299th Infantry Regiment (United States)

299th Cavalry Regiment
Coat of arms
Active	1923–present
Country	United States
Branch	Army National Guard
Type	Cavalry
Role	Reconnaissance and surveillance
Size	Squadron
Garrison/HQ	HHT and D FSC Hilo/Kona. A and B Troops Pearl City. C Troop Hanapep/Kapa'a.
Nickname(s)	"Hawaiian Guardians" (special designation)
Motto(s)	E Maka'ala Kakou (Let's Be Alert)
Equipment	M1151 HMMWVs
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

The 299th Cavalry Regiment, formerly the 299th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "The Koa Regiment", is a unit of the Hawaii Army National Guard. It was established in 1923 from the old 2nd Hawaiian Infantry Regiment, and it served during World War II as part of the 24th Infantry Division. The name "Koa" comes from the Hawaiian word for "Warrior", and is currently headquartered in Hilo, Hawaii. The 1st and 2nd Battalions, 299th Infantry were federally activated in 1968 to support the United States Army Pacific during the Vietnam War. More recently 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry Regiment deployed to Iraq and again after being re-flagged in 2007 as 1st Squadron, 299th Cavalry Regiment.

The 299th Infantry Regiment was formed on 17 August 1923 from the old 2nd Hawaiian Infantry. Both the old 2nd Hawaiian Infantry and the new 299th were part of the Hawaii National Guard. The old 1st Hawaiian Infantry was also reformed and designated the 298th Infantry.

In 1940, the 299th Infantry and its sister regiment, the 298th Infantry were called into federal service as the United States began to prepare for a possible war with the Axis Powers. In 1941, the Hawaiian Division was reformed from a square division, which was the army's World War I divisional format, into the triangular division that would be the norm for World War II and Korea. Out of the old division came both the 24th Infantry Division and the 25th Infantry Division. The 299th IN was sent to provide the third infantry regiment for the new 24th Infantry Division. In May 1941 the 299th was sent to the neighbor islands to provide for their defense, since the regiment was mostly composed of citizens from these islands. On 4 June, the Japanese-American soldiers of both the 299th and 298th were pulled from the ranks of the regiments, some 29 officers and 1277 enlisted men in all. These Hawaii Nisei (Japanese-Americans) would form the famed 100th Infantry Battalion of the 442nd RCT and would fight heroically in Europe becoming the most decorated unit of its size in World War II. However the Nisei soldiers were nearly 40% of the 299th ranks, and the removal of these men put the regiment grossly under strength. Therefore, on 21 July 1942, the 299th was relieved from the 24th Infantry Division and deactivated, the unit's men and material being transferred to the 298th. However the 2nd Battalion, 299th's HHC and B Company remained intact. These units were sent overseas to the Philippines and the Ryukyu Islands for which the 2–299th received campaign participation. However it is not clear with whom they were attached and what role they played in these campaigns.