3rd Brigade, 7th Infantry Division (United States)

Last updated

3rd Brigade, 7th Infantry Division
7th Infantry Division SSI (1973-2015).svg
7th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia
Active1917 – 21
1963 – 71
1974 – 93
Country Flag of the United States.svg United States of America
Branch United States Department of the Army Seal.svg United States Army
Type Infantry
RoleLight Infantry
Size Brigade
Part of 7th Infantry Division
Engagements World War I
Panama

The 3rd Brigade, 7th Infantry Division, originally known as the 14th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the United States Army, and a part of the 7th Infantry Division. The brigade was based at Fort Ord, California for most of its history.

Contents

Activated for service in World War I, the unit saw brief service in the conflict, but never fought as an entire unit. After the Korean War, it was reactivated as a brigade, and was returned to the United States where it saw action in Operation Just Cause and Operation Golden Pheasant. The brigade sent units to support 2nd Brigade, 7th Infantry Division during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. The 3rd Brigade was inactivated in 1993.

History

World War I

Men of the 64th Regiment, 14th Brigade, 7th Division, celebrate the news of the Armistice with Germany, November 11, 1918. US 64th regiment celebrate the Armistice.jpg
Men of the 64th Regiment, 14th Brigade, 7th Division, celebrate the news of the Armistice with Germany, November 11, 1918.

The 3rd Brigade, 7th Infantry Division was first constituted and activated in the regular army as the 14th Infantry Brigade on 6 December 1917, exactly eighth months after the American entry into World War I, at Camp Wheeler, Georgia. [1] One month later it organized and prepared for deployment to Europe to participate in World War I as a part of the American Expeditionary Force, along with the rest of the division. [1] The 14th Infantry Brigade was one of two brigades assigned to the division headquarters, the other being the 13th Infantry Brigade. [2] Serving within the brigade were the 64th Infantry Regiment and the 56th Infantry Regiment, bringing the total strength of the brigade to around 8,000 men. [3] Most of the brigade sailed to Europe aboard the SS Leviathan. [4]

During the brigade's time in France, it was commanded by Brigadier General Benjamin A. Poore, who received the Distinguished Service Cross and Army Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his wartime leadership. On 11 October 1918 the 14th Brigade and 7th Division first came under shelling attacks. At Saint-Mihiel the units also came under chemical attack. [4] Elements of the 7th probed up toward Prény near the Moselle River, capturing positions and driving German forces out of the region. [4] It was around this time that the division first received its shoulder sleeve insignia, which the 14th Brigade wore as a part of the division. [5]

In early November, the 14th Brigade began readying itself for an attack on the Hindenburg Line with the division, which was part of the Second Army. [4] The division launched a reconnaissance in force on the Voëvre Plain, but before it could begin a full assault, the Allies signed an Armistice ending hostilities. [4] After 33 days on the front lines, the 7th Division suffered 1,988 casualties. [4] It was awarded one campaign streamer for Lorraine. [1] The brigade performed occupation duties for the next year as it began preparations to return to the continental United States. [6]

The 14th Brigade returned to the United States in late 1919, and gradually demobilized at Camp George G. Meade, Maryland until 1921. [4] On 22 September of that year, the Headquarters Company, 7th Division was inactivated, and the 13th and 14th Brigades deactivated with it. [1]

Reorganization

On 1 July 1940, the 7th Infantry Division was reactivated at Camp Ord, California [1] Under the command of Major General Joseph W. Stilwell. [4] The Headquarters element, 13th and 14th Brigades did not reactivate, however, and the division was instead centered on three infantry regiments; the 17th Infantry Regiment, [7] the 32nd Infantry Regiment, [7] and the 53rd Infantry Regiment. [4] The 14th Brigade was not activated for the duration of World War II. [7]

Post-Korean War

In the wake of the Korean War, between 1953 and 1971, the 7th Infantry Division defended the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Its main garrison was Camp Casey, South Korea. [6] During these occupation duties, the division saw a complete reorganization in compliance with the Reorganization Objective Army Divisions plan. [2] In 1963, the division's former headquarters company grew into the 1st Brigade, 7th Infantry Division while the 13th Infantry Brigade became the 2nd Brigade, 7th Infantry Division. [2] The 14th Infantry Brigade was redesignated at the 3rd Brigade, 7th Infantry Division. These renamed formations retained all of the lineage and campaign credits of their previous designations. [8] On 2 April 1971, the division and its brigades returned to the United States and inactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington. [1]

Tactical map of Operation Just Cause. Operation Just Cause.jpg
Tactical map of Operation Just Cause.

