3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment

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3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment

The 3d US Infantry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
. Three battalions of the regiment are currently active. The regiment is readily identified by its nickname, The Old Guard (TOG for short), as well as Escort to the President. The regimental motto is Noli Me Tangere
Noli me tangere

Noli me tangere, meaning "don't touch me", is the Latin version of words spoken, according to , by Jesus to Mary Magdalene Resurrection appearances of Jesus....
(Touch Me Not).

The regiment is the oldest active unit of infantry in the army, having been first organized as the First American Regiment
First American Regiment

The First American Regiment was the first peacetime Regular Army force authorized by Congress after the American Revolutionary War.After the conclusion of the American Revolution in 1783, Congress ordered the Continental Army to disband, and General George Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief....
in 1784.

but one company of the 1st battalion are stationed at Ft. Myer, Virginia

Fort Myer

Fort Myer is a U.S. Army Military base adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, DC....
(Company 'A', the Commander in Chief's Guard, is stationed at nearby Ft. McNair

Fort Lesley J. McNair

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The 3d US Infantry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army

United States Army

Regimental Assets

- HHC Regiment:

1st Battalion

All but one company of the 1st battalion are stationed at Ft. Myer, Virginia

Fort Myer

Fort Lesley J. McNair

Fort Lesley J. McNair is a United States Army post located on the point of land where the Potomac River and Anacostia River join in Washington, D.C....
, across the river in Southwest Washington, DC). The 1st Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) is under the umbrella command of the Military District of Washington

Military District of Washington

The United States Army Military District of Washington is one of nineteen major commands of the United States Army. Its headquarters are located at Fort Lesley J....
(MDW). The Old Guard has a twofold mission: a ceremonial mission and a combat mission, in which the regiment serves as part of the National Capital Region's defense.

- HHC 1/3
- Military Police Platoon
- Fife and Drum Corps (now 4-3 Battalion)
- Bravo Company
- Charlie Company
- Delta Company
- Hotel Company

Mission statement

The 3rd Infantry Regiment's website lists its brigade combat team

Brigade combat team

The brigade combat team is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the United States Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its attached support and fire units....
(BCT) mission statement as follows:

"3d US Infantry Regiment BCT conducts ceremonies in order to maintain the traditions of the US Army, showcase the Army to our nation’s citizens and the world, and to defend the dignity and honor of our fallen comrades. On order, 3d Infantry Regiment BCT protects federal property and / or reinforces civilian authorities in the NCR in order to limit the effects of attacks or disasters."

Ceremonial mission

The Old Guard is also known as 'Escort to the President.' The majority of the regiment is made up of marching, or 'line' companies, which, among other duties, represent the Army in military parades. The Old Guard is the only unit in the US Army that has an Act of Congress

Act of Congress

An act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States government....
specifically providing it with orders to march with fixed bayonets and it is the sole remaining regular combat field unit to issue the standard M14 rifle to the ranks. There are several casket teams and firing parties in the line platoons; these participate in military funerals. Among the ceremonial tasks and honors the regiment carries out, the following duties are also included, each of which is assigned to a Specialty Platoon: the guarding of the Tomb of the Unknowns

Tomb of the Unknowns

The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to American servicemen who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in the United States....
in Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia is a United States National Cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, The Robert E....
; The Continental Color Guard (or CCG - see also Color Guards); The Presidential Salute Guns Battery, which serves at all Full Honors General officer (and State) funerals, as well as at arrivals and departures of foreign dignitaries; the US Army Caisson Platoon, which provides horses and riders to pull caisson (the wagon that bears a casket) in military

Military funeral

A military funeral is a funeral given by a country's military for a veteran, a soldier who died in battle, or another prominent military figure....
and state funeral

State funeral

A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony held to honour heads of state or other important people of national significance. They usually include much pomp and ceremony....
s, as well as caparisoned horses in Full Honors funerals. Also part of The Old Guard, are the US Army Drill Team, which performs around the nation & Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps

Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps

The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps is one of four premier musical organizations of the United States Army. Members perform using musical instruments and wearing uniforms similar to those used by military musicians of the Continental Army during the American Revolution....
, which plays traditional arrangements of marching music, dating back to the time of the Continental Army

Continental Army

The American Continental Army was an army formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 15, 1775, the army was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in their struggle against the rule of Kingdom...
. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps marches in the Colonial red uniform -- to be "better seen through the smoke of battle"; the uniform also includes tri-corner hats and powdered wigs.

