Regimental Combat Teams Patches History 2
Increasingly during World War II, infantry regiments employed the regimental combat team (RCT) concept.  A regimental combat team might be a group of combat units; for example, it might include an artillery battalion, an engineer company, a medical company, and a signal detachment, all supporting the infantry regiment employed to accomplish a given mission.  The sub-legions of the postcolonial period (1792 - 96) commanded by the Revolutionary War hero Anthony Wayne were the predecessors of the regimental combat team.  Regimental combat teams, formed after World War II and during the Korean War to perform limited tactical objectives, were composed of an infantry regiment, a field artillery battalion, and an engineer company.  The colors are blue and white for infantry, red for artillery, and red and white for engineers.

Information extracted from the book "US ARMY PATCHES"  by Barry Jason Stein

USED BY PERMISSION

103rd RCT

The evergreen tree (mast pine) symbolizes the unit's home station in Maine, The Pine Tree State.

107th RCT

The colors, and the roman numeral seven formed by the lightning bolt, suggest the unit's affiliation with the Seventh New York Regiment.

111th RCT

The profile of Benjamin Franklin signifies the long heritage of elements in the team, which traces its history to the Associates, a group founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1747 to protect the city of Philadelphia from attack.

150th RCT

The blue field represents the infantry regiment of the team.  The outer red circle symbolizes the attached artillery and engineer units.  The black diamond refers to the coal mines of the state of West Virginia and to the unofficial designation of the combat team:  The Black Diamond.

157th RCT

The three white points refer to the elements composing the organization:  the 157th Infantry, the 168th Field Artillery, and the 192nd Engineers.  Joined together, they indicate strength and unity of purpose.  The three points also symbolize the mountains of Colorado, the home state of the unit.  The color red alludes to Colorado sunrises that stain the snowcapped peaks crimson.  The design, placed on a shield, indicates readiness in both peace and war.

158th RCT

During World War II, the 158th regimental combat team was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone and was known as the Bushmasters.  An exceedingly poisonous snake, the bushmaster is found in the jungles of Panama as well as other parts of Central America.

163rd RCT

The colors represent the components which make up the team:  the 163rd Infantry Regiment, the 443rd Field Artillery Battalion, and the 210th Engineer Combat Company.  The buffalo skull refers to the state of Montana, which was the natural habitat of the buffalo and the hunting ground for many tribes of Native Americans.

166th RCT

The three blades refer to the arms of infantry, artillery, and engineers.  Joined on one hilt, these blades represent the cooperation, coordination, and combat functions of the units.  The flames allude to the unit's destructive power.

176th RCT

The design of the insignia, two crossed bayonets above a white flaming torch, is symbolic of the regimental slogan, "Liberty or Death."

178th RCT

The halberd, an ancient weapon of foot troops, represents the team's fighting ability.

182nd RCT

The powder horn recalls an early colonial tradition commonly associated with Massachusetts troops.  The design of the patch in the shape of a document suggests the Mayflower Compact and alludes to the early settlers of Massachusetts.  The Massachusetts National Guard traces its roots back to 1636 and is the oldest National Guard unit in the United States Army.  The old powder horn depicted here recalls that historical footnote to the unit's history.