296th Infantry Regiment

Last updated
296th Infantry Regiment
296th-infantry-regiment-coat-of-arms.jpg
Coat of arms
ActiveDecember 26, 1922–May 1, 1964 (41 years of service)
Disbandedreorganized as two battalions of the 92nd Infantry Brigade; only its 1st Battalion remains active as part of the 92nd Military police
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
AllegianceFlag of Puerto Rico.svg  Puerto Rico
Type light infantry
Part of Puerto Rico Army National Guard
Garrison/HQ Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Motto(s)Alerta Está (English: "Alert It Is")
Engagements
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia 296th-infantry-regiment-distinctive-unit-insignia.jpg

The 296th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard consisting mostly of Puerto Rican enlisted soldiers and officers. Today, only its 1st Battalion remains active; being allotted to the 92nd Military Police Brigade of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard. The 296th is composed by the first battalion of infantrymen that engaged in combat as a Puerto Rico National Guard unit, as the 65th Infantry Regiment was, at the time, a regular Army unit. It is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots.

Contents

History

The 296th traces its history back to the Spanish colonization of the Americas as an infantry militia constituted on May 17, 1762, as part of the reorganization of the Milicias Disciplinadas (English: "Disciplined Militias") decreed by Spain. However, on February 12, 1870, the militia were reduced to en cadre until their disbandment in April 1898 after Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States. [lower-alpha 1]

Almost two decades after, on 1917 and at the brink of World War I, Puerto Ricans were granted American citizenship. Right after, the President of the Senate of Puerto Rico requested the United States Army to include Puerto Ricans on the draft. At the time, the United States Army was segregated, and, in order to assign more than 18,000 Puerto Ricans that enlisted or were drafted into the Army for the war effort, the Army created an infantry regiment and the Puerto Rico Voluntary Infantry. The regiment was merely a reconstitution of the disbanded Spanish-era militia as an infantry regiment assigned to the Puerto Rico National Guard on April 12, 1917. Two years later, this freshly created regiment was designated as the 1st Infantry Regiment on July 19, 1919. Several years later, somewhen between July 9 and September 13 of 1922, the Puerto Rico National Guard established a new battalion and called it the 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment. It is this battalion that gives birth to the 296th as a few months later after being established it was renamed as the 1st Battalion, 296th Infantry Regiment (1-296) on December 26, 1922. A few weeks after, on January 23, 1923, the aforementioned 1st Infantry Regiment was renamed as the 295th Infantry Regiment. This series of events would establish a long parallel history between the 295th and the 296th Infantry Regiments. [lower-alpha 1]

Diagram showing the split of the 295th into the 296th while the 296th becomes the 295th. Split-of-295th-into-296th-infantry-regiment.png
Diagram showing the split of the 295th into the 296th while the 296th becomes the 295th.

On June 1, 1936, another set of organizational changes in the 295th and 296th Infantry Regiments took place. The 1st and 2nd Battalions, 295th Infantry, were redesignated as the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 296th Infantry. The existing 1st Battalion, 296th Infantry (the only unit of the regiment active at that time), was redesignated the 1st Battalion, 295th Infantry. The 296th Infantry subsequently organized its 3rd Battalion from 18-25 August 1940, with the headquarters federally recognized at Ponce. [lower-alpha 2] [lower-alpha 3]

After such establishment, on August 25, 1940, the 296th, together with the 295th, formed the new 92nd Infantry Brigade. The 296th deployed to the Panama Canal on 12 January 1944, then returned to Puerto Rico in April 1945, then soon deployed to Hawaii, arriving on 25 June 1945. [lower-alpha 1]

After WWII, the 296th simply served as the sister National Guard regiment of the 65th Infantry Regiment. With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, the 65th Infantry Regiment was ordered to Korea. While the 65th Infantry Regiment was on its way, the 296th was mobilized on September 14, 1952, so that it could provide replacements to its sister company deployed in Korea, like many other National Guards did.

