Officially known as background trimming, the 18th Personnel Group oval was worn from February 1995 up until June 1998 (it is not clear when wear of the 18th Personnel Group flash began). At that time, both the 18th Personnel Group (Airborne) was and the 18th Finance Group (Airborne) were inactivated and their personnel used to form the 18th Solder Support Group (Airborne), which in turn would be inactivated on 16 September 2007 and reflagged as the 18th Financial Management Center at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) in NC.
Ovals are worn underneath any authorized Air Assault or Parachutist badges on the coats of the Army Green Service Uniform, the blue Army Service/Dress Uniform, the Service Uniform shirt, and the Army maternity tunic. The main portion of the badge (wings and parachute/helicopter) is centered on the oval, which results in the wreath and star found on the Master and Senior Parachutist badges appearing slightly above the top of the oval (refer to Figure 21–167 in DA PAM 670-1 dated 20 January 2021). When ovals are worn with badges, the two are counted as a single item for determining placement and measurement.
Because it was an Airborne unit, the 18th Personnel Group flash is worn on the maroon beret, centered on the beret stiffener. Officers wear insignia of rank centered on the flash, while Enlisted personnel will wear either their Distinctive Unit Insignia or Regimental Distinctive Insignia, also centered on the flash.
Related Items
18th Personnel Group Unit Crest (DUI)