Combat readiness

The Old Guard, while performing primarily in a ceremonial role, is nonetheless an Infantry

Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
unit, which is required to maintain the same certifications of all Infantry units in the U.S. Army. In its combat role, the soldiers of The Old Guard train to standards as per their MOS (Military Occupational Specialty); these include: Rifle marksmanship; Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare preparedness training; operations in area security: and control of civil disturbances. Most of this training takes place at Fort A. P. Hill, Virginia. The Old Guard provides the principal body of garrison troops in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....

In 2003, in the regiment's first deployment since the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina Wars, the Vietnam Conflict, or often in Vietnam the American War occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1959 to April 30, 1975....
, the U.S. Army reported that the Old Guard's Bravo Company was deployed to the Horn of Africa

Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts for hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea, and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden....
, where it established a forward base in rural Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, Kenya to the south, Somalia to the east and Djibouti to the northeast....
. The base and missions, intended primarily to train Ethiopian military personnel, were part of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), a Global War on Terrorism operation. In 2007, the Army reported that the regiment's Delta company was deployed to Camp LeMonier, Djibouti

Djibouti

Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast....
as part of CJTF-HOA, supporting humanitarian missions and local military training in the region.

2d Battalion

Stationed at Ft.Lewis, Washington, the 2d Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment, serves as one of three infantry battalions of the 3d Stryker
Stryker

The IAV Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled all wheel drive armored combat vehicles produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in use by the United States Army....
Brigade Combat Team in the 2d Infantry Division ('Indian Head'). After a 31-year hiatus from service, the 2-3 was reactivated on 15 March 2001. 2-3 Infantry is part of the initial Stryker brigade combat team. Utilizing the new Stryker vehicle platform, this unit is part of the conversion to the Army's Future Force Unit of Action

Future Force Unit of action

The Future Force Unit of Action will be the United States Army?s tactical warfighting echelon. Although optimized for offensive operations, the Future Combat Systems equipped Unit of Action will have the ability to execute a full spectrum of operations....
system. On April 23rd, 2008, the 2nd Battalion was awarded its 7th Presidential Unit Citation, making the 2nd Bn the most decorated Infantry Battalion in the U.S. Army.

- HHC
- A Company
- B Company
- C Company

3d Battalion

3d Battalion, 3d Infantry was deactivated on 25 August 1994. It was one of the three light infantry battalions that made up the Army Reserve's 205th Infantry Brigade (Light)(Separate), which in turn was the round-out brigade for the Regular Army's 6th Infantry Division (Light), based at Fort Richardson

Fort Richardson

Fort Richardson is a United States Army installation in the U.S. state of Alaska, adjacent to the city of Anchorage, Alaska....
and Fort Wainwright

Fort Wainwright

Fort Wainwright is a United States Army post adjacent to Fairbanks, Alaska in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska United States metropolitan area....
, Alaska. The 205th Infantry Brigade was headquartered at Fort Snelling, Minnesota until its deactivation

Deactivation

Deactivation may refer to;*Protein denaturation, the process of disrupting the structure of proteins or nucleic acids*Sterilization , the process of rendering microorganisms unable to replicate...
.

4/3 Battalion

- HHC 4/3
- A Co. (Commander-In-Chief's Guard)
- E Co.(Honor Guard Company)
- 529th Regimental Support Company
- 289th Military Police Company
  289th Military Police Company
  
  The 289th Military Police Company was activated on 1994-11-01 and attached to Hotel Company, 3rd Infantry , Fort Myer, Virginia. Hotel Company is the Regiment's specialty company; it is also one of the most diverse organizations in the United States Armed Forces....
- Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps

Medals of Honor

The following 3rd Infantry soldiers have been awarded the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest Awards and decorations of the United States military awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action...
:

Indian Wars

Sergeant James Fegan, Company H, March 1868, Plum Creek, Kansas Corporal Leander Herron, Company A, 2 September 1868, near Fort Dodge, Kansas Private Robert Smith, Company M, 9 September 1876, Slim Buttes, Montana

Vietnam War

Corporal Michael Fleming Folland

Michael Fleming Folland

Michael Fleming Folland was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration?the Medal of Honor?for his actions in the Vietnam War....
, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 3 July 1969, Long Khanh (posthumous)

Oscar Burkard

Oscar R. Burkard was a German-American soldier who served in the United States Army during the Indian Wars and World War I. In 1898, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Sugar Point....
of the U.S. Army Hospital Corps, attached to the 3d U.S. Infantry, received the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

Battle of Sugar Point

The Battle of Sugar Point was fought on October 5, 1898 between the 3rd U.S. Infantry and members of the Bear Island Pillager Band of Chippewa Indians in a failed attempt to apprehend Pillager Chippewa chieftain Bugonaygeshig , following a dispute with local officials in Cass County, Minnesota....
at Leech Lake

