They soon adopted as the motto "Cuidado" a Spanish word meaning "take care" in reference to when they would patrol for them to be on guard.

The 158th Infantry was reconstituted in the National Guard in 1921, assigned to the 45th Division, and allotted to the state of Arizona.

[4] At the outbreak of World War II, the unit was ordered into Federal service on 16 September 1940 and started training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

[6] During this time the men of the 158th built training facilities and conducted numerous patrols in the dense Panamanian jungle.

The thick jungle concealed many hazardous plants, insects, and animals, including the highly venomous snake known as the Bushmaster.

Encounters with deadly snakes were common, lending new significance to the regiment's Spanish motto "Cuidado" (Take Care) which originated with the 1st Arizona Volunteer Infantry.

As a result, the regiment did not have sufficient time to conduct comprehensive jungle warfare training for all echelons before its embarkation in early January 1943.

The combat team arrived at Toem on 21 May 1944 and began relieving elements of the 163rd RCT at the Tor River two days later.

For several days the two units fought a series of vicious engagements on and around an important intermediate objective known by the Americans as Lone Tree Hill.

[11] The 6th Infantry Division relieved the rest of Task Force Tornado and resumed the effort to take Lone Tree Hill and capture the Japanese airfield at Sarmi.

Many of these officers, who survived combat, later recounted participating in Native American rituals; such as becoming blood brothers and purifying their warrior's spirit before battle.

Although these rituals are not today performed by the majority of the unit's soldiers, they still use Japanese saki to toast with in reference to the supply captured by the regiment during its time in the Philippines.

General MacArthur gave the Bushmasters the accolade, "No greater fighting combat team has ever deployed for battle".

[14] On 18 February 1947, the 158th Infantry was reorganized and federally recognized in the Arizona National Guard with headquarters at Tucson.

In January 2007, 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment was mobilized and deployed to Afghanistan in April of that year.

During this deployment two Bushmasters were killed (SSG Charles R Browning and PFC Mykel F Miller, B Co, 1/158th Infantry) and others wounded during combat operations.

The Forward deployed platoon of Bushmasters conducted security and combat operations in Paktika Province Afghanistan.

A gold color metal and enamel device 1 5/32 inches (2.94 cm) in height overall consisting of a blue shield charged with a Gila monster bendwise, head to base.

The motto "CUIDADO" a Spanish word meaning "Take Care" is a caution first used by those serving in the regiment's progenitor, the 1st Arizona Volunteer Infantry.

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 158th Infantry Regiment, Arizona National Guard on 22 July 1924.

The insignia was redesignated for the 158th Infantry Regiment, Arizona Army National Guard with symbolism revised on 22 November 2005.

The fight brought to the Apache menace was that of native peoples banded together by leaders like CPT John D. Walker.

By comparison, the Heloderma suspectum, the volunteers were slow in sprinting ability (due to improper funding, living quarters and rations), but they proved to have high endurance and maximal kill capability once they found their prey (the Apache).

During his duty in Apacheria, CPT Walker wrote a dissertation to the Smithsonian Institution on its claim that the Arizona Gila Monster was not poisonous.