Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly-equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought as scouts, raiders, and skirmishers. These are loose formations that fight ahead of the main army to harass, delay, disrupt supply lines, engage the enemy's own skirmishing forces, and generally "soften up" an enemy before the main battle. Light infantrymen were also often responsible for screening the main body of a military formation.
The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. It currently has three active battalions, and is readily identified by its nickname, The Old Guard, as well as Escort to the President. The regimental motto is Noli Me Tangere. The regiment is a major unit of the Military District of Washington (MDW).
The Light Division is a light infantry division of the British Army. It was reformed in 2022, as part of Future Soldier reforms.
The 1st Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army that draws its lineage from a line of post American Revolutionary War units and is credited with thirty-nine campaign streamers. The 1st Battalion, 1st Infantry is assigned as support to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and to furnish the enlisted garrison for the academy and the Stewart Army Subpost. 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment is an infantry component serving with the 2nd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis–McChord, Washington.
The Mississippi Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Mississippi National Guard. It was originally formed in 1798. It is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. It is managed by the Mississippi Military Department.
The M1841 Mississippi rifle is a muzzle-loading percussion rifle used in the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.
The 7th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. In its 200-year history it has participated in 12 wars, been awarded 78 campaign streamers, and 14 unit decorations. The regiment has served in more campaigns than any other infantry unit in the United States Army.
Louisiana Tigers was the common nickname for certain infantry troops from Louisiana in the Confederate army during the American Civil War. Originally applied to a specific company, the nickname expanded to a battalion, then to a brigade, and eventually to all Louisiana troops within the Army of Northern Virginia. Although the exact composition of the Louisiana Tigers changed as the war progressed, they developed a reputation as fearless, hard-fighting shock troops.
The 156th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army and the Louisiana National Guard. It began as a Confederate Army unit in 1861, and surrendered to the Union at the Battle of Appomattox Court House in 1865. It was reformed in 1878 as a militia unit, and reorganized into the Louisiana National Guard in 1899. It saw support service in World War I. In world War II it served as a guard battalion in Europe, for which it added a lion to its coat of arms to symbolize its service in northern France. It deployed twice during the Iraq war.
The 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team is a brigade combat team of the Mississippi Army National Guard.
The 111th Infantry Regiment, was originally the Pennsylvania Militia or "Associators" that fought in the American Revolution, composed of civilian males from the citizenry of Pennsylvania. It is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots and campaign credit for the War of 1812. The Pennsylvania Militia often fought in conjunction with General Washington and the Continental Army along the Delaware River. Today the idea of a Pennsylvania Militia is represented in the U.S. Army by 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry assigned to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division. The regiment, founded as the Associators by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 21 November 1747, is the oldest regiment in Pennsylvania.
The 101st Engineer Battalion is a unit of the Massachusetts Army National Guard and one of the oldest serving units of the United States Army. It is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots and campaign credit for the War of 1812. The 101st Engineer Battalion was originally established as the East Regiment. As the first muster was held on the green in Salem, Massachusetts, Salem is seen as the birthplace of the National Guard.
The Infantry Branch is a branch of the United States Army first established in 1775.
The 181st Infantry Regiment shares the distinction of being the oldest combat regiment currently organized in the United States Army. It is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots and campaign credit for the War of 1812. The regiment traces its history to 13 December 1636, when it was one of four colonial regiments of foot of the British Crown in Massachusetts. It later served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, with Union forces in the American Civil War, and as a federalized Massachusetts National Guard regiment with the U.S. Army during War with Spain, Mexican Border Campaign, World War I, and World War II. In 2006 Company A (Agawam) of the battalion deployed as a member of KFOR8 to Kosovo in support of Operation Joint Enterprise. Most recently the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry has served in Iraq, in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and in Afghanistan. The only active element of the regiment is the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment, which returned from a year of service in Afghanistan in July 2011. The 1st Battalion was mobilized in March 2017 for one year of service with the Multinational Force & Observers in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. Currently, the 1st Battalion is a part of the 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, a major formation of the New Jersey National Guard. It was reflagged from the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2017.
Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry is the command element for the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, stationed in Worcester, Massachusetts. The company perpetuates the Wellington Rifles, the historic volunteer militia company of Worcester. In the National Guard, companies sometimes have two histories. They share the history of the regiment to which they are assigned, but also may have a unique company history and lineage. Therefore, HHC 1-181 IN shares the long history of the 181st Infantry Regiment. While the 181st Infantry Regiment shares the distinction of being the oldest combat regiment in the United States Army, Headquarters Company was formed more recently during the volunteer militia craze of the 1890s. During this time young men began to flock to the independent militia companies forming in each town and city. These companies were both military units and social clubs. Headquarters Company has gone on to serve in the following conflicts: Spanish–American War, Mexican Border Campaign, World War I and World War II. Most recently the company served in Iraq, in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and in Afghanistan.
Company A 1st Battalion 181st Infantry Regiment is the oldest active company in the 181st Infantry Regiment. In the National Guard, companies can share the history of the regiment to which they are assigned, but also may have additional unique company history and lineage. Company A traces its history to 1639, but also shares the history of the 104th Infantry Regiment and the 181st Infantry Regiment.
Company B 1st Battalion 181st Infantry Regiment is a rifle company in the 1st Battalion 181st Infantry Regiment. In the National Guard, companies sometimes have two histories. They share the history of the regiment to which they are assigned, but also may have a unique company history and lineage. Therefore, Company B 1-181 IN shares the long history of the 181st Infantry Regiment. This site concentrates on the unique history of Company B as a militia / National Guard company in Gardner and Greenfield, Massachusetts. Company B served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, with Union forces in the American Civil War, and as a federalized Massachusetts National Guard regiment with the U.S. Army during the Spanish–American War, Mexican Border Campaign, World War I and World War II. Most recently the Company B has served in Guantanamo Bay Cuba, in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and in Afghanistan. (See below for the separate history of Detachment I in Greenfield.
Twenty-four current units of the Army National Guard perpetuate the lineages of militia units mustered into federal service during the War of 1812. Militia units from nine states that were part of the Union by the end of the War of 1812, plus the District of Columbia, are the predecessors of eighteen units that currently exist in the Army National Guard. Two of the four units derived from Virginia militias are in the West Virginia National Guard; at the time of the War of 1812, West Virginia was still part of Virginia. Only two current units, the 155th Infantry, a component of the Mississippi National Guard derived from militia units organized in the Mississippi Territory and the 130th Infantry, a component of the Illinois National Guard derived from militia units formed in the Illinois Territory, are from states or territories west of the Appalachians. Unfortunately, no militia units from the states of Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio or Tennessee, or from the Indiana, Michigan, Missouri or Louisiana Territories, where militia units played a major role in the fighting, have survived as units in the modern Army National Guard.
Twenty-three currently active battalions of the Regular Army earned credit for campaigns during the War of 1812: two Air Defense Artillery battalions, six Field Artillery Battalions and seventeen Infantry battalions. These twenty-three battalions represent two Air Defense Artillery, four Field Artillery and seven Infantry regiments. Three additional Air Defense Artillery regiments have been awarded shared credit for War of 1812 campaigns, but the lineages of the artillery companies that earned those credits have not been perpetuated by currently active battalions.
The 623rd Field Artillery Regiment (Morgan's Men) is a single-battalion unit of the Kentucky Army National Guard. The unit draws its lineage from cavalry and infantry units of the Kentucky Militia formed in 1846 for service in the Mexican–American War. Its antecedents include units that served on both sides of the American Civil War as well as those that fought for the United States in the Spanish–American War, World War One and World War Two. The unit was first designated as the 623rd Field Artillery Battalion in 1947, serving under that name in the Korean War. It was part of the 138th Artillery Regiment in the 1960s before becoming the 623rd Artillery Regiment in 1969 and the 623rd Field Artillery Regiment in 1972. The unit served in the Gulf War as a self-propelled artillery unit; it is now equipped with the M142 HIMARS system.
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