3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard)

United States Army combat formation

The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. It currently has three active battalions. It's sometime called The Old Guard, as well as Escort to the President. The regimental motto is Noli Me Tangere (from Latin: – "Touch Me Not"). The regiment is a major unit of the Military District of Washington (MDW).

3rd United States Infantry Regiment
3rd Infantry Regiment coat of arms
Active3 June 1784 – 20 November 1946
6 April 1948 – present
Country United States of America
Branch United States Army
TypeInfantry
RoleMemorial affairs, ceremonies and special events (two battalions)
Stryker infantry (one battalion)
SizeFour battalions (three active)
Garrison/HQ1st Battalion – Fort Myer, VA
2nd Battalion – Fort Lewis, WA
4th Battalion – Fort Myer
Nickname(s)"The Old Guard"[1]
Motto(s)Noli Me Tangere (English: Touch Me Not)
ColorsBuff and black (historical)[2]
MarchThe Old Guard March[3]
Anniversaries21 September-Organization Day
Engagements
Websitehttp://www.oldguard.mdw.army.mil/
Commanders
Current
commander
COL James J. Tuite IV[4]
Notable
commanders
LTC Paul Octave Hébert
COL Henry Leavenworth
LTC Ethan A. Hitchcock
COL Benjamin Bonneville
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia
Combat Service Identification Badge
Distinctive Trimming
(Buff Strap)

The regiment is the oldest active duty regiment in the US Army. It was first created as the First American Regiment in 1784.[5][6] It has been the official ceremonial unit of the US Army since 1948.

References change

  1. "Special Unit Designations". United States Army Center of Military History. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  2. Heitman, Francis B. (1903). Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army. Government Printing Office. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-8063-1402-0. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  3. The Old Guard march is available at The U.S. Army band's website[permanent dead link]
  4. "3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment website". U.S. Army. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  5. Mahon, John. K and Romana Danysh (1972). Army Lineage Series: Infantry: Part 1: Regular Army. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Military History, U.S. Army. p. 11. Archived from the original on 1 March 2010.
  6. U.S. Army. (1999.) "Organizational History" Archived 2021-06-02 at the Wayback Machine. United States Army Center of Military History, website publication, page 29. Retrieved on 4 October 2007. An American Revolutionary War unit in the 3rd US Infantry lineage was Captain John Doughty's Company of the 2nd Continental Artillery Regiment which had been attached to the 1st American Regiment (1783-1784) and then was part of the First American Regiment of 1784–1791.

Other websites change