Cap Badge of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment is the main unit in the regular army of New Zealand. It was formed following the Second World War as the New Zealand Regiment with a single infantry battalion. The regiment received its present name in 1964, when all of the Territorial Force battalions were absorbed into its structure. This continued until 1999, when the TF regiments resumed their seperate identities following the re-organisation of the army structure. Today, the RNZIR has two battalions:
- 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment - the original battalion formed in 1947.
- 2/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment - originally the 2nd Battalion, this was given its current name in 1973.
In addition, the RNZIR contributed two companies to the ANZAC Battalion in Vietnam between 1968 and 1971. It is this that has provided the RNZIR with its only battle honour thus far, which is the only battle honour awarded by New Zealand since World War II.
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