18th Infantry Regiment (United States)
| 18th Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms | |
| Active | 1861–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Mechanized infantry |
| Garrison/HQ | 1–18: Fort Riley, Kansas |
| Nickname(s) | "Vanguards" (special designation) |
| Motto(s) | "'Til the Last Round!" |
| Engagements | American Civil War Indian Wars
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| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Henry B. Carrington Thomas H. Ruger Captain William J. Fetterman Henry W. Wessells Ulysses G. McAlexander John M. J. Sanno |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia | |
| U.S. Infantry Regiments | ||||
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The 18th Infantry Regiment ("Vanguards") is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. The regiment currently exists with one active battalion, under the U.S. Army Regimental System; regimental designation is used only for historical tradition, and there is no active regimental headquarters. The 18th Infantry once had up to four active battalions, but three have been inactivated:
- The 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment's home duty station is located at Fort Riley, Kansas, with the 2nd "Dagger" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. It is a combined arms battalion.
- The 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment was stationed in Baumholder, Germany as part of the 170th infantry Brigade Combat Team (Separate) and was inactivated with the brigade in 2012.
- The 3rd Battalion, 18th Infantry was stationed in Lawrence, Massachusetts, as part of the 187th Infantry Brigade, 94th Army Reserve Command (1963–1994).
- The 4th Battalion, 18th Infantry was part of the Berlin Brigade stationed in West Berlin in the 1960s along with the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 6th Infantry. West Berlin was 100 miles behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany, surrounded by an estimated force of 270,000 Russian and East German troops. The battalion was later reflagged as the 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry.