One of the newer insignias approved for wear, the 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 1st Battalion beret flash is not listed at either The Institute of Heraldry’s
Beret Flash and Background Trimmings Web page or in the encyclopedic
U.S. Army Patches, Flashes and Ovals by insignia expert Barry Jason Stein.
This shield-shaped, embroidered insignia with a semi-circular base is more accurately called an “organizational flash” rather than “beret flash” because it represents a single, distinct unit or organization while the latter phrase merely tells you where it is worn. Although the unit does not have the Airborne designation in its title, it is presumably worn on the maroon beret authorized for personnel in Airborne units because it is obviously not a Special Forces (green beret), Ranger (tan beret), or part of Security Force Assistance Command or a Security Force Assistance Brigades (brown beret) unit.
Wear guidance for both the beret flash and oval is found in
Chapter 21-32, subsections (a) and (b) of the January 2021 edition.
The 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is a unit in the North Dakota Army National Guard (ARNG). The Regiment was originally constituted on 1 October 1988 in the North Dakota ARNG and organized to consist solely of the 1st Battalion, but it was reorganized on 1 September 2001 to consist of the 1st Battalion and Battery E; precisely one year later, on 1 September 2002, the Regiment’s organization was expanded to include Battery F in addition to the 1st Battalion and Battery E.
The Regiment and/or Regimental components have been called into active Federal service four times since 2004. Since then, the Regiment has been tapped for two Meritorious Unit Commendations, one for Iraq (2004-2005) and a second for Afghanistan (2009-2010). In addition, Company A, 1st Battalion was individually selected for a Meritorious Unit Commendation for service in Afghanistan between March and December 2006.
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188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment Unit Crest (DUI)