The regiment then suffered a series of mobilizations, inactivations, and reorganizations that ultimately dissolved it as a regiment on May 1, 1964. The regiment was simply reorganized as two battalions of the 92nd Infantry Brigade on that date although they maintained their names without an administrative hierarchy as a regiment. Finally, on December 31, 1967, the battalions were reorganized as a single battalion of the 92nd Infantry Brigade. [lower-alpha 1] This brigade, in turn, was eventually reorganized as the 92nd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (92nd MEB) of which the 1st Battalion, 296th Infantry Regiment (1-296) is still part of. The battalion, however, has been allocated at times to the 101st Troop Command when it is needed as a battalion somewhere else without the MEB being deployed with it.

Most recently, the 1st Battalion, 296th Infantry Regiment was deployed in 2002 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as part of the Global War on Terrorism. It also deployed to the Iraq War while attached to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Structure

Honors and awards

World War II - American Campaign Streamer (Plain).png

Streamer APC.PNG

1st
row
American Campaign Streamer [lower-alpha 4]
2nd
row
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer [lower-alpha 4]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Negroni (1992) pp. 379–381 [1]
  2. Negroni (1992; in Spanish) "El 1 de junio de 1936 tuvo lugar una serie de cambios confusos. El 1er y 2do Batallón del Regimiento 295 fueron rebautizados como el Regimiento 296 de Infantería. Entretanto el 1er Batallón del Regimiento 296 formó el nuevo Regimiento 295 de Infantería." p. 379 [1]
  3. Negroni (1992; in Spanish) "El 1 de junio de 1936 [...] el 1er Batallón del 295 se dividió en dos batallones y [pasaron] a llamarse Regimiento 296 de Infantería." p. 380 [1]
  4. 1 2 Negroni (1992; in Spanish) "El Regimiento 296 tiene la banderola del Teatro Americano y la del Teatro Asiático-Pacífico." p. 381 [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luis R. Esteves</span> US Army general

Major General Luis Raul Esteves was the first Puerto Rican and the first American citizen of Hispanic heritage to graduate from the United States Military Academy, and the founder of the Puerto Rico National Guard. Of his West Point class, that included Dwight Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, Joseph McNarney, James Van Fleet and George E. Stratemeyer, Esteves was the first to achieve the rank of general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military history of Puerto Rico</span> From the 16th century to the present employment of Puerto Ricans in the US Armed Forces

The recorded military history of Puerto Rico encompasses the period from the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadores battled native Taínos in the rebellion of 1511, to the present employment of Puerto Ricans in the United States Armed Forces in the military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Structure of the Argentine Army</span>

The Structure of the Argentine Army follows below. As of 2020 the active force of the Argentine Army includes a total of eleven brigades:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican Army</span> Combined land and air branches of the Mexican Armed Forces

The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rico National Guard</span> Component of the US National Guard of the commonwealth of Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG) –Spanish: Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico– is the national guard of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions, which includes to provide soldiers and airmen to the United States Army and U.S. Air Force in national emergencies or when requested by the president of the United States, and to perform military operations at the state level or any other lawful service as requested by the governor of Puerto Rico. The PRNG responds to the governor of Puerto Rico, who serves as its commander in chief and imparts orders with the Puerto Rico adjutant general acting as conduit, and its local mission is to respond as requested in military or civilian tasks. Abroad, its main function is to train a reserve capable of providing additional personnel in a war scenario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Ricans in World War II</span>

Puerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated as members of the United States Armed Forces in the American Civil War and in every conflict which the United States has been involved since World War I. In World War II, more than 65,000 Puerto Rican service members served in the war effort, including the guarding of U.S. military installations in the Caribbean and combat operations in the European and Pacific theatres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Guard (Spain)</span> Independent regiment of the Spanish Armed Forces

The Royal Guard is an independent regiment of the Spanish Armed Forces that is dedicated to the protection of the King of Spain and members of the Spanish royal family. It currently has a strength of 1,500 troops. While the Guard participates in parades and other ceremonial events, it is a fully functional combat unit. Its members are recruited from the ranks of all three branches of the Spanish Armed Forces and receive the same combat training as regular soldiers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luis González Vales</span> Puerto Rican historian (1930–2023)

Luis Ernesto González Vales was a Puerto Rican historian. He held the post of Official Historian of Puerto Rico, having succeeded Pilar Barbosa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">92nd Military Police Brigade</span> Military unit

The 92nd Military Police Brigade is a military police brigade of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard. The brigade was formerly an infantry brigade combat team known as the 92nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and then a Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. It includes two MP battalions, two infantry battalion and some support units.

