36th Infantry Regiment (United States)

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The 36th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment with a long history. It was formed on July 1, 1916, in Brownsville, Texas, from parts of the 4th, 26th, and 28th Infantry regiments. In World War I it served with the 12th Division from 1918 to 1919.

After the war it was stationed at Camp Devens, Massachusetts, as a separate regiment, then moved to Fort Jay, New York, arriving in October 1921. It was inactivated there later that year, and its personnel were transferred to the 22nd Infantry. The 16th Infantry had been designated as Active Associate in 1921 and would provide personnel for the 36th when reactivated in war.

Throughout the interwar years the 36th moved among different Army areas and divisions. It was assigned to the 9th Division in 1923 and organized as a Regular Army Inactive unit in the First Corps Area by 1926. In 1927 its regimental headquarters moved to New York City. In 1930 the regiment (except for the 2nd and 3rd Battalions) affiliated with New York University’s ROTC program, with Regular Army personnel and reserve officers from the program. The 2nd Battalion aligned with La Salle Military Academy and the 3rd with Bordentown Military Institute. Summer training was often at Camp Dix.

As World War II approached, the 36th Infantry was relieved from the 9th Division in 1940 and redesignated the 36th Infantry Regiment (Armored) in 1941, joining the newly formed 3rd Armored Division. It was activated at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, while some personnel were reassigned, and moved to Camp Polk in June 1941. On July 1, 1942, it was redesignated the 36th Armored Infantry Regiment. The regiment’s first commander was Walton Walker.

In the 1990s the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment (Spartans) was reactivated in Germany after being reflagged from a cavalry unit, joining the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division. The Spartans served in Bosnia (IFOR) for about 11 months, then in Kosovo (KFOR) for six months.

In May 2003 the Spartans deployed to central Baghdad for about 15 months in the Iraq War. They returned to Iraq again in 2006 to help in the city of Hit, and went back to Germany in 2007. The 1st Battalion was reactivated in 2008 and joined the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armored Division. The regiment’s motto is Deeds Not Words, and its nickname is the Spartans.