The U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment is nicknamed The Old Guard.
The Old Guard is the Army’s oldest active-duty infantry unit, with lineage dating to 1784. Based at Fort Myer, Virginia, beside Arlington National Cemetery, it performs many high-profile ceremonial duties in the Washington, D.C., area.
Its Memorial Day responsibilities include participating in formal ceremonies and helping honor the dead at Arlington. The regiment is also associated with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, military funerals, presidential ceremonies, and the Army’s caisson platoon.
The name The Old Guard is not the same as the 1st Infantry Division’s nickname, The Big Red One. The 3rd Infantry Regiment’s ceremonial role makes it especially visible during national remembrance events, but it remains a regular Army infantry regiment as well.