The 139th Infantry Regiment was constituted on 28 October 1954 in the North Carolina Army National Guard, and assigned to the 30th Infantry Division. Its units were organized from existing elements of the other two North Carolina infantry regiments, the 119th and 120th, and the regiment was headquartered at Reidsville. The 139th was created to replace the division's 117th Infantry Regiment from Tennessee, which was used to create the 30th Armored Division that year. During the Pentomic reorganization on 1 April 1959, the regiment was broken up and consolidated with the 120th Infantry, except for the 3rd Battalion, which consolidated with the 196th Armor. The 3rd Battalion became the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 196th Armor.
