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3d US Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard)

The 3d US Infantry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. 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 (Touch Me Not), and its greeting is President's Own!. It is a major subordinate command of Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.

The regiment is the oldest active unit of infantry in the army, having been first organized as the First American Regiment in 1784.

Mission statement

The 3rd Infantry Regiment's mission is to conduct memorial affairs to honor fallen comrades and ceremonies and special events to represent the U.S. Army, communicating its story to our nations' citizens and the world. On order, The Old Guard conducts Defense Support of Civil Authorities in the National Capital Region and deploys elements in support of Overseas Contingency Operations.

Memorial Affairs and Ceremonial Mission

Memorial affairs missions include Standard Honor and Full Honors Funerals in Arlington National Cemetery and Dignified Transfers at Dover Air Force Base. Old Guard Soldiers also perform all dignified transfers of fallen Soldiers returning to the United States.

The Old Guard's ceremonial task list includes Full Honor Arrivals for visiting dignitaries, Wreath Ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and Full Honor Reviews in support of senior Army leaders and retiring Soldiers. Special events include the Twilight Tattoo, a weekly performance in the adjacent Washington area on Wednesday evenings from May to July, and the Spirit of America, a historical pageant presented at three national venues in September.

The Old Guard is the only unit in the US Army that has an Act of Congress 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.

Specialty Units

The Old Guard Caisson Platoon transporting a casket in Arlington National Cemetery

In addition to the marching platoons, there are also elements of The Old Guard that serve special roles unique both to the regiment as well as the US Army. Among these include the Sentinels of the Tomb of the Unknowns, maintaining a twenty-four hour watch over one the nation's most sacred sites; the Continental Color Guard, which presents the nation's colors at special events across the Capitol Region; the Presidential Salute Battery, which renders honors to General Officers and senior dignitaries at Arrival Ceremonies, Wreath Ceremonies, Reviews, and Full Honors Funerals; and the US Army Caisson Platoon, which provides horses and riders to pull caisson (the wagon that bears a casket) in military and state funerals. Caisson Platoon also provides the riderless horses used in Full Honors funerals and supports wounded warriors participating in the Therapuetic Riding Program.

The United States Army Drill Team.

Other elements of The Old Guard include the Commander-in-Chief's guard (Company A), replicating the personal guard of General George Washington; wearing Colonial blue uniforms, powdered wigs, and tricorn hats; and bearing Brown Bess muskets and halberds at ceremonies and special events; the US Army Drill Team, which demonstrates its skill and precision around the nation, and Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, which plays traditional arrangements of marching music, dating back to the time of the Continental Army. 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 tricorn hats and powdered wigs. Rounding out The Old Guard's capabilities are the 289th Military Police Company, the 947th Military Working Dog Detachment, the 529th Regimental Support Company, two battalion headquarters companies, and the regimental headquarters company.

The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps on parade

Other Operations

Although The Old Guard primarily functions is a ceremonial role, it is an Infantry unit and thus required to meet standards of for certification in its combat role. The unit also trains for its support role to civil authorities in a wide-range of scenarios and for deployments in support of Overseas Contingency Operations.

In 2003, The Old Guard deployed for the first time since the Vietnam War. Bravo Company was dispatched to the Horn of Africa, where it established a forward base in rural Ethiopia.McKeeby, Eric M. (2004-02-02.) (U.S. military website.) Army News Service, U.S. Army Public Affairs, via army.mil. Retrieved on 2007-10-06. 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 regiment's Delta company was deployed to Camp LeMonier, Djibouti as part of CJTF-HOA, supporting humanitarian missions and local military training in the region. And, Charlie Company deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, in 2009 to execute its theater internment support mission.

1st Battalion

A gun salute being fired by the <strong>Presidential Salute Guns Battery</strong>

A gun salute being fired by the Presidential Salute Guns Battery

thumb|300px|right|A member of Caisson Platoon escorts 'Sergeant York', the riderless horse used during the funeral procession for the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan.

* HHC 1/3

**Caisson Platoon

**Presidential Salute Battery

*Bravo Company

**Escort Platoon

**Casket Platoon

**Firing Party Platoon

*Charlie Company

**Escort Platoon

**Casket Platoon

**Firing Party Platoon

*Delta Company

**Escort Platoon

**Casket Platoon

**Firing Party Platoon

*Hotel Company

**Escort Platoon

**Casket Platoon

**Firing Party Platoon

4th Battalion

The 4th Battalion was reactivated on Fort Myer in 2008. Corresponding with the regimental realignment, the battallion is composed of the following units:

*HHC 4/3

**Tomb of the Unknowns

**US Army Drill Team

*A Co. (Commander-In-Chief's Guard)

**Two Colonial Marching Platoons

**One Contemporary Marching Platoon

*E Co.(Honor Guard Company)

**Three Contemporary Marching Platoons

**Continental Color Guard

*289th Military Police Company

**SRT

**947th MP Detachment (K-9)

*The Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps

Regimental Separate Companies

*HHC Regiment:

**Coordinating Staff

**Ceremonial Equipment Branch

**Communications Platoon

**Chaplains Office

**Public Affairs Office

**Regimental Recruiters

**The Old Guard Museum

*529th Regimental Support Company

**Headquarters Section

**Food Service Platoon

**Maintenance Platoon

**Transportation Platoon

**Medical Platoon

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 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 first Stryker Brigade Combat Team. On April 23rd, 2008, the 2nd Battalion was awarded its 7th Presidential Unit Citation, making it the most decorated Infantry Battalion in the U.S. Army. It redeployed to Iraq in 2009.

*HHC 2/3

**Reconnaissance Platoon

**Mortar Platoon

*A Company

**First Platoon

**Second Platoon

**Third Platoon

**Mobile Gun Stryker (MGS) Platoon

*B Company

**First Platoon

**Second Platoon

**Third Platoon

**Mobile Gun Stryker (MGS) Platoon

*C Company

**First Platoon

**Second Platoon

**Third Platoon

**Mobile Gun Stryker (MGS) Platoon

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 and Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The 205th Infantry Brigade was headquartered at Fort Snelling, Minnesota until its deactivation.

Medals of Honor

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

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, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 3 July 1969, Long Khanh (posthumous)

Oscar Burkard

Oscar Burkard of the U.S. Army Hospital Corps, attached to the 3d U.S. Infantry, received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 5, 1898 in the Battle of Sugar Point at Leech Lake, Minnesota. It is listed by the U.S. Office of Medical History as the last Medal of Honor awarded in an Indian campaign.

The Old Guard participated in one of the first battles of the Indian Wars - the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794 and one of the last battle of the Indian Wars- the Battle of Sugar Point in 1898.

Lineage

Constituted 3 June 1784 in the Regular Army as the First American Regiment to consist of companies from Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

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; 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)

(2nd Battalion (less Headquarters and Headquarters Company) inactivated 1 September 1942 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota (Headquarters and Headquarters Company concurrently inactivated in Greenland); battalion activated 22 October 1943 at Camp Butner, North Carolina)

Inactivated 20 November 1946 in Germany

Regiment (less 2nd Battalion) activated 6 April 1948 at Fort Myer, Virginia (2nd Battalion concurrently activated at Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.)

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).

Organized May 1865 - September 1866 at Fort Wayne, Michigan; Newport Barracks, Kentucky; and Fort Columbus, 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)