186th Infantry Regiment (United States)
| 186th Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms
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| Active | 1922 – present |
| Country |
 United States
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| Branch | United States Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Tigard, Oregon |
| Motto(s) | "Custodes Portae Occidents" (Guardians of the Western Gates) |
| Engagements |
World War II Iraq Campaign |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia |  |
| U.S. Infantry Regiments | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 185th Infantry Regiment | 187th Infantry Regiment |
The 186th Infantry Regiment is a combat regiment of the United States Army made up of soldiers from the Oregon Army National Guard. The 1st battalion of the regiment is currently active and as of February 2007 stateside, however, individual members are in Iraq as replacements for other active duty units. The 1/186th's higher headquarters is the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, headquartered in Tigard, Oregon. Its higher headquarters, in turn, is the 40th Infantry Division
The 186th Infantry Regiment was constituted on 7 December 1921, as a separate Battalion in the Oregon Army National Guard. By 31 March 1922, it was re-designated the 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry, and was made up of companies from Gresham, Portland, Hood River, Cottage Grove and Medford.
For nearly twenty years, soldiers of the Regiment conducted normal peacetime training, but then, in 1940, they were inducted into Federal service for a year of training. When war broke out with the attack on Pearl Harbor, the year extended into 'the duration' of World War II. The 186th, as a part of the 41st Infantry Division, was one of the first American Combat units to be sent overseas. The Regiment served in the Pacific Theater, with the first year spent in further training in Australia.
Papua-New Guinea was the site of the Regiment's first combat. Working with the other Regiments of the Division and elements of the Australian Army, the 186th helped overcome difficult resistance by Japanese troops. The Papuan campaign lasted from early January into September 1943. The Regiment landed in New Guinea in April 1944 and helped secure that archipelago by late July. Following reorganization, the effort shifted to the invasion of the Philippines.
The 186th went ashore on Palawan Island, in the southern Philippines, in February, 1945. That campaign lasted for the remainder of the war. With the 186th scheduled to take part in the invasion of Japan, planned for November, the end of the war allowed the Regiment to enter Japan peacefully, as occupation troops instead. In December 1945, the Regiment, and the 41st Division, were deactivated in Japan, and left active service.
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