and the blue Army Service Uniform (ASU, Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
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Today’s 106th Aviation Regiment was constituted originally in the Illinois Army National Guard as the 44th Aviation Battalion on 1 October 1986 from new and existing units before being redesignated the 106th Aviation in the Combat Arms Regimental System on 1 October 1987. Between September 1990 and September 1996, the Regiment was reorganized several times and allocated to different regional National Guards comprising two or more states; the last of these reorganized it in the Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Puerto Rico Army National Guard to consist of the 1st Battalion and Companies E and F. In October 2005 it was redesignated as the 106th Aviation Regiment in the U.S. Army Regimental System, and a year later it was reorganized to consist of a single battalion, the 1st.
Although the 106th Aviation Regiment did not exist during World War II, the existing units that were used in its formation in 1986 brought with them their lineage and history. Company B, 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment, nicknamed the “Black Horse Troop,” is individually credited with participation in five World War II campaigns, as well as having been selected for two French Croix de Guerre and a French World War II Fourragere. The Regiment itself has taken part in two campaigns in the War on Terrorism, Transition of Iraq and Iraqi Governance.
The 106th Aviation Regiment reports to the 65th Troop Command in the Illinois Army National Guard and is stationed at Decatur, Illinois.