The organizational flash and Airborne background trimming for the 158th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Squadron Long-Range Surveillance Detachment (LRSD) were both approved on 26 March 1987, nearly five and a half years after its Distinctive Unit Insignia was approved for wear; click the Unit Crest link at the bottom of this page to view the DUI and/or read a synopsis of the Regiment’s lineage and history.
Commonly called beret flashes, an organizational flash differs from the standard blue Army flash worn on the clothing-bag issue black beret in that it identifies the wearer as serving in a specific unit whose classification is signified by the color of beret on which the flash is worn: green for Special Forces, Maroon for Airborne, Tan for Ranger, and brown for Security Assistance Command/Brigade.
Centered on the stiffener of the beret, the flash serves as the backing for pin-on insignia based upon rank or assignment, with the vast majority falling into either Officers (who wear their non-subdued insignia of grade centered on the flash) or Enlisted (they wear their Distinctive Unit Insignia or their Regimental Distinctive Insignia if their unit lacks a DU). Detailed information, including exceptions to these general rules, is found in DA PAM 670-1, paragraph 4–10(e).
For obvious reasons, Airborne background trimming insignia are commonly referred to as an ovals. Ovals are authorized for wear by personnel who have earned a Parachutist and/or Air Assault badge and are serving in an organization designated as Airborne or Air Assault. The badge (except for the star and wreath on Senior and Master Parachutist Badges) is centered on the oval, with the two items counting as one for purposes of measurement and placement. Full guidance on the wear of ovals is found DA PAM 670-1, paragraph 21–32(b)2.
Related Items
158th Cavalry Regiment Unit Crest