This is an order of battle of the Chilean Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio J. Vicens</span> Adjuntant General of the Puerto Rico National Guard

Antonio J. Vicens-Gonzalez was the 18th Adjutant General of the Puerto Rico National Guard from January 2, 2009, to December 2012. The Adjutant General is the Commander of the Puerto Rico National Guard. As the Adjutant General he was also the Senior Military Advisor to the Governor of Puerto Rico and oversees both State and Federal Missions of the PR National Guard. He provides effective leadership and management in the implementation of all programs and policies affecting more than 10,500 citizen-soldiers and airmen, and civilian employees of the three components of the PR National Guard: Army National Guard, Air National Guard and Puerto Rico State Guard. MG Vicens holds a B.B.A-Management Degree from the University of Puerto Rico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">65th Infantry Regiment (United States)</span> Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army

The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "The Borinqueneers" during the Korean War for the original Arawak Indian name for Puerto Rico (Borinquen), is a Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army. The regiment's motto is Honor et Fidelitas, Latin for Honor and Fidelity. The Army Appropriation Bill created by an act of Congress on 2 March 1899 authorized the creation of the first body of native troops in Puerto Rico. On 30 June 1901, the "Porto Rico Provisional Regiment of Infantry" was organized. On 1 July 1908, Congress incorporated the regiment into the Regular Army as the Puerto Rico Regiment of Infantry, United States Army. On 14 May 1917, the regiment was activated and additional men were assigned, with the unit being sent to serve at Panama. On 4 June 1920, the regiment was renamed 65th Infantry. During World War II, the regiment saw action throughout Europe, especially France and Germany, participating in Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno and Rhin. Several Purple Hearts were awarded posthumously to members of the 65th Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp Las Casas</span> US military installation established in Santurce, Puerto Rico

Camp Las Casas was a United States military installation established in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1904. The camp was the main training base of the "Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry," a segregated U.S. Army Regiment which was later renamed the "65th Infantry Regiment." The base continued in operation until 1946, when it was closed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rico Army National Guard</span> Military unit

The Puerto Rico Army National Guard (PRARNG) — officially designated in Spanish as Guardia Nacional Terrestre de Puerto Rico, but colloquially known as Ejército de la Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico — is the Army National Guard of the archipelago of Puerto Rico which, together with the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, comprises the Puerto Rico National Guard. PRARNG is the ground-component of the Puerto Rico National Guard under control of the governor of Puerto Rico, currently Pedro Pierluisi, that performs missions equivalent to those of the Army National Guards of the different states of the United States, including ground defense, disaster relief, and control of civil unrest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvador T. Roig</span> Puerto Rican military officer

Brigadier General Salvador Teodoro Roig Marietti,, was the Superintendent of the Puerto Rico Police Department under the Government of Luis Muñoz Marín, and Adjutant General of the National Guard under the Government of Roberto Sánchez Vilella.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">295th Infantry Regiment</span> Light infantry regiment of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard

The 295th Infantry Regiment was a light infantry regiment of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard consisting mostly of Puerto Rican enlisted soldiers and officers. The regiment was the first regiment of any kind assigned to the Puerto Rico National Guard back when it was known locally as the 1st Infantry Regiment.

The 101st Troop Command is a troop command of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard. The command provides command and control headquarters, and logistical and administrative support to other units of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard that are not structured under another formation headquarters. It also provides administrative support to units from other formations within Puerto Rico that are stationed a long way from their respective higher headquarters. Because of this, the command's units, formation, and structure tends to be inconsistent as it changes periodically from time to time as the National Guard or the United States Army needs.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Negroni, Héctor (1992). Historia militar de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Hector Andres Negroni. ISBN   8478441387.