Commonly called a unit crest or DUI for short, the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 4th Aviation Regiment was approved on 15 November 1963 for the 4th Aviation Battalion, which had been originally formed and activated as the 4th Aviation Company at Fort Lewis Washington on 1 April 1957. It was reorganized and activated as a battalion on 1 October 1963. In 1987, the battalion was reorganized and redesignated as the parent regiment 4th Aviation under the U.S. Army Regimental System, with two of its companies (A and B) being upgraded to battalions that same year. The Regiment underwent another redesignation in October 2005, becoming the 4th Aviation Regiment, and it eventually comprised four battalions when it was chosen to form the backbone of the 4th Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade in 2014.
The 4th Aviation Regiment assets that were assigned to the Combat Aviation Brigade were 1st Attack/Reconnaissance Battalion, the 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, the 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, and the 4th Attack/Reconnaissance Battalion. In October 2015, the 1st A/R Battalion was reflagged as 6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment.
The unit that formed the 4th Aviation Regiment, HHC of the 4th Aviation Battalion, earned credit for dozen campaigns in Vietnam, along with a Meritorious Unit Commendation, two Republic of Vietnam Crosses of Gallantry with Palm, and a Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Medal First Class. (The individual battalions of the regiment have their own lineages and decorations and honors.)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Also known as a unit crest or DUI, a Distinctive Unit Insignia is 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 (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.
Curvy white nebuly (protusions) in the 4th Aviation Regimental Distinctive Insignia represent clouds, while the triangular-shaped wedge with whitecap stands for Mount Rainier in the state of Washington, recalling the Regiment’s formation at nearby Fort Lewis. Golden wings on the insignia are symbol of the unit’s aviation role, while the Latin phrase “VIGILANTIA AETERNA” (Eternal Vigilance) describes the Regiment’s constant readiness in defense of the nation.
Full 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.