509th PIR Jump Wing/Glider Wing Oval

Soldiers assigned to Army units on airborne status wear a cloth oval, known as airborne background trimming, behind their Parachutist Badge. This distinguishes a parachute-qualified soldier serving in a unit on active jump status, called a "Paratrooper," from a parachutist serving in a non-airborne unit. The original airborne background trimming was also a contribution of Captain Yarborough, who attempted to address a concern that the Parachutist Badge was too small and did not stand out on the uniform. Each U.S. Army airborne unit—whether parachute, glider, or air assault—had a unique airborne background trimming designed with their unit's colors. Over time, the design of each parachute unit's background trimming became complementary to the unit's beret flash that is worn on the U.S. Army maroon, tan, and rifle-green berets. Today, airborne background trimming designs are created and/or authorized by the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, which evaluates unit lineage, military heraldry, and proposed designs by the requesting unit before commissioning a design for production.