104th Infantry Regiment (United States)

104th Infantry Regiment (United States)
United States Army Institute of Heraldry · Public domain · source
Unit name	104th Infantry Regiment
Country	United States
Allegiance	Union
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Dates	1921–present
Size	Regiment

104th Infantry Regiment (United States) is an infantry regiment of the United States Army with roots in the early 20th century and a service record spanning domestic assignments and overseas operations. The regiment has participated in major American campaigns, undergone multiple reorganizations, and contributed personnel to operations alongside formations from the United States Army, National Guard (United States), and allied forces such as the British Army, Canadian Army, and French Army. Its history intersects with events involving the War Department (United States), Department of the Army, and theaters associated with the European theatre of World War II and subsequent Cold War deployments.

History

The regiment traces origins to post-World War I National Guard reorganization under the National Defense Act of 1920, aligning state militia units with the federal United States Army Reserve framework. During the interwar period it trained in annual exercises at locations that included installations linked to the War Department (United States), such as Fort Bragg, Fort Benning, and state training centers. Mobilization for World War II brought the regiment into the active Army structure where it served in operations coordinated with commands like Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, European Theater of Operations, United States Army, and subordinate corps. Postwar reconstitution involved reassignments within United States Army Center of Military History lineage constructs, and Cold War era restructurings connected it to the United States Army Reserve Command, Continental Army Command, and later to modular brigade arrangements influenced by TRADOC doctrine. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the regiment contributed troops and cadres to operations linked to Operation Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and stability efforts in partnership with NATO entities including North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Organization and Structure

Historically organized as a multi-battalion regiment, its elements have included headquarters companies, line infantry battalions, and support units such as service companies, medical detachments, and reconnaissance elements aligned with divisional structures like the Infantry Division (United States). The regiment has been assigned to larger formations including numbered divisions under the United States Army Forces Command, and its battalions have been administratively controlled by state National Guard Bureau authorities during peacetime. Organizational changes mirrored Army-wide reforms—transitioning through the regimental system, the Pentomic structure, the ROAD reorganization, and later modular brigade combat team concepts promulgated by United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. Staff functions incorporated military occupational specialties established by the Department of the Army, and sustainment relied on logistics doctrine from United States Army Materiel Command and medical support frameworks from U.S. Army Medical Command.

Campaigns and Engagements

Elements of the regiment have been credited with participation in campaigns synchronized with major operations such as those in the European theatre of World War II including amphibious and ground assaults coordinated with Allied invasion of Normandy, follow-on Battle of the Bulge operations, and the Rhineland campaigns supporting crossings of the Rhine (river). Post-World War II activations saw involvement in domestic civil support missions during crises involving state governors coordinating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. In later decades, detachments supported expeditionary deployments associated with Persian Gulf War logistics, peace enforcement under United Nations mandates, and counterinsurgency operations during Iraq War and War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) periods, often interoperating with elements of the U.S. Marine Corps, United States Air Force, and allied contingents from the United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany.

Honors and Decorations

The regiment and its subordinate units have received campaign streamers and commendations authorized by the Department of the Army and recorded by the Center of Military History (United States). Awards associated with unit performance include campaign credits from World War II, theater citations tied to European Campaign (World War II), and non-combat service recognitions for domestic response missions. Individual soldiers from the regiment have been decorated with honors administered by the United States Army Awards and Decorations branch, such as the Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Meritorious Service Medal, reflecting valor and service in multiple operations alongside allied awards from partner nations.

Notable Members and Commanders

Commanders and members connected to the regiment have included career officers who later served in higher echelons of the United States Army, some attending professional military education institutions like the United States Army War College and United States Army Command and General Staff College. Notable affiliated figures have gone on to roles within the Department of Defense, elected office in state legislatures, or senior posts in veterans’ organizations such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. The regiment’s leaders have coordinated with theater commanders from allied forces including officers from the British Army, Canadian Army, and staff officers from Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force during coalition operations.

Lineage and Insignia

Lineage documentation is maintained according to standards of the United States Army Center of Military History, recording activations, inactivations, redesignations, and federal recognition events tied to state National Guard (United States) elements. Insignia associated with the regiment conform to heraldic guidance from the Institute of Heraldry (United States), featuring distinguishing unit insignia and shoulder sleeve insignia approved by the Department of the Army. These emblems reflect campaign history and state affiliations, and are displayed on colors and guidons preserved in regimental museums and archives under the stewardship of entities like the National Archives and Records Administration and state historical societies.

Category:Infantry regiments of the United States Army