The 782nd Support Battalion organizational flash and Airborne background trimming, or oval, were both approved on 8 July 1992 for the 782nd Maintenance Battalion, about fifteen months before it would be given its current designation as a Support Battalion. (Although The Institute of Heraldry's description and history of the flash and oval do not state that the insignias were redesignated for the 782nd Support Battalion, they have in fact been worn by the unit's personnel for years.)
Also called a beret flash, the shield-shaped insignia is worn centered on the stiffener of the maroon berets authorized by the Army since 1981 for wear by personnel in units that are designated as Airborne. NCOs and Junior Enlisted Soldiers wear the
782nd Maintenance Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia, or unit crest, centered on the flash, while Officers wear their non-subdued insignia of rank on the flash in similar fashion.
Flashes are worn by all members of the organization regardless of their Airborne qualification status, but the wear of ovals is limited to those personnel in the organization who have earned a Parachutist and/or Air Assault badge. Ovals are known as Airborne background trimming because they are worn beneath those two badges, with the part of the ovals extending beyond the badge serving as a trimming or border for the decoration.
The combination of badge and oval counts as one item toward the allowable number of badges or devices worn on a uniform. Their wear is authorized for all eligible badge-holders on the coats of the Army Green Service Uniform and blue Army Service Uniform (including the Dress variant of the ASU) and on Service Uniform shirts (except the Class B AGSU); female personnel may also wear them on the green or blue Army Maternity Tunic. Please refer to
paragraph 21–32(b)2 of the January 2021 edition of DA PAM 670-1 for complete wear guidance.
The 782nd Maintenance Battalion was inactivated in 2014.
Click here to read a brief synopsis of the Battalion’s origins, lineage, decorations, and battle honors, as well as to view the Battalion’s Distinctive Unit Insignia (also called a DUI or unit crest) and read about its symbolism.