304th Infantry Regiment

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 304th Infantry Regiment


caption=Regimental Crest of the 304th Infantry Regiment
dates= 5 Augsut 1917 - 20 January 1919
24 June 1921 - 31 August 1945
7 October 1946 - present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= U.S. Army
type= Training Unit
role=
size=
command_structure= 1/304th 108th TC (IET) "Red Battalion"
3/304th 84th TC (LR) "Blue Battalion"
garrison=
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equipment=
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nickname=
patron=
motto= "Forward"
colors= White and Blue
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march=
mascot=
battles=World War I
World War II
Operation Iraqi Freedom
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=Battle of the Ardennes
Battle of the Rhineland
Battle of Central Germany
current_commander=
current_commander_label=
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colonel_of_the_regiment=
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notable_commanders= Colonel Wallace A. Choquette
identification_symbol=
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The 304th Infantry Regiment currently consists of two battalions in the United States Army Reserve. Regimental designation is used only in historical tradition. There is no regimental commander, staff or headquarters. The 1st Battalion, 304th Regiment is headquartered in Londonderry, New Hampshire and the 3rd Battalion, 304th Regiment is headquartered in Lewiston, Maine.

Lineage

*Constituted August 5, 1917 in the National Army as the 304th Infantry and assigned to the 76th Division.
*Organized August 29, 1917 at Camp Devens, Massachusetts.
*Demobilized January 20, 1919 at Camp Devens, Massachusetts.

*Reconstituted June 24, 1921 in the Organized Reserves as the 304th Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 76th Division.
*Organized in December 1921 with headquarters in Hartford, Connecticut.
*Ordered to active duty June 15, 1942 at Fort Meade, Maryland.
*Disbanded August 31, 1945 in Germany

*Reconstituted October 7, 1946 in the Organized Reserves as the 304th Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 76th Division.
*Activated December 17, 1946 with headquarters in Portland, Maine.
*Headquarters moved to Portsmouth, New Hampshire on July 9, 1952.
*Reorganized January 31, 1968 to consist of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions as elements of the 76th Division (Training).
*Reorganized October 16, 1996 as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions as elements of the 98th Division (Institutional Training)
*Reorganized October 1, 2007 as 1st Battalion, 108th Training Command (Initial Entry Training) and 3rd Battalion, 84th Training Command (Leader Readiness).

Insignia

Distinctive Unit Insignia

*Description: A Gold metal and enamel device 1 1/4 inches (3.18 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Per fess Azure and Argent, on a low mount an oak tree fructed of thirteen acorns Proper. Attached below the shield a Blue scroll inscribed "FORWARD" in gold letters.
*Symbolism: The shield is blue and white, the Infantry colors, and displays the Charter Oak, representative of Connecticut.
*Background: The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 304th Infantry Regiment, Organized Reserves on 14 November 1924. It was redesignated for the 304th Regiment, Army Reserve, on 6 May 1960.

Coat of Arms

*Blazon:
**Shield: Per fess Azure and Argent, on a low mount an oak tree fructed of thirteen acorns Proper.
**Crest: That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Army Reserve: From a wreath Argent and Azure, the Lexington Minute Man Proper. The statue of the Minute Man, Captain John Parker (H.H. Kitson, sculptor) stands on the Common in Lexington, Massachusetts.
**Motto: FORWARD.
*Symbolism:
**Shield: The shield is blue and white, the Infantry colors, and displays the Charter Oak, representative of Connecticut.
**Crest: The crest is that of the U.S. Army Reserve.
**Background: The coat of arms was originally approved for the 304th Infantry Regiment, Organized Reserves on 22 August 1924. It was redesignated for the 304th Regiment, Army Reserve, on 6 May 1960.