A Regular Crossword (Solution)

by Dan Gulotta, based on an idea by Palmer Mebane

Each clue on the grid represents a regular expression. The row of cells it points to must match this expression exactly, where it is read starting from where the clue is drawn. There is a unique way to fill in the whole grid, obtaining the image below.

One of the rings of hexagons in the grid contains a lot of X's. Indeed, it alternates between X and a different letter if you travel around it. The other letters spell ARMORED RECON when read in the correct order and direction. This is the answer.