Leech Lake

Leech Lake is a lake located in north central Minnesota, United States. It is southeast of Bemidji, Minnesota, located mainly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, and completely within the Chippewa National Forest....
, Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with just over five million residents....
. It is listed by the U.S. Office of Medical History as the last Medal of Honor awarded in an Indian campaign

Indian Wars

Indian Wars is the name generally used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between the colonial or federal government and the indigenous peoples of North America....
.
Interestingly the "Old Guard" had participated in one of the first battles of the Indian Wars

Indian Wars

Battle of Fallen Timbers

The Battle of Fallen Timbers was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indians in the United Statess and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory ....
in 1794 and one of the last battle of the Indian Wars- the Battle of Sugar Point

Battle of Sugar Point

Lineage

Constituted 3 June 1784 in the Regular Army as the First American Regiment
First American Regiment

The First American Regiment was the first peacetime Regular Army force authorized by Congress after the American Revolutionary War.After the conclusion of the American Revolution in 1783, Congress ordered the Continental Army to disband, and General George Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief....
to consist of companies from Connecticut
Connecticut

Connecticut is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The state borders New York to the west and south , Massachusetts to the north, and Rhode Island to the east....
, New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
, New Jersey
New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania....
, and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
.

Organized August-September 1784 in Pennsylvania and New Jersey (New York and Connecticut companies organized in 1785)

Redesignated 29 September 1789 as the Regiment of Infantry

Redesignated 3 March 1791 as the 1st Infantry Regiment

Redesignated in 1792 as the Infantry of the 1st Sub-Legion

Redesignated 31 October 1796 as the 1st Infantry Regiment

Consolidated May-October 1815 with the 5th Infantry Regiment (constituted 12 April 1808), the 17th Infantry Regiment (constituted 11 January 1812), the 19th Infantry Regiment (constituted 26 June 1812), and the 28th Infantry Regiment (constituted 29 January 1813) to form the 3d Infantry

Consolidated August-December 1869 with one-half of the 37th Infantry Regiment (see ANNEX) and consolidated unit designated as the 3d Infantry

(2nd and 3rd Battalions inactivated 18 November 1921 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota
Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with just over five million residents....
; activated 8 June 1922 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota)

Assigned 24 March 1923 to the 7th Division

Relieved 15 August 1927 from assignment to the 7th Division and assigned to the 6th Division

Relieved 1 October 1933 from assignment to the 6th Division and assigned to the 7th Division

Relieved 16 October 1939 from assignment to the 7th Division and assigned to the 6th Division

Relieved 10 May 1941 from assignment to the 6th Division

(1st Battalion inactivated 1 June 1941 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; activated 14 February 1942 in Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland

The Dominion of Newfoundland was a Dominion from 1907 to 1949. The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic Ocean coast and comprised the Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland....
)

(2nd Battalion (less Headquarters and Headquarters Company) inactivated 1 September 1942 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota (Headquarters and Headquarters Company concurrently inactivated in Greenland
Greenland

Greenland is a member country of the Kingdom of Denmark located between the Arctic Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago....
); battalion activated 22 October 1943 at Camp Butner
Camp Butner

Camp Butner was a United States Army installation in Butner, North Carolina during World War II. It was named after Army General Henry W. Butner....
, North Carolina
North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....
)

Inactivated 20 November 1946 in Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....

Regiment (less 2nd Battalion) activated 6 April 1948 at Fort Myer
Fort Myer

Fort Myer is a U.S. Army Military base adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, DC....
, Virginia (2nd Battalion concurrently activated at Fort Lesley J. McNair
Fort Lesley J. McNair

Fort Lesley J. McNair is a United States Army post located on the point of land where the Potomac River and Anacostia River join in Washington, D.C....
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
)

Reorganized 1 July 1957 as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System

Withdrawn 16 January 1986 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System

ANNEX

Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as the 3d Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment (United States)
19th Infantry Regiment (United States)

The 19th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment which is assigned to the US Army Training and Doctrine Command, with the assignment of conducting Basic and Advanced Infantry Training....
.

Organized May 1865 - September 1866 at Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne (Detroit)

Fort Wayne is located in the city of Detroit, Michigan, Michigan, at the foot of Livernois Avenue in the Delray, Michigan neighborhood. The fort is situated on the Detroit River at a point where it is about a mile to the Canada shore....
, Michigan; Newport Barracks
Newport Barracks

Newport Barracks was a military barracks in Newport, Kentucky, operational between 1803 and 1894.In 1803, James Taylor Jr. solicited the help of his cousin, James Madison, who was then U.S....
, Kentucky; and Fort Columbus
Fort Columbus

Fort Columbus the name of a fortification and an army post on Governors Island in New York Harbor, in New York City, New York from around 1806 until 1904....
, New York

Reorganized and redesignated 23 November 1866 as the 37th Infantry Regiment (United States).

