4th, 5th & 6th U.S. Army Infantry Regiments

4th Infantry Regiment

 The 4th Infantry Regiment has served the United States for approximately two hundred years. It has been alleged that the regiment traces its lineage to the original Fourth United States Infantry, which was organized as the Infantry of the Fourth Sub-Legion on 4 September 1792, only four years after the adoption of the Constitution. However, according the United States Army Center of Military History, this Fourth Infantry was a temporary unit with no lineal connection to either the original permanent 4th Infantry Regiment, or the modern 4th Infantry Regiment. Officially, the first incarnation of the 4th Infantry Regiment was constituted on 12 April 1808 in the Regular Army as the 4th Infantry, and organized in May–June 1808 in New England.

The second incarnation was constituted on 11 January 1812 in the Regular Army as the 14th Infantry Regiment, and organized in March 1812 in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. It has been consolidated in May–October 1815 with the 18th and 20th Infantry (both constituted 11 January 1812) and the 36th and 38th Infantry (both constituted 29 January 1813) to form the 4th Infantry Regiment.

Most recently, in August 2004, the 4th Infantry Regiment units were deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and in late 2007 to Iraq with 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division.

The metal and enamel distinctive unit insignia was originally approved on 21 Dec 1987. It was amended on 14 Sep 1989 to revise the description and clarify the symbolism. Subsequent to the Mexican War and until the blue uniform was abolished, the Band of the Fourth Infantry was authorized to wear a scarlet piping on the chevrons and trousers stripes in commemoration of the Regiment's distinguished service in the battle of Monterey in turning a captured battery of artillery against the enemy. The scarlet perpetuates this distinguished service of an element of the Regiment. Green is the predominating color of the coat of arms of the Regiment; it also symbolizes the service of the Fourth Infantry in the Mexican War.

The coat of arms originally approved on 26 Feb 1924. It was updated on 29 May 1959. On 14 Sep 1989 it was amended to correct the inconsistencies in the blazon and symbolism of the design. The green shield recalls the Mexican War. The National flag bore fifteen stars during the War of 1812. The white cross represents the service of the Regiment in the Civil War; the arrow, the Indian Wars; the castle, the War with Spain; the bolo, the Philippine Insurrection; and the fleur-de-lis, World War I. Prior to the approval of the coat of arms, the crest and motto were in use by the Regiment for many years.

5th Infantry Regiment

The 5th Infantry Regiment (nicknamed the "Bobcats") is the third-oldest infantry regiment of the United States Army, tracing its origins to 1808. It has participated in some way in most of the wars the United States has fought during its history. Technically, the 5th Infantry Regiment was created by an Act of Congress of 3 March 1815, which reduced the Regular Army from the 46 infantry and 4 rifle regiments it fielded in the War of 1812 to a peacetime establishment of 8 infantry regiments (reduced to 7 in 1821). The Army's current regimental numbering system dates from this act. Six of the old regiments (4th, 9th, 13th, 21st, 40th and 46th) were consolidated into the new 5th Regiment, which was organized on 15 May 1815 under the command of Colonel James Miller.

Most recently, after the Vietnam War the Fifth Infantry Regiment returned to Hawaii where it served with the 25th Infantry Division until the late 1980s when it spent a brief period with the 2nd Infantry in Korea. In early 2002 the 1st Brigade "Lancers" began its conversion from a light infantry brigade to a Stryker brigade. It began a one-year tour of duty in Iraq in October 2004. The brigade returned to Fort Lewis in September 2005. The 1st Brigade was temporarily inactive from June–October 2006. The 1st Battalion, Fifth Infantry Regiment is now part of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Arctic Wolves", Ft. Wainwright, Alaska.

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved on 28 Apr 1923. On 25 May 1970 the insignia was amended to correct the description. The shield is white (Argent) the color of infantry facings when the regiment was organized. The red fess with arrow commemorates the battle of Tippecanoe; the battle of Lundy's Lane is shown by the seven cannons captured there; while the border of green, white and red is for the Mexican War. The crest is a modification of the crest of General Nelson A. Miles who led the regiment in several notable Indian engagements. His crest is an arm in armor grasping an anchor; 9 arrows, one for each Indian campaign, is substituted for the anchor in the regimental crest.