In October 1974 the 7th and two brigades reactivated at their former garrison, Fort Ord (a National Guard "roundout" brigade, the 41st, would periodically train with the division as its third brigade). [1] The unit did not see any action in Vietnam or during the post war era, but was tasked to keep a close watch on South American developments. It trained at Fort Ord, Camp Roberts, and Fort Hunter Liggett. On 1 October 1985 the division redesignated as the 7th Infantry Division (Light), organized again as a light infantry division. [6] It was the first US division specially designed as such. The various battalions of the 17th, 31st, and 32nd Regiments moved from the division, replaced by battalions from other regiments, including battalions from the 21st Infantry Regiment, the 27th Infantry Regiment, and the 9th Infantry Regiment. The 27th Infantry and the 9th Infantry Regiment participated in Operation Golden Pheasant in Honduras. [9] In 1989 the 3rd Brigade, 7th Infantry Division participated in Operation Just Cause in Panama. [9]

In 1991 the Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended the closing of Fort Ord due to the escalating cost of living on the Central California coastline. By 1994, the post was closed and the Division was to move to Fort Lewis, Washington. [10] The 3rd Brigade's 3rd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment and other assigned military police companies participated in one final mission in the United States before inactivation; quelling the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, called Operation Garden Plot, in conjunction with the entire 2nd Brigade, 7th Division. [11] In 1993 the division was slated to move to Fort Lewis, WA and instead inactivated at Fort Ord, CA as part of the post-Cold War draw-down of the US Army, but the 2nd and 3rd Brigades of the 7th inactivated at Fort Ord in 1993. The division headquarters formally inactivated on 16 June 1994 at Fort Lewis. [1]

Honors

RibbonAwardYearNotes
Korean Presidential Unit Citation.png Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation 1945–1948; 1953–1971for service in Korea

Campaign streamers

ConflictStreamerYear(s)
World War I Lorraine 1918

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Infantry Division (United States)</span> Active US Army formation

The 4th Infantry Division is a division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado. It is composed of a division headquarters battalion, three brigade combat teams, a combat aviation brigade, a division sustainment brigade, and a division artillery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th Infantry Division (United States)</span> Active US Army formation

The 7th Infantry Division is an active duty infantry division of the United States Army based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord charged with sustaining the combat readiness of two Stryker brigade combat teams (BCT), a combat aviation brigade, and a Division Artillery Unit, as well as participating in several yearly partnered exercises and operations in support of U.S. Army Pacific and the Indo-Pacific region. The 7th Infantry Division is the only active-duty multi-component division headquarters in the Army. The 7th Infantry Division is also home to two of the Army's newest enabling battlefield capabilities, the Multi Domain Task Force and the Intelligence, Information, Cyber, Electronic Warfare and Space Capabilities, or I2CEWS battalion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">91st Division (United States)</span> Military unit

The 91st Infantry Division (famously nicknamed as the "Wild West Division" with a "Fir Tree" as its Division insignia to symbolize its traditional home of the Far West) is an infantry division of the United States Army that fought in World War I and World War II. From 1946 until 2008, it was part of the United States Army Reserve. It was briefly inactivated from 2008 until 2010 when it was elevated back to a division size element as the 91st Training Division (Operations).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Infantry Division (United States)</span> Inactive US Army formation

The 6th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army active in World War I, World War II, and the last years of the Cold War. Known as "Red Star", it was previously called the "Sight Seein' Sixth".

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, also known as the Dagger Brigade, is a maneuver brigade combat team in the 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">22nd Infantry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 22nd Infantry Regiment is a parent regiment of the United States Army. Currently the 2nd Battalion is active, with the regimental colors residing at Fort Drum, New York. The 1st, 3rd, and 4th Battalions have been inactivated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">12th Infantry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 12th Infantry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. The 12th Infantry has fought in seven wars from the Civil War to the Global War on Terrorism and has been awarded 19 Presidential Unit Citations, five Valorous Unit Awards, a Joint Meritorious Unit Award, two citations in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army, Nine Republic of Vietnam Crosses of Gallantry, the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal Third Class, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, and the Belgian Fourragere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8th Infantry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 8th Infantry Regiment of the United States, also known as the "Fighting Eagles," is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. The 8th Infantry participated in the Mexican War, American Civil War, Philippine Insurrection, Moro Rebellion, World War I, World War II, Vietnam War, and Iraq Campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">199th Infantry Brigade (United States)</span> Military unit

