How to request Regimental Affiliation?

SSG Dan McIntosh — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:49:46 -0500

Need some help here, I have never requested nor have ever been affiliated with any regiment. What I am looking for is an example of how to request one so that I can get my paperwork started and turned in for approval.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Dec 2 at 2013 12:06 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 12:06:18 -0500

Have you checked Section X of your ERB (the portion entitled REGT AFIL) to ensure it is blank? It's not something you generally have to go out of your way to do, it just happens. You generally only have to get your hands dirty of you want to CHANGE your affiliation.

Response by LTC Jason Bartlett made Dec 2 at 2013 12:09 PM

LTC Jason Bartlett — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 12:09:14 -0500

Example of 4187 in the reg.

http://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/pdf/r600_82.pdf

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2013 6:51 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 18:51:07 -0500

Thanks to both of you for your answers...I'll just tack on my $.02 on regimental affiliation.

Many, perhaps most, Soldiers will be regimentally affiliated coming out of AIT/OBC. They seem to be automatically affiliated with the training regiment (AG, Chem, etc). It just winds up on their ORB when they graduate their school.

A lot of specialties do not automatically do so, unfortunately. (Aviation is one of them). You have no idea how many times I've explained to S-1s (who are almost automatically affiliated with their AG regiment) what regimental affiliation is, why you need to be affiliated, etc.

Kudos for actually doing the paperwork...I've seen many people just slap on the badge and be done with it. Don't know why the Army makes this so difficult, considering you can affiliate with ANY regiment. (Sigh)

Response by 1SG Johnny Carter made Dec 2 at 2013 6:59 PM

1SG Johnny Carter — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 18:59:36 -0500

Your S1 should have an example of the 4187 to get your affiliation. It is an easy process to accomplish.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2013 7:51 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 19:51:32 -0500

Sorry you had to learn the hard way.  Always was an odd award.  If you were actually in a regiment, but don't have the orders, you're wrong.  However, if you've never even served in a unit, you can affiliate with that unit if you submit the paperwork!  (e.g., I could affiliate with the 160th SOAR, even though I never served there.  Crazy!)

Response by CSM Mike Maynard made Dec 3 at 2013 6:50 AM

CSM Mike Maynard — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 06:50:54 -0500

Here's a little history on this - there used to be a time when there were multiple battalions/units within each regiment and they were dispersed across the world. The plan was for you to affiliate with a regiment (not a unit) and then you would PCS within the regiment to the different battalions/units. That has since been phased out and is no longer used. But, that was the original purpose of being regimentally affiliated.<div><br></div><div>Additionally, under the old classifications of Combat Arms, Combat Support and Combat Service Support, CS and CSS MOS's did not have different regiments to affiliate with, they were "automatically" affiliated with their branch specific "regiment".</div><div><br></div><div>Finally, Combat Arms MOS's were the ones that had the options to "choose" which regiment (not battalion/unit) that you wanted to affiliate. Some chose their first unit or if they had served with multiple regiments while some chose the "coolest" RDI.</div><div><br></div><div>Basically, as a CSM, I look at this as a way to carry on traditions and a way to teach regimental and branch history to our young folks. I encourage them all to look up the different regiments they are eligible for and find out which ones have the richest history or something that may be significant to them and then affiliate with that regiment.</div>

Response by SSG Dan McIntosh made Dec 7 at 2013 7:29 PM

SSG Dan McIntosh — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 19:29:41 -0500

SSG Nelson,

First off, sorry for the late response, with college and work, haven't had much time to check emails.

Second, thanks. I can send to you what I sent to my leadership on Monday if you are still willing to square me away with this.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Dec 10 at 2013 9:39 AM

SFC William Swartz Jr — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 09:39:58 -0500

Normally us Combat Arms types, have to request to be regimentally affiliated, done with the DA-4187. I had the good fortune of having it done for me by the first unit I was assigned to when I completed 19E OSUT way back in '88; as I liked the unit and what we did while I was there, I never wanted to change it. Due to the changes inthe Army after DS/DS, the actual meaning and purpose of RA went away, and it became more of an individual pride thing; ie. belonging to 11th ACR, 3rd ACR, etc...looks like the answers already provided should help you out with the process of submitting for your RA.

Response by SSG Dan McIntosh made Dec 10 at 2013 9:07 PM

SSG Dan McIntosh — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 21:07:23 -0500

So you all might like to hear this, today (very out of the blue) I get an email from my company commander, basically forwarding the same information from my S-1, which stated S-1 will not process my request for affiliation due to not having a certificate attached to the 4187.

So with the help of you all in pointing me in the right direction with the regulation, I, using the highlighter feature of Adobe Reader, highlighted every paragraph in the regulation, attached said regulation and the original 4187 and sent it via email (with the help of a very trusted fellow NCO) back to my company commander and informed him that basically (but not in these words) S-1 is wrong.

Before my day ended, my 1SG calls me directly and explains that S-1 is going to try to send my paperwork back up the chain for approval/disapproval. Interesting how this will pan out, but will for sure let you all know the outcome.

Thanks to every single one of you for your help and contribution, without you I wouldn't be pursuing this at all.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 11 at 2013 7:40 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 07:40:11 -0500

To my understanding because Im in the same boat is that it involves a 4187 from your unit and S-1. I myself am regimentally affiliated with both the Transportation and Signal Corps but I choose to keep Transportation because that was my first field. As long as you hold that MOS in that field or have some sort of 2nd or 3rd connection ie, grandfather was Signal then by all rights you can apply. Someone correct me if Im wrong.

Response by SSG Dan McIntosh made Dec 11 at 2013 7:47 AM

SSG Dan McIntosh — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 07:47:27 -0500

CPT Krogh, maybe this might explain the ineptitude of my S-1. He is a civilian and not military. I dont know if he was prior military or not, and in my honest opinion, if you go through any training that gives you the skills to do what an S-1 does, then being a civilian is not an excuse to "not knowing".

Interesting to know though, that this is skill lvl 10 stuff for a 42A.

My current MOS series is 15, which does fall under CA. The reason I am choosing the affiliation I requested for, was the unit I was in while I served in Germany for 6 1/2 years. I deployed twice within the same unit, have many great friends from that unit both soldiers and NCO's. So as I understand the regulation, I should have the right to ask to be affiliated with that unit.

As I stated before, will update you all once this process is completed. Thanks again sir.

Response by MAJ Daniel Buchholz made Jun 30 at 2015 10:23 PM

MAJ Daniel Buchholz — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 22:23:12 -0400

Anyone else find out that you suddenly got a new regimental association? I happen to check my ORB since I need to get a new DA photo and learned that my current unit (Infantry BCT) suddenly (i.e. since I last checked sometime last year) was listed in my Regimental Association (instead of the good old Signal Corps). Now to figure out if it worth my effort to deal with the S1 to reset it or just embrace it for the photo.

Response by SP5 Ricardo Galvanhernandez made Apr 24 at 2016 5:03 AM

SP5 Ricardo Galvanhernandez — Sun, 24 Apr 2016 05:03:48 -0400

Is it possible to get RA once retired? I don't believe it was done by leadership at my first unit but we wore it while I was there.

Response by SSG Kevin Pendelton made Mar 14 at 2024 10:26 AM

SSG Kevin Pendelton — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:26:23 -0400

Send me a email I’ll send you a copy of mine with some redactions of my personal in for