The 245th Aviation Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI), often referred to as a unit crest, was authorized for wear on 1 October 1987. Ultramarine blue and golden orange, branch colors of U.S. Army Aviation, are used here for the background on the shield portion of the insignia and the arrowhead and feathers of the arrow arming the bow. The bowstring mimics the chevron above it; its invected edges simulate clouds to indicate the unit’s theater of operations.
A drawn bow-and-arrow, pointing down, suggests aerial strike capabilities as well as defensive readiness, with the arrow specifically invoking the image of silent, swift, and deadly attack. The arrow also recalls the organization’s heritage and location as a unit in the Oklahoma Army National Guard. “Not For Ourselves Alone,” the Regimental motto, appears on a black scroll; black denotes solidity, strength, and cohesion, and in tandem with the blue of the shield suggest the ability to carry out both night and day operations.
Full guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1,
Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia."♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The immediate predecessor of the 245th Aviation Regiment was the 45th Aviation Battalion (Light Combat Helicopter). Originally organized in May 1982 as a Special Operations Forces unit, the 45th Aviation Battalion (Light Combat Helicopter) was reorganized on 1 October 1987 as the 1st Battalion, 245th Aviation, which had been constituted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard two months earlier on 5 August 1987.
Since the launch of the War on Terrorism, the outstanding service of the 1st Battalion, 245th Aviation Regiment (now inactive) has been recognized twice. In September 2008, the HQ and HQ Company, 1st Battalion, along with the Regiment’s Company E, was tapped for a Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) for its significant contributions in support of Multi-National Corps-Iraq between December 2004 and November 2005.
Three years later, in December 2011, the 1st Battalion’s service between August 2010 and August 2011 was recognized with a MUC, with the announcement of the award noting the organization’s “unique professional skills, superior technical competence, and unparalleled dedication to provide world-class Army Air Traffic Services and Airfield Management to two separate remote locations within Afghanistan.”
As of May 2021, the 245th Aviation Regiment consists of a single Battalion, the 2nd, assigned to the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 90th Troop Command. The Battalion comprises eight different units with an array of missions and functions based in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Lexington.
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