The 189th Aviation Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia, also known as a unit crest or a DUI, was originally approved on 30 December 1988 and was amended with revisions to the description and symbolism on 27 November 1989. Its ultramarine blue and golden orange tones denote the organization as part of Army Aviation, with the winged sword also suggesting the Aviation mission of the unit.
Behind the winged sword is a downward-pointing “V” shape terminating in a barbed arrowhead that points to the combat involved in the aerial assault mission. On the left side of the “V” is a skull that was adapted from the former 163rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, a unit in the Regiment’s past lineage. On the right is a red bitterroot, the state flower of Montana, the home state for the unit. “Sounds Of Freedom,” the unit motto, is a reference to the unmistakable sound created by whirring helicopter blades.
Guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1, Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia" and 21–3(d) and (e), "Beret" and
"Garrison Cap," respectively.
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Comprised of the 1st Battalion, the 189th Aviation Regiment is managed by the Montana Army National Guard and has units assigned to the Army National Guard in several states in addition to Montana, including South Dakota, Oregon, Nevada, and Minnesota. Headquartered in Helena, Montana, the Regiment has seen several of its component units deployed in support of the War on Terrorism, including in 2005, 2012, and most recently in October 2019 to Kuwait. The Regiment was credited with a Meritorious Unit Commendation for the extraordinary service of the 1st Battalion’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company and Companies A-D between 2 January 2005 and 15 November 2005. And in 2013, Company B, 1st Battalion was tapped for a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its support of Operation Enduring Freedom between May and December 2012.