Organizational flashes are worn on green (Special Forces), maroon (Airborne), and tan (Ranger) berets in the same manner as the standard blue Army flash is on the black beret, i.e., positioned so that they are directly over the left eye. Background trimming, commonly called ovals because of their stadium shape, are worn beneath Air Assault and Parachutist badges on the ASU (Army Service Uniform), Dress uniform shirt, and Maternity tunic. The oval-badge combination may be aligned with the left edge of a ribbon or medal rack if either is obscured by a coat lapel.
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Heaqdquarters, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) was constituted on 14 July 2005 with its first Commander, Colonel Michael Garrett, using the occasion to christen the unit—the first new Airborne unit to be created since World War II—as the Spartan Brigade. (The U.S. Army Center of Military History lists the Brigade’s official special designation as “Sparta Brigade Combat Team.”)
The organizational flash for HQ, 4th BCT (Airborne) features a lightning bolt that is taken from the 25th Infantry Division, which in turn is based upon its nickname of “Tropic Lightning”—a somewhat ironic title considering that the Brigade is headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.
Since its creation, the Brigade has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Joint Guardian, and Operation Feedom’s Sentinel. Since 2009, it has received two Meritorious Unit Commendations and an Army Superior Unit Award.