Old Guard (3rd Infantry Regiment)

Old Guard (3rd Infantry Regiment)
Unit name	3rd Infantry Regiment
Caption	Regimental colors of the 3rd Infantry Regiment
Dates	1784–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Ceremonial duties, security, infantry operations
Size	Regiment
Garrison	Fort Myer, Virginia
Nickname	The Old Guard
Motto	"Noli Me Tangere"
March	"Old Guard March"

Old Guard (3rd Infantry Regiment) is the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the United States Army, serving as a ceremonial and operational regiment stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia. The unit provides honors for national leaders and maintains sentinel duties at Arlington National Cemetery while also deploying for combat support and operational missions. Its history intersects with George Washington, the Continental Army, the War of 1812, the American Civil War, and modern conflicts such as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

History

Established in 1784 as the 1st American Regiment under Congress of the Confederation orders and later redesignated, the regiment's lineage traces to post‑Revolutionary War forces involved with President George Washington and the early United States Army. Throughout the 19th century the regiment served in the Northwest Indian War, the Quasi-War, and the War of 1812 defending the young republic and participating in actions alongside leaders like Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor. During the American Civil War elements fought for the Union in major campaigns including the Battle of Gettysburg and the Overland Campaign, later participating in Reconstruction duties and deployments to the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American War. In the 20th century the regiment provided units in World War I training and occupation duties, and in World War II companies saw action in the European Theater and occupation missions. Post‑World War II, the regiment assumed ceremonial responsibilities in the national capital region, while continuing combat deployments to Vietnam War, Gulf War, Iraq War, and Afghanistan theaters.

Organization and Structure

The regiment is organized into multiple battalions and companies, including the 1st Battalion (Infantry) and the 4th Battalion (Ceremonial), each aligned under United States Army Forces Command and the Military District of Washington. Units include specialized companies such as the Caisson Platoon, the Tomb of the Unknowns Sentinels, and the Fife and Drum Corps, integrated with staff elements supporting coordination with the Department of Defense, the White House, and the United States Congress. Command structure historically reflects links with commanders who served under theaters like European Theater of Operations (United States) and campaigns associated with leaders from Douglas MacArthur to contemporary generals assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Duties and Ceremonial Roles

The regiment provides funerary honors and ceremonial support at Arlington National Cemetery, conducting military funerals, full honors internments, and the daily Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, maintaining protocols established after World War I and formalized in policies tied to the Department of the Army. It performs public duties for presidential inaugurations, state funerals, and state arrival ceremonies for foreign dignitaries including coordination with the United States Secret Service and the Department of State. The Fife and Drum Corps and Caisson Platoon perform heritage demonstrations for events at the Pentagon, the National Mall, and the Arlington National Cemetery amphitheater, reflecting traditions preserved since service in the era of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

Combat Deployments and Operations

While renowned for ceremonial missions, the regiment has repeatedly deployed to combat and contingency operations across centuries. In the 19th and early 20th centuries it saw action in campaigns against Tecumseh‑era confederacies and in expeditionary operations in Cuba and the Philippines. In the 20th century it provided forces for World War II ground operations and Cold War deployments, and in the 21st century elements mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, conducting infantry, security force, and convoy protection missions alongside units from the 101st Airborne Division and the 1st Cavalry Division. The regiment’s operational tempo has included joint and combined operations with NATO allies such as United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland forces in multinational exercises.

Uniforms and Insignia

Ceremonial uniforms draw on Revolutionary and 19th‑century traditions, featuring distinctive blue and buff colors, the regimental crest, and accoutrements used by the Fife and Drum Corps modeled after uniforms associated with figures like George Washington. The Tomb Guard wears specialized insignia representing the Sentinel’s creed and the regiment uses distinctive unit insignia approved by the Institute of Heraldry and the United States Army Center of Military History. Unit decorations include campaign streamers for engagements such as Antietam, Normandy, and Iraq Campaign Medal‑era citations, with badges and awards authorized under regulations from the Secretary of the Army.

Notable Members and Commanders

Prominent figures associated with the regiment include officers who later rose to national prominence, such as early commanders connected to Winfield Scott, veterans who served in presidential staff roles under Abraham Lincoln, leaders who later joined the Department of Defense senior ranks, and modern commanders who coordinated ceremonial and combat deployments with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Distinguished enlisted members include Tomb Sentinels honored for service and recipients of valor awards for actions in Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns.

In Popular Culture and Media References

The regiment appears in historical documentaries and films about Arlington National Cemetery, presidential ceremonies, and American military traditions, referenced in works addressing World War II memorials, Vietnam War retrospectives, and contemporary reporting on State funerals in the United States. Television news programs and periodicals covering ceremonies on the National Mall and events involving the White House routinely feature imagery of the regiment’s Caisson Platoon, Fife and Drum Corps, and Tomb Sentinel rituals.

Category:United States Army regiments Category:Military units and formations established in 1784