Originally approved for the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment on 14 November 1942 and redesignated for the 502nd Airborne Infantry Regiment on 5 April 1949, the Distinctive Unit Insignia (a device also known as a unit crest or DUI) now worn by the 502nd Infantry Regiment was approved for the 502nd Infantry on 14 February 1958. Its blue shield reflects the unit’s origins and heritage in the Infantry branch, while the eagle’s claw symbolizes the Airborne functions of the Regiment and the motto, “Strike,” succinctly expresses the power of the Regiment.
The 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 (ASU, Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam. 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.
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Activated in March 1942 at Fort Benning (redesignated Fort Moore in October 2023) and assigned to the 101st Airborne Division the following August, the Regiment would fight in four campaigns in the European Theater of World War II, earning two Arrowhead devices for the campaign streamers for the Normandy and Rhineland campaigns. The Regiment’s service was also recognized with two Presidential Unit Citations, a French Croix de Guerre with Palm, a Netherlands Orange Lanyard, a Belgium Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palm, and a Belgian Fourragere.
Although not deployed to Korean in the 1950s, the Regiment was quite active during the Vietnam War following redesignation as the 502nd Infantry in the Combat Arms Regimental System in 1957, participating in fifteen of the war’s seventeen campaigns and earning two more Presidential Unit Citations, a stunning four Valorous Unit Awards, and a Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC). It would add another MUC to its array of honors following the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991 and also earn two more battle honors for the Defense of Saudi Arabia and Liberation and Defense of Kuwait campaigns.
The Regiment would be receive its current designation of 502nd Infantry Regiment in 2005, but before then it was deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the War on Terrorism. Although it has been officially credited with participation in just a single campaign in this more recent conflict, this has had no measurable impact on its courage or commitment to total victory: Since 2003, the Regiment has been tapped for another Presidential unit Citation, four more Valorous Unit Awards, and a a pair of MUCs for service in 2003 and 2005-2006.
As of Autumn 2023, the 502nd Infantry has two active units, the 1st and 2nd Battalions. Both are assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division and are stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.