The 199th Infantry Brigade (Light) is a unit of the United States Army which served in the Army Reserve from 1921 to 1940, in the active army from 1966 to 1970 (serving in the Vietnam War), briefly in 1991–1992 at Fort Lewis, and from 2007 as an active army training formation at Fort Moore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Infantry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 2nd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army that has served for more than two hundred years. It was constituted on 12 April 1808 as the 6th Infantry and consolidated with 4 other regiments in 1815 to form the present unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">189th Infantry Brigade (United States)</span> Military unit

The 189th Infantry Brigade is an Infantry brigade of the United States Army based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. It is a training brigade subordinate to First Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">188th Infantry Brigade (United States)</span> Brigade of the United States Army, based at Fort Stewart

The 188th Infantry Brigade is an infantry training brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. It is a subordinate unit of the First United States Army, Division East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">174th Infantry Brigade (United States)</span> Infantry brigade of the United States Army

The 174th Infantry Brigade is an infantry brigade of the United States Army based at the Fort Dix entity of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. A multi-component training unit, the brigade provides operational training and increased readiness for units in the continental Northeast.

The 32nd Infantry Regiment is a battalion within the United States Army. Of the original regiment, only the 1st Battalion remains as an active duty unit. The 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment is a light infantry battalion assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, garrisoned at Fort Drum, New York. The battalion was previously assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Drum, before this unit was reflagged to Fort Polk, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Brigade, 7th Infantry Division (United States)</span> Former infantry brigade of the United States Army

The 1st Brigade, 7th Infantry Division was an infantry brigade of the United States Army, and a part of the 7th Infantry Division. The brigade was based at Fort Ord, California for most of its history. After the Korean War, it was activated as a brigade in 1963, and was returned to the United States where it saw action in Operation Just Cause and Operation Golden Pheasant before being finally deactivated in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Brigade, 7th Infantry Division (United States)</span> Military unit

The 2nd Brigade, 7th Infantry Division, originally known as the 13th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the United States Army, and a part of the 7th Infantry Division. The brigade was based at Fort Ord, California for most of its history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Chemical Brigade (United States)</span> Military unit

The 3rd Chemical Brigade is a training brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, retaining for historic reasons its name.

The 67th Armored Regiment is an armored regiment in the United States Army. The regiment was first formed in 1929 in the Regular Army as the 2nd Tank Regiment (Heavy) and redesignated as the 67th Infantry Regiment (Medium Tanks) in 1932. It first became the 67th Armor in 1940. The regiment participated in World War I, World War II, Desert Storm/Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Spartan Shield, Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Resolute Support, and Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">525th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade</span> Military unit

The 525th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade (Expeditionary) is a unit of the United States Army specializing in the acquisition and analysis of information with potential military value. On 28 October 2014, the unit was reflagged from the "525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade" to an expeditionary military intelligence brigade, the first of its kind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">183rd Cavalry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 183rd Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army, represented in the Virginia Army National Guard by 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry (2-183). The squadron is the reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition squadron of the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, part of the 29th Infantry Division.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Lineage and Honors Information: 7th Infantry Division". United States Army Center of Military History. 2009. Archived from the original on 28 April 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 McGrath, p. 188.
  3. US Army in World War I. Tiger Lily Publications. November 2004. ISBN   9780972029643 . Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "7th Infantry Division Homepage: History". 7th Infantry Division. 2003. Archived from the original on 19 April 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  5. "The Institute of Heraldry: 7th Infantry Division". The Institute of Heraldry. 2009. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 "7th Infantry Division Homepage: Chronological History". 7th Infantry Division. 2003. Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  7. 1 2 3 Almanac, p. 592.
  8. McGrath, p. 189
  9. 1 2 "GlobalSecurity.org: 7th Infantry Division". GlobalSecurity . 2003. Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  10. "GlobalSecurity.org: Fort Ord". GlobalSecurity . 2003. Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  11. "GlobalSecurity.org: Operation Garden Plot". GlobalSecurity . 2003. Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.

Sources