The 108th Infantry Regiment traces its origins to the 3rd Regiment, New York National Guard, a unit organized in 1898 from several separate companies throughout Western New York. Today, the 108th Infantry consists of one 800-Soldier battalion headquartered in Utica with six companies spread across Western, Central and Northern New York State.

The 3rd Regiment served in the War with Spain in 1898 and along the Mexican Border in 1916 before it was officially re-designated as the 108th Infantry and deployed to France with New York's 27th Division during World War I. During World War II, the 108th was reassigned to the 40th Infantry Division, California National Guard, and participated in the Bismarck Archipelago, Leyte, Luzon, and the Southern Philippines Campaigns.

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the 108th Infantry has served on federal homeland defense duty and conducted combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan (Companies A and D). Mobilized for service in Iraq in 2004, the 2nd Battalion was became the first combat arms unit from the New York Army National Guard to deploy for war since World War II. Augmented by soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 108th Infantry and the 1st Battalion, 105th Infantry, the unit conducted combat operations in the Sunni Triangle and earned a Meritorious Unit Commendation, with additional companies earning the Valorous Unit Award for combat action in Samarra in April 2004 and October 2004.

After returning from Iraq, the 1st Battalion and the 2nd Battalion of the 108th merged under the 2nd Battalion's colors. In 2007, the 108th Infantry mobilized two companies and dozens of individual soldiers to deploy with the 27th Brigade Combat Team to Afghanistan, providing security forces and advisors to the nascent Afghan Army and police forces. All told, the battalion mobilized more than 350 soldiers for duty with elements of Task Force Phoenix. The main body of the 108th soldiers returned from Afghanistan in December 2008.