Vicente Rico Barros was a Filipino U.S. Army major who played a major role in the formation of the first federalized army of the Philippines at the end of World War I (1917–18). Barros was formerly an officer of the Philippine Scouts. He was a decorated soldier and a veteran of the Philippine Constabulary (1907–1911) during the Moro Rebellion before being absorbed by the U.S. Army's Philippine Division. Former Governor General of the Philippines Francis B. Harrison cited Barros for his role in a brief history of the Philippine National Guard, "The Division was commanded by Brigadier-General F.R. Day, U.S.A.; all officers above the grade of Major, by insistence of the army, were Americans, except Lieutenant-Colonel Vicente R. Barros, a West Point graduate."

The Philippine Scouts (Filipino: Maghahanap ng Pilipinas/Hukbong Maghahanap ng Pilipinas) was a military organization of the United States Army from 1901 until after the end of World War II. These troops were generally Filipinos and Filipino-Americans assigned to the United States Army Philippine Department, under the command of American commissioned officers (though a handful of Filipino Americans received commissions from the United States Military Academy). Philippine Scout units were given the suffix "(PS)", to distinguish them from other U.S. Army units.