A gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86cm) in diameter overall, consisting of a disc horizontally divided with nine alternating rays of red and gold in the upper portion of the disc and blue in the lower portion; overall a black and gold thunderbird issuing from the base bearing an orange triangle, point down, on its breast.
Ultramarine blue and golden orange are colors traditionally associated with aviation units. Red is for courage, gold for excellence and achievement, blue for loyalty; black refers to stability and suggests the unit's 24-hour vigilance and military preparedness. Red, gold and blue are adapted from the Arizona State Flag. Red and gold further suggest the Spanish flag carried by early explorers in Arizona, the unit's home location. Blue represents the sky and the unit's theater of operations. The rays of the sun and the thunderbird allude to Arizona and are evolved from the traditional Indian symbol; the thunderbird, symbolic of lightning, thunder and rain, denotes the units strike capability. The triangle, in the shape of an arrowhead, implies combat readiness.
The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 21 May 1991.