51st Infantry Regiment (United States)

51st Infantry Regiment

branch insignia
Active 1917-
Country  United States
Branch Infantry Branch (United States)
Type Infantry
Motto I SERVE
Branch color Light Blue
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia
U.S. Infantry Regiments
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50th Infantry Regiment 52nd Infantry Regiment

The 51st Infantry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army first established in 1917.

Contents

Lineage

The 51st Infantry regiment was constituted 15 May 1917 at Chickamauga Park, Georgia, then assigned on 16 November 1917 to the 6th Infantry Division. It was inactivated 22 September 1921 at Camp Grant, Illinois. It was relieved on 15 August 1927 from assignment to the 6th Division and assigned to the 9th Infantry Division; relieved 1 October 1933 from assignment to the 9th Division and assigned to the 6th Division; then relieved 16 December 1940 from assignment to the 6th Division.

The regiment was reactivated 15 April 1941 at Pine Camp, New York, as the 51st Infantry (Armored), an element of the 4th Armored Division, then redesignated 1 January 1942 as the 51st Armored Infantry.

Following World War II, the Regiment was reorganized and redesignated on 1 May 1946 as Company C, 10th Constabulary Squadron, an element of the 14th Constabulary Regiment, United States Constabulary in Germany. It was inactivated 20 December 1948 in Germany; concurrently converted and redesignated as the 10th Armored Infantry Battalion, an element of the 4th Armored Division, then redesignated 25 February 1953 as Company C, 510th Armored Infantry Battalion, an element of the 4th Armored Division

The 51st were redesignated 1 July 1959 as the 6th Battle Group, 51st Infantry under the Pentomic structure. Company F was redesignated 11 August 1967 as Company F, 51st Infantry, then activated 25 September 1967 in Vietnam as the new name of the 196th Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Detachment with the Americal Division,[1] then inactivated 26 December 1969 and redisgnated G Company, 75th Infantry in Vietnam.

The unit was reactivated 16 December 1986 in Germany then inactivated 15 November 1991 in Germany.[2]

Company F is currently serving as the anti-tank element of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. Company F is operating the M1134 Anti-Tank variant of the basic Stryker system. The unit had previously been active as Co F (LRS), 51st Infantry, 525th Military Intelligence Brigade at Fort Bragg, NC, until it was reorganized and reflagged on 15 March 2009 as Troop C (LRS), 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade. Later, during the post-Cold War drawdown, the colors were relocated to Fort Bragg, NC.

Company E (LRS), 51st Infantry was also active in Germany from 1986 as a Long Range Surveillance Company. It was inactivated in April 2007.[3]

Distinctive Unit Insignia

A gold metal and enamel device 1 5/32 inches (2.94 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Azure, a bend Or. Attached below the shield a blue motto scroll inscribed "I SERVE" in gold letters.

The shield is blue for Infantry, with the bend taken from the coat of arms of Alsace.

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 51st Regiment Infantry on 24 Jan 1930; amended on 11 May 1937; redesignated for the 51st Infantry (Armored) on 23 Sep 1941; redesignated for the 51st Armored Infantry Regiment on 23 Apr 1942; redesignated for the 51st Armored Infantry Battalion on 6 Nov 1943; redesignated for the 51st Constabulary Squadron on 4 Dec 1946; redesignated for the 51st Armored Infantry Battalion on 22 Jun 1954 and redesignated for the 51st Infantry on 28 Jan 1958.

Coat Of Arms

Blazon

Azure, a bend Or.

On a wreath of the colors (Or and Azure) a ragged tree trunk eradicated Proper. Motto I SERVE.

The shield is blue for Infantry, with the bend taken from the coat of arms of Alsace. The ragged tree trunk symbolizes the Meuse-Argonne operations.

The coat of arms was originally approved for the 51st Regiment Infantry on 24 Jan 1930; amended on 11 May 1937; redesignated for the 51st Infantry (Armored) on 23 Sep 1941; redesignated for the 51st Armored Infantry Regiment on 23 Apr 1942; redesignated for the 51st Armored Infantry Battalion on 6 Nov 1943; redesignated for the 51st Constabulary Squadron on 4 Dec 1946; redesignated for the 51st Armored Infantry Battalion on 22 Jun 1954 and redesignated for the 51st Infantry on 28 Jan 1958.

Current configuration

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Institute of Heraldry document "51st Infantry Regiment".

External links