About this Unit
The 3rd Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment (3/68 Armor) was an armored battalion stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. The unit traces its lineage to the 68th Armor Regiment, which was originally constituted in 1940 and served with distinction in World War II and subsequent conflicts. While at Fort Carson, 3/68 Armor was part of the 4th Infantry Division, providing heavy armor capabilities and participating in numerous training exercises and readiness operations during the Cold War and into the 1990s. The battalion was inactivated in the mid-1990s as part of post-Cold War realignment and restructuring of Army forces.
Historical Facts
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Activation during the Vietnam Era: The 3rd Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment (3/68 Armor) was activated in the early 1960s at Fort Carson, Colorado, as part of the U.S. Army's Cold War expansion and modernization efforts.
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Part of the 8th Infantry Division: 3/68 Armor was originally assigned to the 8th Infantry Division, a unit with a storied history dating back to World War I, before later reassignments.
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Combination of Armor and Mechanized Infantry: At Fort Carson, 3/68 Armor often trained and operated alongside mechanized infantry units, perfecting combined arms tactics that became a model for later U.S. Army doctrine.
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Distinctive Unit Insignia: The battalion’s insignia features a black panther and a tank tread, symbolizing the unit’s strength, agility, and armored might.
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Cold War Readiness: During the 1970s and 1980s, 3/68 Armor was a frontline unit in America’s defense posture, frequently deploying to West Germany for REFORGER (Return of Forces to Germany) exercises.
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Transition to New Equipment: The battalion was among the first at Fort Carson to transition from the M60 Patton series tanks to the M1 Abrams main battle tank in the early 1980s.
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Unit Reorganizations: 3/68 Armor underwent several reorganizations, including periods of inactivation and reactivation, reflecting the Army's evolving needs and force structure.
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Community Engagement: Members of 3/68 Armor regularly participated in local Colorado Springs community events, parades, and military-civilian partnership programs.
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Training Ground Innovations: At Fort Carson, the battalion helped pioneer new gunnery and maneuver training techniques on the post’s extensive ranges, influencing Army-wide standards.
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Legacy and Honors: While the battalion itself has been inactivated and reflagged over the years, its lineage and honors are preserved in the Armor branch, and many veterans of 3/68 Armor continue to hold reunions and share stories of their service.
