The 46th Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia, familiarly known as a unit crest or as a DUI, was originally approved on 24 February 1942. Organized at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana with troops from the 10th Infantry Regiment, and in their honor the badge of the 10th Infantry is displayed on the canton (small inset) here. The gold torch and the gold star are taken from the state flag of Indiana.
Distinctive Unit Insignias are 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. 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.
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Officially nicknamed “The Professionals,” the 46th Infantry Regiment was originally constituted as the 46th Infantry in the Regular Army on 15 May 1917. Although it was assigned to the 9th Division, it saw no action in World War I and was demobilized in July 1922. Reconstituted in August 1941, the unit was redesignated as Company A, 46th Infantry (Armored), an element of the 5th Armored Division (later Company A, 46th Armored Infantry and Company A, 47th Armored Infantry Battalion. It took part in five campaigns in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater and was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, a French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star, a Luxembourg Croix de Guerre.
The Regiment did not see combat during the Korean War, but while designated as 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry and assigned to several units (1st Armored Division, 198th Infantry Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division, 196th Infantry Brigade) it fought in thirteen of the seventeen named campaigns of the Vietnam War. Its service was recognized with a Valorous Unit Award and an impressive three Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for its actions between 1969 and 1971.
Beginning in 1987, the Regiment’s battalions have been tasked with training new Infantry recruits. As of 2023, the 1st Battalion (1-46 INF) is the only remaining active battalion in the Regiment. It is assigned to the 197th Infantry Brigade and is stationed at Fort Moore, home of the United States Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence. The Battalion conducts 22-week Infantry One Station Unit Training as well as an Academic Skills Development Program to enable students to acquire a higher scores on the Armed Forces Qualification Test and thus improve accession rates.