Honoring the History of the 3rd Infantry Division

Rocky the Bulldog The famous mascot of the 3rd Infantry Division. “Rocky the Bulldog” is displayed on both sides of the helmet. Rocky was created by Walt Disney himself in 1965. The 3rd Infantry division gained the right to display Rocky through an exchange of letters between Disney productions and the 3rd Infantry Division Commander at the time, Maj. Gen. Albert O. Connor.

Nous Resterons La The distinctive unit insignia of the 3rd ID symbolizes the division's first combat operations at the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918. The rock symbolizes this famous battle, where the division earned its nickname, “Rock of the Marne.” Facing a heavy German offensive during this battle, the commander of the 3rd ID, Maj. Gen. Joseph Dickman (USMA, 1881), told French allies "Nous resterons la” which means “we shall remain here.” The two-legged dragon perched upon the rock symbolizes tenacious fighting spirit demonstrated throughout their history.

Iraq Campaign Streamer On the back of the collar, the Iraq campaign streamer is proudly displayed. The ribbon reflects the colors of the Iraqi flag. Green and black are traditionally significant colors for Islam, these stripes highlight the predominant religion of the Iraqi people. Red honors the fighting courage required for the pursuit of freedom and white denotes generosity. This streamer flies on the division colors, among the many campaign streamers earned by the 3rd Infantry Division throughout its prestigious history. Lastly, the bronze campaign star on the Iraq campaign streamer denotes participation in a named campaign.

Rock of the Marne “Rock of the Marne” is the nickname the 3rd Infantry Division earned in France during the Second Battle of the Marne during the First World War when the division defeated a German attack near Château-Thierry along the Marne River. This acronym is displayed on the pants.

Dogface Soldier Above the front visor of the helmet are the words "Dogface Soldier” which is the title of the official 3rd Infantry Division song. This nickname, originally a slang term for U.S. Army Soldiers were associated with 3rd Infantry Division Soldiers after the division adopted the song in 1942.

Brigades Of OIF Assigned randomly across the army team, helmets will display the number and corresponding call signs of one of the division's three maneuver brigades that participated in the invasion of Iraq in 2003: 1st Brigade — "Raider"; 2nd Brigade — "Spartan"; 3rd Brigade — "Sledgehammer."

Division Patch Displayed on the left shoulder is the 3rd infantry division patch. Though subdued as worn on the desert camouflage uniform of 2003, the standard division patch consists of three white stripes representing the number of the division and the three major operations in which the division participated during World War I. The clear fields stand for loyalty, steadfastness and the American Soldier's devotion to the principles of right and justice.

Uniform Inspiration The color of this year's uniform is tan overall, to denote the desert in which 3rd infantry division operated during the invasion of Iraq. This also corresponds to camouflage patterns and vehicle paint schemes from Operation Iraqi Freedom. The downward facing arrows on the front and back of the jersey mimic the markings used by armored units in 3rd Infantry Division during OIF. These markings assist Soldiers with battle tracking and allow them to identify friendly units rapidly during the confusion of combat. Another tank marking is displayed on the front right of the pants and represents the thermal pattern 3rd Infantry Division units displayed on their vehicles. These thermal panels allow armored formations to distinguish friend from foe using thermal optics during conditions of limited visibility. The stencil lettering on the back of the uniform represents similar markings on the front and back of United States Army Vehicles.