The 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment and all eight of its battalions—only two of which are still active, the 1st and 5th—can trace their origins to Fort Slocum, New York and the dates 29 to 31 March 1898. Two of the battalions, the 4th and the 7th, were specialized—the 4th was a Missile Battalion and the 7th was a Howtizer Battalion. The Regiment was designated a parent regime under the old Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) on 20 December 1965 when the 7th Artillery Group, 7th and 16th Antiaircraft Battalions, the 7th Field Artillery Battalion were consolidated, reorganized, and redesignated as 7th Artillery.
In 1971, 7th Artillery was reorganized as 7th Air Defense Artillery, also a parent regiment under CARS. It wasn’t until December 1988 that the 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment was established under the U.S. Army Regimental System and headquartered at Fort Bliss in Texas. As of Summer 2023, the Regiment has two active Battalions: the 1st Battalion is assigned to the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and is stationed at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), while the 5th Battalion is part of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command and is based in Baumholder, Germany.
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The Distinctive Unit Insignia s 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.
The 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment unit crest—more accurately called a Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI)—consists of a panther taken from the coat of arms of the Coast Defenses of Sandy Hook, the location of a regimental reorganization on 1 July 1924. The Latin motto Nullius Pavet Occursum translate as “He [the panther] fears no encounter.” Regimental decorations include A Presidential Unit Citation (streamer embroidered “Defense of Korea”) and two Meritorious Unit Commendations earned during the Vietnam War by the 1st Battalion, 7th Artillery in 1968 and 1969.
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.