28th Infantry Regiment

28th Infantry Regiment
Unit name	28th Infantry Regiment
Dates	1901–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Light infantry; mechanized infantry
Size	Regiment
Partof	1st Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division, 8th Infantry Division
Nickname	"Black Lions"
Motto	"Victory, Honor"
Colors	Bluetail

28th Infantry Regiment

The 28th Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army with service dating from the early 20th century through major 20th- and 21st-century conflicts. Organized for service during periods of expansion, the regiment served under multiple divisions and fought in campaigns across Philippine–American War, World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Global War on Terrorism. The unit has earned numerous campaign streamers and decorations from the United States Department of the Army and allied governments.

History

Constituted during the administration of William McKinley amid post‑Spanish–American War reorganization, the regiment was organized for service in the Philippine–American War and later assigned to garrison duty in Cuba, Panama Canal Zone, and the continental United States. During World War I, elements of the regiment trained at Camp Funston and deployed to the Western Front where they joined other regiments of the American Expeditionary Forces and fought in offensives alongside the British Army, French Army, and Canadian Expeditionary Force. Between wars the regiment conducted border security operations during the Mexican Revolution era and participated in interwar training at Fort Benning and Fort Riley. Reactivated and reorganized for World War II, the regiment fought in European campaigns including operations across Normandy, the Siegfried Line, and the Rhine River crossings. In the Vietnam War era the regiment’s battalions served in counterinsurgency operations in provinces such as Binh Duong and Tay Ninh, alongside units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. Post‑Cold War reconfigurations saw battalions assigned to FORSCOM brigades and deployed for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan (2001–2021).

Organization and Structure

The regiment has historically been organized into battalions, companies, and platoons following tables of organization from the United States Army Center of Military History and the Department of the Army doctrine. During World War I the regiment aligned under a square or triangular divisional structure of the American Expeditionary Forces; in World War II it operated as part of an infantry regiment within a division along with attached support from the Field Artillery, Signal Corps, and Medical Corps. Cold War and post‑Cold War modular transformations restructured battalions to fit Brigade Combat Team organization, integrating reconnaissance, engineer, and sustainment elements from the Corps of Engineers and Quartermaster Corps. Command and control historically passed through regimental headquarters, with battalion commanders drawn from officers promoted via OCS and United States Military Academy graduates.

Campaigns and Engagements

The regiment’s campaign participation credits encompass the Philippine Insurrection, World War I campaigns such as Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, and Meuse-Argonne Offensive, and numerous Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe. In the Vietnam era the regiment is credited with campaigns in Counteroffensive, Phase II, Tet Counteroffensive, and Summer–Fall 1969 operations in III Corps Tactical Zone alongside units of III Corps (South Vietnam). In the Global War on Terrorism, battalions conducted stability operations and counterinsurgency in Al Anbar Governorate during the Iraq War and in Helmand Province during operations aligned with Operation Enduring Freedom. The regiment’s soldiers fought in combined arms engagements with units such as the 101st Airborne Division, 3rd Infantry Division, and multinational partners from United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

Decorations and Honors

The regiment and its subordinate battalions have received awards including Distinguished Unit Citation/Presidential Unit Citation, Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and foreign decorations from allies such as the French Croix de Guerre and the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm. Campaign streamers represent service in Aisne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, Normandy, Rhineland, Vietnam, and Iraq among others. Individual soldiers received decorations including the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and Bronze Star Medal for actions while assigned to the regiment, earning recognition from commands like the United States Army Europe and United States Army Pacific.

Notable Commanders and Personnel

Leaders and personnel associated with the regiment include battalion and regimental commanders who later advanced to general officer rank and staff positions in commands such as United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, United States Army Forces Command, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff staff. Noted officers and enlisted leaders received recognition in histories alongside contemporaries from George S. Patton, Omar Bradley, and Douglas MacArthur era operations; veterans later served in diplomatic and veterans’ organizations like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Medal recipients and combat leaders from the regiment are commemorated in unit histories and local memorials in communities hosting the regiment’s garrisons, including Fort Bragg and Fort Carson.

Heraldry and Insignia

The regiment's distinctive unit insignia and coat of arms incorporate symbols reflecting service in the Philippine–American War, World War I, and World War II, with colors and motifs from the Infantry Branch and device elements approved by the United States Army Institute of Heraldry. Unit beret flashes, shoulder sleeve insignia, and regimental streamers denote affiliations with divisions such as the 1st Infantry Division and service in major campaigns like Normandy and Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The heraldic elements are displayed on guidons and memorials maintained by regimental associations and veteran groups including the Association of the United States Army affiliates.

Category:Infantry regiments of the United States Army