Originally constituted on 3 May 1861 as the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry in the Regular Army, the 18th Infantry Regiment has a Distincitve Unit Insignia replete with imagery that pays tribute to all the major conflicts the unit fought in up until the insignia was approved on 27 December 1923.
The saltire (i.e., X shape) represents the 18th’s Civil War service, much of it fought in the war’s Western theater. The crossed arrows symbolize action in the Indian Wars between 1867 and 1882, while the whited-out VIII Corps emblem on the left reflect deployment as the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division of that Corps during the Spanish-America War. Opposite the VIII Corps symbol is a bolo, connoting combat in the Philippine Insurrection. In the chief, the bend is taken from the arms of Lorraine, France and is between two fleur-de-lis, representative of the two French Croix de Guerre with Palm the Regiment was awarded during the First World War; the regiment was honored with two more Croix de Guerre with Palm in World War II. “In Omnia Paratus,” the Regiment’s motto, is Latin for “In all things prepared.”
As of the Summer of 2023, the 18th Infantry Regiment comprises a single active Battalion, the 1st, assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. It is stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas.
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Also known as a unit crest or DUI, a Distinctive Unit Insignia is 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" and 21–3(d) and (e),
"Beret" and
"Garrison Cap," respectively.