Like the other two Battalions of the 505th Infantry Regiment, the 3rd Battalion's beret flash and Airborne background trimming—colloquially referred to as an “oval” for obvious reason—were approved for wear on 8 July 1992, with three notches on the left and right sides of each insignia indicating the Battalion’s numerical designation.
The beret flash, or organizational flash, is worn by Battalion members on the maroon beret authorized by the Department of the Army for wear by members of Airborne units and organizations. (Flashes are also approved for Ranger, Special Forces, and Security Assistance Command/Brigade personnel and are worn respectively on the tan, green, and brown berets.)
It is centered on the stiffener, ensuring that the flash will appear above the wearer’s left eye when the beret is properly worn. Except for Chaplains, the Battalion’s Officers place their nonsubdued rank insignia on the center of the flash, while all Enlisted Battalion personnel wear the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 505th Infantry Regiment in a similar fashion on the flash.
Unlike flashes, ovals are authorized for wear by personnel in Airborne units alone, and then only for those who have qualified for a Parachutist or Air Assault badge. The basic portion of the badge—i.e., not counting the wreath and/or star found on some Parachutist badges—is centered on the flash and the combination worn on AGSU and ASU coats, the Class B ASU shirt, and Army Maternity Tunic (Female Soldiers only).
The two are considered a single item for positioning and in counting toward the maximum number of badges allowed on each uniform type, with the edge of the oval or the top of the wreath/star used for measuring distances used in placement instructions. Detailed guidance on maximum badges and positioning can be found in DA PAM 670-1,
Chapter 22-16 (b) , "Wear of nonsubdued combat and special skill badges and special skill tab metal replicas,"of the January 2021 Edition of DA PAM 670-1.
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505th Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia