The Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), was the method of assigning unit designations to units of some of the

combat arms Combat arms (or fighting arms in non-American parlance) are troops within national armed forces who participate in direct tactical ground combat. In general, they are units that carry or employ weapons, such as infantry, cavalry, and artillery ...

branches of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

, including

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

Special Forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equi ...

Field Artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the early 20t ...

, and

Armor Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...

, from 1957 to 1981.

Air Defense Artillery The Air Defense Artillery Branch is the branch of the United States Army that specializes in anti-aircraft weapons (such as surface to air missiles). In the U.S. Army, these groups are composed of mainly air defense systems such as the Patrio ...

was added in 1968. CARS was superseded by the U.S. Army Regimental System (USARS) in 1981, although the term "Regiment" was never appended to the official name or designation of CARS regiments, and was not added to USARS regiments until 2005.

History

Before the adoption of CARS, there was no satisfactory means of maintaining the active life of the combat arms organizations. Whenever the nation entered periods of military retrenchment, units were invariably broken up, reorganized, consolidated, or disbanded. During periods of mobilization, large numbers of new units were created. Changes in weapons and techniques of warfare produced new types of units to replace the old ones. As a result, soldiers frequently served in organizations with little or no history, while units with long combat records remained inactive. In the late 1950s requirements for maneuverable and flexible major tactical organizations demanded highly mobile divisions with greatly increased firepower. For this purpose the regiment was deemed too large and unwieldy and had to be broken up into smaller organizations. (Most artillery and

armored Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...

regiments had already been broken up for flexibility and maneuverability during World War II.) When the U.S. Army division was reorganized under the

Pentomic Pentomic (cf. ''Greek pent(e)-'' +''-tome'' "of five parts") was a structure for infantry and airborne divisions adopted by the US Army between 1957 and 1963, in response to the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons, on future battlefields. ...

structure in 1957, the traditional

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

al organization was eliminated, raising questions as to what the new units were to be called, how they were to be numbered, and what their relationship to former organizations was to be. On 24 January 1957 the

Secretary of the Army The secretary of the Army (SA or SECARMY) is a senior civilian official within the United States Department of Defense, with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, insta ...

approved the CARS concept, as devised by the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, which was designed to provide a flexible regimental structure that would permit perpetuation of unit history and tradition in the new tactical organization of divisions, without restricting the organizational trends of the future.

Units that participated in CARS

* There were 61 Regular Army infantry regiments and 18 Army Reserve infantry regiments, plus the 1st Special Forces, in the Combat Arms Regimental System. * There were 30 Regular Army armor/cavalry regiments in the Combat Arms Regimental System. The only Regular Army combat units not organized under CARS were the

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit, ...

3rd Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * H ...

6th 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second ...

, 11th, and 14th Armored Cavalry Regiments. * There were 82 Regular Army artillery regiments in the Combat Arms Regimental System – 58 field artillery regiments and 24 air defense artillery regiments. * Except for the 18 Army Reserve infantry regiments, those regiments organized under CARS had elements in both the Regular Army and the Army Reserve. In the Army National Guard, each state has its own regiments. The number of CARS regiments varied as troop allotments change. The 1st Special Forces has elements in all three components –

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a standin ...

, Army Reserve and

Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized militia force and a federal military reserve force of the United States Army. They are simultaneously part of two different organizations: the Army N ...

. The criteria for the majority of the regiments selected were two factors: age (one point for each year since original organization) and honors (two points for each campaign and American decoration). Those regiments with the most points were selected for inclusion in the system.

CARS implementation phases

* Phase I: Reorganization of Regular Army regiments (1957) * Phase II: Reorganization of Army Reserve regiments (1959) * Phase III: Reorganization of Army National Guard regiments (1959) * Phase IV: Mobilization planning (1957–present) * Phase V: Organization of regimental headquarters (subsequently suspended indefinitely)

Organization

Each

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared ...

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Tr ...

in the

(as originally organized) was reorganized as the headquarters and headquarters element of a new battle group,

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...

, or squadron in the new regiment. The new battle group, battalion, or squadron's organic elements (lettered elements, such as "Company A") were constituted and activated as new units. Each of the old companies, batteries, or troops of the former regiment also had the capability of becoming a separate company, battery, or troop in the new regiment. The regimental headquarters was transferred to

Department of the Army The United States Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the U.S. The Department of the Army is the federal government agency within which the United States Army (U.S.) is org ...

control. (For detailed charts of typical regiments reorganized under CARS, see below Illustrations of organization under CARS) The lowest numbered or lettered active element of the regiment normally has custody of the regimental properties. If, however, the lowest numbered or lettered active element is unable to care for the properties, they may be transferred to the next lowest numbered or lettered active element. If a numbered or lettered element of the regiment is activated lower than the one having custody of the regimental properties, the properties will not necessarily be transferred.

Difference between a brigade and a regiment

In a regiment not organized under CARS, there is a fixed number of organic elements organized into battalions or squadrons. For example, the infantry regiment of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

contained twelve companies A through M (minus J – not used) divided into three battalions (of four companies each), plus supporting elements such as the service company. A

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. ...

, on the other hand, is a flexible organization; it has no permanent elements. A brigade may have several different kinds of units assigned to it, such as: three light infantry battalions or two mechanized infantry and an armor battalion or one light, one mechanized and one armor battalion; plus support units. The usual number of maneuver battalions was three; however, this was a guideline not a rule (ex: the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam had four airborne infantry battalions). In tactical structure, therefore, it is very similar to the Regimental Combat Team of World War II and

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

. Its maneuver (infantry and armor) elements were not required to be from the same regiment. Since they were flexible, except for the

headquarters and headquarters company In United States Army units, a Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) is a company-sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. Considered one unit, a Headquarters and Headquarters Company is essentially two elements within ...

, no two brigades need be alike, whereas all regiments were fixed with organic elements provided for under basic tables of organization and equipment.

Battle honors

Each battalion or squadron of a CARS regiment has a replica of the

regimental colors In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt som ...

with the number of the battalion or squadron in the upper fly. The streamers attached to the colors were those for the regiment, as determined when the regiment was reorganized under CARS, plus those subsequently earned by the battalion or squadron. Those campaigns and decorations actually earned by the battalion or squadron were shown on the streamers by earned honor devices. Regimental honors were listed on the battalion or squadron Lineage and Honors Certificates, with the earned honors being marked by asterisks. Separate batteries, troops, and companies of CARS regiments display only those honors they actually earned, not the regimental ones. Campaign participation credit for these guidon-bearing units are displayed by silver bands and decorations streamers. (See ARs 672-5-1, 840-10 and 870-5 for further details.) Personnel wear the distinctive insignia for their regiment and the shoulder sleeve insignia of their division or other tactical organization to which they were assigned. (See AR 670-5 for further details.) The Adjutant General controls the designations of elements to be activated and coordinates his selections with the Center of Military History.

Regiments organized under Combat Arms Regimental System

Armor

* 13th Armor * 32nd Armor * 33rd Armor * 34th Armor * 35th Armor * 37th Armor * 40th Armor * 63rd Armor * 64th Armor * 66th Armor * 67th Armor * 68th Armor * 69th Armor * 70th Armor * 72nd Armor * 73rd Armor * 77th Armor * 81st Armor

Air Defense Artillery

Cavalry

* 1st Cavalry * 4th Cavalry * 5th Cavalry * 6th Cavalry * 7th Cavalry * 8th Cavalry * 9th Cavalry * 10th Cavalry *

12th Cavalry The 5th Horse is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. It was previously known as the 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse, which was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1921 by the amalgamation of the 11th ...

Field Artillery

* 1st Field Artillery * 2nd Field Artillery * 3rd Field Artillery * 4th Field Artillery *

5th Field Artillery The 5th Field Artillery Regiment was constituted as part of the Regular Army in January 1907. Individual battalions have lineages which date back further. Currently, it is a parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, with a single ...

* 6th Field Artillery * 7th Field Artillery * 8th Field Artillery * 9th Field Artillery * 10th Field Artillery * 11th Field Artillery * 12th Field Artillery * 13th Field Artillery * 14th Field Artillery * 15th Field Artillery * 16th Field Artillery * 17th Field Artillery * 18th Field Artillery * 19th Field Artillery * 20th Field Artillery * 21st Field Artillery * 22nd Field Artillery * 25th Field Artillery * 27th Field Artillery * 29th Field Artillery * 30th Field Artillery * 31st Field Artillery * 32nd Field Artillery * 33rd Field Artillery * 34th Field Artillery * 35th Field Artillery * 36th Field Artillery * 37th Field Artillery * 38th Field Artillery * 39th Field Artillery * 40th Field Artillery * 41st Field Artillery * 42nd Field Artillery * 73rd Field Artillery * 75th Field Artillery * 76th Field Artillery * 77th Field Artillery * 78th Field Artillery * 79th Field Artillery * 80th Field Artillery * 81st Field Artillery * 82nd Field Artillery * 83rd Field Artillery * 84th Field Artillery * 92nd Field Artillery * 94th Field Artillery * 319th Field Artillery * 103rd Field Artillery * 201st Field Artillery * 320th Field Artillery * 321st Field Artillery * 333rd Field Artillery * 377th Field Artillery

Infantry

Regular Army regiments

* 1st Infantry * 2nd Infantry * 3rd Infantry * 4th Infantry * 5th Infantry * 6th Infantry * 7th Infantry * 8th Infantry * 9th Infantry * 10th Infantry * 11th Infantry * 12th Infantry * 13th Infantry * 14th Infantry * 15th Infantry * 16th Infantry *

17th Infantry The 17th Infantry (The Loyal Regiment) was an infantry regiment of the Bengal Army, later of the united British Indian Army. It was formed at Phillour in 1858 by Major J. C. Innes from men of the 3rd, 36th and 61st Bengal Native Infantry regimen ...

18th Infantry The 18th Infantry were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. Their origins trace back to 1795, when they were known as the Calcutta Native Militia. Over the years they were known by a number of different names, such as the Alipore Regim ...

* 19th Infantry * 20th Infantry * 21st Infantry * 22nd Infantry * 23rd Infantry * 26th Infantry * 27th Infantry * 28th Infantry * 29th Infantry * 30th Infantry * 31st Infantry * 32nd Infantry * 33rd Infantry * 34th Infantry * 35th Infantry * 36th Infantry * 38th Infantry * 39th Infantry * 41st Infantry * 46th Infantry * 47th Infantry * 48th Infantry * 50th Infantry * 51st Infantry * 52nd Infantry * 54th Infantry * 58th Infantry * 60th Infantry * 61st Infantry * 75th Infantry * 87th Infantry * 187th Infantry * 188th Infantry * 325th Infantry * 327th Infantry * 501st Infantry *

502nd Infantry The 502nd Infantry Regiment (502nd IR), previously titled the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment (502nd PIR), is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. The regiment was established shortly after U.S. entry into World War II, and was as ...

* 503rd Infantry * 504th Infantry * 505th Infantry * 506th Infantry * 508th Infantry * 509th Infantry * 511th Infantry

Army Reserve regiments

* 59th Infantry * 305th Infantry * 306th Infantry * 307th Infantry * 314th Infantry * 315th Infantry * 322nd Infantry * 345th Infantry * 357th Infantry * 358th Infantry * 359th Infantry * 381st Infantry * 383rd Infantry * 409th Infantry * 410th Infantry * 411th Infantry * 442nd Infantry

Special Forces Regiment

* 1st Special Forces

Illustrations of organization under CARS

Chart 1 – Typical Infantry Regiment under CARS

Chart 2 – Typical Armor/Cavalry Regiment under CARS

Chart 3 – Typical Field Artillery Regiment under CARS

Chart 4 – Typical Air Defense Artillery Regiment under CARS

Citations

{{reflist

General references

* John K. Mahon and Romana Danysh, CMH 60-3: ''Infantry, Part I: Regular Army, The Pentomic Concept and the Combat Arms Regimental System'' * Department of the Army Regulations