The coat of arms was originally approved on 27 May 1921. It was amended to change the motto and history on 29 Jun 1922. The shield is white (Argent) the color of infantry facings when the regiment was organized. The red fess with arrow commemorates the battle of Tippecanoe; the seven cannons captured there show the battle of Lundy's Lane; while the border of green, white and red is for the Mexican War. The crest is a modification of the crest of General Nelson A. Miles who led the regiment in several notable Indian engagements. His crest is an arm in armor grasping an anchor; 9 arrows, one for each Indian campaign, is substituted for the anchor in the regimental crest.

6th Infantry Regiment

The 6th Infantry Regiment, the "Regulars" was formed in 1812. Its most famous commander was Zachary Taylor, later the twelfth President of the United States. The regiment has participated in: The War of 1812, The Mexican-American War, The Civil War, Indian Wars from 1823–1879, the Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, Mexican Expedition, World War I, World War II, and Vietnam. The 6th IR was also part of IFOR, Task Force Eagle, which was charged with implementing the military aspects of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In March 2003, Charlie Company 2nd Battalion deployed with 5th Corps HQ to Kuwait and participated in the initial invasion of Iraq. The rest of the 2nd Battalion and 1st Battalion deployed to Iraq in late April 2003 as part of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. The "Regulars" arrived in Baghdad in May 2003, and were the first to relieve elements of the 3rd Infantry Division in Baghdad. The 1st & 2nd Battalions deployed again in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in November 2005 and April 2008.

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved on 11 Feb 1924. It was amended on 26 Mar 1938. The insignia was redesignated for the 6th Infantry (Armored) on 11 Sep 1940. On 15 May 1942 it was redesignated for the 6th Armored Infantry Regiment. It was redesignated for the 12th Constabulary Squadron on 29 Nov 1946. The distinctive unit insignia was redesignated for the 6th Infantry Regiment on 2 Nov 1950. The alligator symbolizes service in several Indian campaigns, notably the Seminole War, when the regiment bore the brunt of the fighting at the battle of Lake Okeechobee on 25 December 1837 (Report of Colonel Zackary Taylor). Service in the Mexican War with General Scott, especially at Churubusco and at the assault on the citadel of Chapultepec, is commemorated with a scaling ladder (in green, the Mexican color), by means of which the walls of Chapultepec were stormed. The chief, symbolic of the crossing of the Meuse near Dun, is the arms of the ancient Lords of Dun - a silver cross on a red field. The partition line, wavy, represents the river. The shield is white (Argent), the color of the Infantry facings when the regiment was organized.

The coat of arms was originally approved on 25 Jan 1921 for the 6th Infantry. It was amended on 4 Oct 1922 to correct the description of the shield. On 11 Sep 1940 it was redesignated for the 6th Infantry (Armored). On 16 May 1942 it was redesignated for the 6th Armored Infantry Regiment. It was redesignated for the 6th Armored Infantry Battalion on 13 Nov 1944. It was redesignated for the 12th Constabulary Squadron on 29 Nov 1946. On 2 Nov 1950 the coat of arms was redesignated for the 6th Infantry Regiment. The coat of arms was amended on 4 Jun 1970 to correct the description of the design. The crest represents service in the Canadian campaigns of 1813 and 1814. The alligator symbolizes service in several Indian campaigns, notably the Seminole War, when the regiment bore the brunt of the fighting at the battle of Lake Okeechobee on 25 December 1837 (Report of Colonel Zackary Taylor). Service in the Mexican War with General Scott, especially at Churubusco and at the assault on the citadel of Chapultepec, is commemorated with a scaling ladder (in green, the Mexican color), by means of which the walls of Chapultepec were stormed. The chief, symbolic of the crossing of the Meuse near Dun, is the arms of the ancient Lords of Dun - a silver cross on a red field. The partition line, wavy, represents the river. The shield is white (Argent), the color of the Infantry facings when the regiment was organized.

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Information provided in part by The Institute of Heraldry, Wikipedia, Global Security, and various regimental websites.