| 181st Infantry Regiment (6th Massachusetts) | |
|---|---|
&sq=crain_ford&lang=en&file=File:181InfRegtCOA.png) Coat of arms | |
| Active | 1636–present |
| Country |  England (1636–1707) Great Britain (1707–1776) United States (1776–present) |
| Branch | Massachusetts Army National Guard |
| Size | Regiment |
| Motto(s) | "Keep Your Powder Dry" |
| Anniversaries | 19 April: Battle of Lexington (1775) and Pratt Street Riot (1861) |
| Engagements | French and Indian Wars American Revolution War of 1812 American Civil War Spanish–American War Mexican Expedition World War I World War II Guantanamo Bay detention camp Iraq War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) |
| Battle honours | Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for actions in the Ardennes (1944) French Croix de Guerre with Gilt Star (1918) French Croix de Guerre with Palm (1945) French Fourragère (1945) |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | LTC Alex C Hampton |
| Notable commanders | Edgar C. Erickson |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive Unit Insignia | &sq=crain_ford&lang=en&file=File:181st_Infantry_Regiment_DUI.png) |
| U.S. Infantry Regiments | ||||
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The 181st Infantry Regiment shares the distinction of being the oldest combat regiment currently organized in the United States Army.[1] 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.[2]
- ^ "Organizational History". U.S. Army Center of Military History. 1999. p. 29. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ History of the 181st Infantry Regiment (Sixth Massachusetts). Milford, MA: Historical Services Office, Office of the Adjutant General. 2003.