One-half of the 37th Infantry consolidated August-December 1869 with the 3d Infantry and consolidated unit designated as the 3d Infantry (remaining half of the 37th Infantry consolidated in June 1869 with the 5th Infantry and consolidated unit designated as the 5th Infantry--hereafter separate lineage)

3rd Infantry Honors

Campaign Participation Credit

War of 1812

Canada
Chippewa
Battle of Chippawa

The Battle of Chippawa was a victory for the United States Army in the War of 1812, during an invasion of Upper Canada along the Niagara River on July 5, 1814....
Lundy's Lane
Battle of Lundy's Lane

The Battle of Lundy's Lane was a battle of the War of 1812, which took place on 25 July, 1814, in present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario. It was one of the bloodiest battles ever fought in Canada....

Mexican-American War

Palo Alto
Battle of Palo Alto

The Battle of Palo Alto was the first major battle of the Mexican-American War and was fought on May 8, 1846, on disputed ground five miles from the modern-day city of Brownsville, Texas....
Resaca de la Palma
Battle of Resaca de la Palma

At the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, one of the early engagements of the Mexican-American War,United States General Zachary Taylor engaged the retreating forces of the Mexico Ej?rcito del Norte under General Mariano Arista on May 9, 1846....
Monterey
Battle of Monterey

The Battle of Monterey, at Monterey, California , was waged on July 7, 1846, during the Mexican-American War.United States United States Navy forces under Commodore John D....
Vera Cruz
Cerro Gordo
Battle of Cerro Gordo

The Battle of Cerro Gordo or Sierra Gordo in the Mexican-American War saw Winfield Scott's US troops flank and drive Santa Anna's larger Mexican army from a strong defensive position....
Contreras
Battle of Contreras

The Battle of Contreras, also known as the Battle of Padierna, took place during the August 19–20, 1847, in the final encounters of the Mexican-American War....
Churubusco
Battle of Churubusco

The Battles of Churubusco took place on August 20, 1847, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Contreras during the Mexican-American War. The defeat of the Mexican army at Churubusco left the United States Army only 5 miles away from Mexico City....
Chapultepec
Battle of Chapultepec

The Battle of Chapultepec was a U.S. victory over Mexican forces holding Chapultepec Castle west of Mexico City during the Mexican-American War....

Civil War

Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run

The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassas , was the first major land battle of the American Civil War, fought on July 21, 1861, near Manassas, Virginia....
Peninsula
Peninsula Campaign

The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
Manassas
Second Battle of Bull Run

The Second Battle of Bull Run, or, as it was called by the Confederate States of America, the Battle of Second Manassas, was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War....
Antietam
Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg

The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, from December 11 to December 15, 1862, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major general Ambrose E....
Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, fought near the village of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, from April 30 to May 6, 1863....
Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
Appomattox
Battle of Appomattox Courthouse

The Battle of Appomattox Courthouse was the final engagement of Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia before it surrender to the Union Army under Lieutenant General Ulysses S....
Texas 1861
Florida 1861
Florida 1862
Virginia 1863

Indian Wars

Miami (Ohio 1794)
Seminoles (1840-1843)
Comanches (1868)
New Mexico 1856
New Mexico 1857
New Mexico 1858
New Mexico 1860
Montana 1887

Spanish-American War

Santiago

Philippine-American War

Malolos
San Isidro
Luzon 1899
Luzon 1900
Jolo 1911

World War II

American Theater, Streamer without inscription;
Northern France

Vietnam

Counteroffensive, Phase II
Counteroffensive, Phase III
Tet Counteroffensive
Counteroffensive, Phase IV
Counteroffensive, Phase V
Counteroffensive, Phase VI
Tet 69/Counteroffensive
Summer-Fall 1969
Winter-Spring 1970
Sanctuary Counteroffensive
Counteroffensive, Phase VII
Consolidation I

Decorations

Valorous Unit Award
Valorous Unit Award

The Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star....
for SAIGON - LONG BINH
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation

The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
(Army) for WASHINGTON, D.C., 1969-1973
Army Superior Unit Award for 1984-1985
Army Superior Unit Award for 1993
Army Superior Unit Award for 2004

(Copied directly from the Regimental Website)