Headquartered in Petersburg, Virginia, it is one of several Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812.

On 1 July, it was reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Virginia Infantry and mustered into the Confederate States Army at Manassas.

On 18 June, due to increased tensions on the Mexico–United States border, the regiment was called into Federal service.

[1] The 116th Infantry arrived at the port of Newport News on 22 May 1919 on the troopship USS Matsonia and was demobilized 30 May 1919 at Camp Lee, Virginia.

It was later redesignated as the 1st Infantry, Virginia National Guard, on 7 September 1920 with the regimental headquarters concurrently organized and federally recognized at Richmond.

The 176th was further relocated to Fort Benning, arriving on 11 April, for duty as School Troops, before being inactivated there on 10 July 1944.

[3] Called into Federal service 18 June 1916; mustered into Federal service 30 June 1916 at Richmond; mustered out of Federal service 16 January 1917 at Richmond A Silver color metal and enamel device 1 inch (2.54 cm) in height consisting of a shield blazoned: Azure, a saltire Gray fimbriated Argent, to chief a fleur-de-lis of the like; on a chief of the last a cross Gules charged with an arrow fesswise of the third.

Attached below the shield a Silver scroll inscribed "LIBERTY OR DEATH" in Blue letters.

The gray saltire commemorates service in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War.

The insignia was redesignated for the 276th Engineer Battalion, Virginia Army National Guard and amended to change the symbolism on 29 January 1968.