The 124th Infantry Regiment derives its nickname, “First Florida,” from a consolidation and reorganization of five Battalions of Infantry in the Florida State Troops in 1898 into the 1st Florida Volunteer Infantry. It was first designated the 124th in 1917, when it was paired with the 123rd Regiment in the 31st Division after being called to Federal service for World War I. After arriving in France, the Regiment’s Soldiers were distributed as reinforcements for existing units, which is why the Regiment’s WWI Campaign Streamer has no inscription for a specific campaign.
During World War II and the ten years following its conclusion, the Regiment comprised three Battalions, but this was reduced to two in 1955, a structure that was retained when the Regiment was made a parent regiment in the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) in 1959. A 1968 reorganization made the 124th a three-battalion Regiment yet again, with all the Battalions elements of the 53rd Infantry Brigade.
It was withdrawn from CARS in 1989, and reorganized under the U.S. Army Regimental System; a 2007 reorganization left the 124th with its 1st and 2nd Battalions, while the 3rd Battalion was reorganized as the 1st Squadron of the 153rd Cavalry Regiment (the 1st Squadron carries the 3rd Battalion’s lineage because the 1st was constituted almost exclusively with 3rd Battalion troops). Today, both the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 124th Infantry Regiment are subordinate units of the Florida Army National Guard’s 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
The 124th Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia, referred to as a unit crest or simply by its initials DUI, was first approved for the 124th Infantry Regiment. It was amended to add the motto, “Florida And Country,” on 20 August 1968.
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Distinctive Unit Insignias are worn by all Soldiers (except General Officers) in units that have been authorized to be issued the device. It is worn centered on the shoulder loops of the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU) and the blue Army Service Uniform (ASU, Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
Full guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1,
Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia."