2nd Infantry Division (United States)

2nd Infantry Division
Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 2d Infantry Division
Active	1917–present
Country	United States
Branch	U.S. Army
Size	17,000 regular
Part of	Eighth United States Army
Garrison/HQ	South Korea (HQ), Fort Lewis
Nickname(s)	Indianhead
Motto(s)	Second to None
Colors	Red and blue
March	Warrior March
Engagements	World War I Battle of Belleau Wood Château-Thierry campaign Meuse-Argonne Offensive World War II Operation Overlord Battle of the Bulge Western Allied invasion of Germany Korean War Battle of Pusan Perimeter Iraq Campaign War in Afghanistan
Commanders
Current commander	Major General Thomas Vandal
Notable commanders	Complete list of commanders
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia	File:2 Infantry Div DUI.PNG

The 2nd Infantry Division ("Indianhead") (2ID or 2nd ID) is a formation of the United States Army. Its current primary mission is the defense of South Korea in the initial stages of an invasion from North Korea until other American units can arrive. There are approximately 17,000 soldiers in the 2nd Infantry Division, with 10,000 of them stationed in South Korea, accounting for about 35% of the United States Forces Korea personnels.

The 2nd Infantry Division, unlike any other division in the Army, is made up partially of Korean soldiers, called KATUSAs (Korean Augmentation to US Army). This program began in 1950 by agreement with South Korean President Syngman Rhee. Some 27,000 KATUSAs served with the US forces at the end of the Korean War. As of May 2006, approximately 1,100 KATUSA soldiers serve with 2ID. There were also more than 3,000 Dutch soldiers assigned to the division between 1950 and 1954.

History

World War I

Preston Brown wearing the 2nd Division insignia

The 2nd Infantry Division was first constituted on 21 September 1917 in the Regular Army. It was organized on 26 October 1917 at Bourmont, Haute Marne, France. At the time of its activation, the Indianhead Division was composed of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, which included the 9th Infantry Regiment and the 23rd Infantry Regiment; the 4th Marine Brigade, which consisted of the 5th Marine Regiment, the 6th Marine Regiment and the 6th Machine Gun Battalion; a battalion of field artillery; and various supporting units. Twice during World War I the division was commanded by US Marine Corps generals, Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen and Major General John A. Lejeune (after whom the Marine Corps Camp in North Carolina is named), the only time in U.S. Military history when Marine Corps officers commanded an Army division.

The division spent the winter of 1917–18 training with French Army veterans. Though judged unprepared by French tacticians, the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) was committed to combat in the spring of 1918 in a desperate attempt to halt a German advance toward Paris. The 2nd Infantry Division drew its first blood in the nightmare landscape of the Battle of Belleau Wood and contributed to shattering the four-year-old stalemate on the battlefield during the Château-Thierry campaign that followed.

On 28 July 1918, Major General Lejeune assumed command of the 2nd Infantry Division and remained in that capacity until August 1919, when the unit was demobilized. The division went on to win hard-fought victories at Soissons and Blanc Mont. Finally the Indianhead Division participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive which spelled the end of any German hope for victory. On 11 November 1918 the Armistice was declared, and the 2nd Infantry Division marched into Germany, where it performed occupation duties until April 1919. 2nd Infantry Division returned to U.S. in July 1919.

The 2nd Infantry Division was three times awarded the French Croix de guerre for gallantry under fire at Belleau Wood, Soissons, and Blanc Mont. This entitles serving members of the division and of those regiments that were part of the division at that time (including the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments) to wear a special lanyard, or fourragère, in commemoration. The Navy authorized a special uniform change that allows hospital corpsmen assigned to 5th and 6th Marine Regiments to wear a shoulder strap on the left shoulder of their dress uniform so that the fourragère can be worn.

Major operations

Omar Bundy & John A. Lejeune

• Aisne
• Belleau Wood (4th Marine Brigade; 5th Marine Regiment; 6th Marine Regiment; 6th Machine Gun Battalion only)
• St. Mihiel
• Meuse-Argonne Offensive
• Aisne-Marne offensive

Casualties

• Killed in action – 1,964 (including USMC: 4,478)
• Wounded in action – 9,782 (including USMC: 17,752)
• Total – 11,746 (including USMC: 22,230)
• Source for World War I data and information: United States Army Center of Military History "The following combat chronicles, current as of October 1948, are reproduced from The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950, pp. 510–592."

Interwar years

Upon returning to the United States, the division was stationed at Fort Sam Houston, at San Antonio, Texas as one of three divisions to remain intact and on active duty for the entire interwar period. It remained there for the next 23 years, serving as an experimental unit, testing new concepts and innovations for the Army. The 2nd Infantry Division stationed at Camp Bullis and Fort Sam Houston, Texas was the first command reorganized under the new triangular concept of organization theory of warfare, which provided for three separate regiments in each division. Indianhead soldiers pioneered concepts of airmobility and anti-tank warfare, which served the army for the next two decades on battlefields in every corner of the globe.^{[citation needed]}

The 2nd Division started participated in maneuvers at Christine, Texas between 3 and 27 January 1940. It then moved to Horton, Texas for maneuvers from 26 April to 28 May 1940, followed by maneuvers at Cravens, Louisiana from 16 to 23 August 1940. It returned to Fort Sam Houston, where it continued training and refitting, until it moved to Brownwood, Texas for the VIII Corps Maneuvers from 1 June through 14 June 1941 at Comanche, Texas. The division was then sent to Mansfield, Louisiana from 11 August through 2 October 1941 for the August–September 1941 Louisiana Maneuvers.^{[citation needed]}

Second Division Memorial, dedicated in 1936, is located in President's Park, Washington, D.C.

The division was transferred to the VIII Corps Louisiana maneuver Area on 27 July 1941, being redesignated as the 2nd Infantry Division in August, and remained there until 22 September 1942, whereupon the formation returned to Fort Sam Houston. They then moved to Camp McCoy at Sparta, Wisconsin on 27 November 1942. Four months of intensive training for winter warfare followed. In September 1943 the division received their staging orders, and moved to the Camp Shanks staging area at Orangeburg, New York on 3 October 1943, where they received Port Call orders. On 8 October the division officially sailed from the New York Port of Embarkation, and started arriving in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 17 October. They then moved over to England, where they trained and staged for forward movement to France.

World War II

Assignments in the European Theater of Operations

1. 22 October 1943: Attached to First Army
2. 24 December 1943: XV Corps, but attached to First Army
3. 14 April 1944: V Corps, First Army
4. 1 August 1944: V Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group
5. 17 August 1944: XIX Corps
6. 18 August 1944: VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group
7. 5 September 1944: VIII Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group
8. 22 October 1944: VIII Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group
9. 11 December 1944: V Corps
10. 20 December 1944: Attached, with the entire First Army, to the British 21st Army Group
11. 18 January 1945: V Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group
12. 28 April 1945: VII Corps
13. 1 May 1945: V Corps
14. 6 May 1945: Third Army, 12th Army Group

Narrative

After training in Northern Ireland and Wales from October 1943 to June 1944, the 2nd Infantry Division crossed the channel to land on Omaha Beach on D plus 1 (7 June 1944) near St. Laurent-sur-Mer. Attacking across the Aure River on 10 June, the Division liberated Trévières and proceeded to assault and secure Hill 192, a key enemy strongpoint on the road to Saint-Lô. After three weeks of fortifying the position and by order of Commanding General Walter M. Robertson the order was given to take Hill 192. On 11 July under command of Col.Ralph Wise Zwicker the 38th Infantry Regiment and with the 9th and the 23rd by his side the battle begun at 5:45am. Using an artillery concept used in World War I (Rolling barrage) and with the support of 25,000 rounds of HE/WP that were fired by 8 artillery battalions the hill was taken. Except for 3 days during the Battle of the Bulge, this was the heaviest expenditure of ammunition by the 38th Field Artillery Battalion; And was the only time during the 11 months of combat that 2nd Division Artillery used a rolling barrage.<Axis history forum</ref> The division went on the defensive until 26 July. After exploiting the Saint-Lo breakout, the 2nd Division then advanced across the (Vire) to take (Tinhebray) on 15 August 1944. The division then raced toward (Brest/France), the heavily defended port fortress which happened to be a major port for German U-Boats. After 39 days of fighting the battle was won, and was the first place the Army Air Corps used bunker busting bombs.^{[citation needed]}

The division took a brief rest 19–26 September before moving to defensive positions at St. Vith, Belgium on 29 September 1944. The division entered Germany on 3 October 1944, and the Second was ordered, on 11 December 1944, to attack and seize the Roer River dams. The German Ardennes offensive in mid-December forced the division to withdraw to defensive positions near Elsenborn Ridge, where the German drive was halted. In February 1945 the division attacked, recapturing lost ground, and seized Gemund, 4 March. Reaching the Rhine 9 March, the 2ID advanced south to take Breisig, 10–11 March, and to guard the Remagen bridge, 12–20 March.

The division crossed the Rhine on 21 March and advanced to Hadamar and Limburg an der Lahn, relieving elements of the 9th Armored Division, 28 March. Advancing rapidly in the wake of the 9th Armored, the 2nd Infantry Division crossed the Weser at Veckerhagen, 6–7 April, captured Göttingen 8 April, established a bridgehead across the Saale, 14 April, seizing Merseburg on 15 April. On 18 April the division took Leipzig, mopped up in the area, and outposted the Mulde River; elements which had crossed the river were withdrawn 24 April. Relieved on the Mulde, the 2nd moved 200 miles, 1–3 May, to positions along the German-Czech border near Schonsee and Waldmünchen, where 2 ID relieved the 97th and 99th ID's. The division crossed over to Czechoslovakia on 4 May 1945, and attacked in the general direction of Pilsen, attacking that city on VE Day.

2nd Infantry Division returned to the New York Port of Embarkation on 20 July 1945, and arrived at Camp Swift at Bastrop, Texas on 22 July 1945. They started a training schedule to prepare them to participate in the scheduled invasion of Japan, but they were still at Camp Swift on VJ Day. They then moved to the staging area at Camp Stoneman at Pittsburg, California on 28 March 1946, but the move eastward was canceled, and they received orders to move to Fort Lewis at Tacoma, Washington. They arrived at Fort Lewis on 15 April 1946, which became their home station. From their Fort Lewis base, they conducted Arctic, air transportability, amphibious, and maneuver training.

World War II honors

Campaign participation credit

• Normandy
• Northern France
• Rhineland
• Ardennes-Alsace
• Central Europe
• Days of combat: 303

Awards and decorations

• Distinguished Unit Citations: 16
• Medals of Honor: 6
• Distinguished Service Crosses: 34
• Distinguished Service Medals: 1
• Silver Stars: 741
• Legion of Merits: 25
• Soldier Medals: 14
• Bronze Stars: 5,530
• Air Medals: 89

Casualties

• Killed in action: 3,031
• Wounded in action: 12,785
• Died of wounds: 457

Korean War

With the outbreak of hostilities in Korea during the summer of 1950, the 2nd Infantry Division was quickly alerted for movement to the Far East Command. The division arrived in Korea, via Pusan on 23 July, becoming the first unit to reach Korea directly from the United States.^{[citation needed]} Initially employed piecemeal, the entire division was committed as a unit on 24 August 1950, relieving the 24th Infantry Division at the Naktong River Line. The first big test came when the North Koreans struck in a desperate human wave attack on the night of 31 August. In the 16-day battle that followed, the division's clerks, bandsmen, technical and supply personnel joined in the fight to defend against the attackers.^{[citation needed]}

2nd Infantry Division soldiers in action during the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River in late November 1950.

Shortly thereafter, the 2ID was the first unit to break out of the Pusan Perimeter and they led the Eighth Army drive to the Manchurian Border. The Division was within fifty miles of the Manchurian border when Chinese forces entered the fight. During the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River, soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division were given the mission of protecting the rear and right flank of the Eighth Army as it retired to the South. After this battle, while surrounded and outgunned, the division had to fight it's way south through what was to become known as "The Gauntlet" - a Chinese roadblock 6 miles long where the 23rd Infantry Regiment fired off its stock of 3,206 artillery shells within 20 minutes, and the massive barrage shocked the Chinese troops from following the regiment. This fighting around Kunu-ri cost the division nearly one third of its remaining strength.^{[citation needed]}

The Chinese winter offensive was finally blunted by the 2nd Infantry Division on 31 January at Wonju. Taking up the offensive in a two-prong attack in February 1951, the division repulsed a powerful Chinese counter-offensive in the epic battles of Chipyong-ni and Wonju. The United Nations front was saved and the general offensive continued.^{[citation needed]}

Again in April and May 1951, the 2nd Infantry Division was instrumental in smashing the communists' spring offensive. For its part in this action the 2nd Infantry Division was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. What followed were alternating periods of combat and rest, with the division participating in the Battle of Bloody Ridge and Battle of Heartbreak Ridge. Finally, on 9 April 1954, the division was moved to a rear area near Ing-ching-gwee and on 20 August 1954, four years after its last unit arrived in Korea, the 2ID was alerted for re-deployment to the United States.^{[citation needed]}

Korean War honors

Awards and decorations

An M4 Sherman tank of the 2nd Infantry firing on enemy positions in 1952

• Medals of Honor: 18
  • 9th Infantry Regiment
    • Loren R. Kaufman (4 and 5 September 1950)
    • Edward C. Krzyzowski (31 August 1, 2 and 3 September 1951)
    • Joseph R. Ouellette (31 August 1, 2 and 3 September 1950)
    • David M. Smith (1 September 1950)
    • Luther H. Story (1 September 1950)
    • Travis E. Watkins (31 August 1, 2 and 3 September 1950)
  • 23rd Infantry Regiment
    • Junior D. Edwards (2 January 1951)
    • Hubert L. Lee (1 February 1951)
    • Herbert K. Pililaau (17 September 1951)
    • John A. Pittman (26 November 1950)
    • William S. Sitman (14 February 1951)
  • 38th Infantry Regiment
    • Tony K. Burris (8 and 9 October 1951)
    • Frederick F. Henry (1 September 1950)
    • Charles R. Long (12 February 1951)
    • Ronald E. Rosser (12 January 1952)
  • 15th Field Artillery Battalion
    • Lee R. Hartell (27 August 1951)
  • 2nd Reconnaissance Company
    • Charles W. Turner (1 September 1950)
  • A Company, 72nd Tank Bn
    • MSG Ernest R. Kouma (1 September 1950)

Casualties

• 7,094 killed in action
• 16,575 wounded in action
• 338 died of wounds

Reorganization

In the summer of 1954 the 2nd Infantry Division was transferred from Korea to Fort Lewis, Washington, where it remained for only two years, until being transferred to Fort Richardson, Alaska in August 1956. On 8 November 1957, it was announced that the division was to be deactivated. However, a few short months later, in the spring of 1958, the Department of the Army announced that the 2nd Infantry Division would be reorganized at Fort Benning, Georgia, with personnel and equipment of the 10th Infantry Division returning from Germany. Fort Benning remained the home of the new 2nd Infantry Division from 1958 to 1965, where they were initially assigned the mission of a training division. To improve combat readiness, in March 1962 the 2ID was designated as a Strategic Army Corps (STRAC) unit. Following this the division became engaged in intensified combat training, tactical training, and field training exercises, in addition to special training designed to improve operational readiness.

Back to Korea

As a result of the formation of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) at Fort Benning in 1965, the 2nd Infantry Division's stateside unit, along with 11th Air Assault Division's personnel and equipment, were merged to form a new formation, and the existing 1st Cavalry Division in Korea took on the title of the 2nd Infantry Division. Thus the division formally returned to Korea in July 1965. From 1966 onwards North Korean forces were engaging in increasing border incursions and infiltration attempts and the 2nd Infantry Division was called upon to help halt these attacks. On 2 November 1966, soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 23d Infantry Regiment were killed in an ambush by North Korean forces. In 1967 enemy attacks in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) increased, as a result, 16 American soldiers were killed that year.

In 1968 the 2nd Infantry Division was headquartered at Tonggu Ri and responsible for watching over a portion of the DMZ. In 1968 North Koreans continued to probe across the DMZ, and in 1969, while on patrol, four soldiers of 3d Battalion, 23d Infantry were killed. On 18 August 1976, during a routine tree-trimming operation within the DMZ, two American officers of the Joint Security Force (Joint Security Area) were axed to death in a melee with North Korean border guards called the Axe Murder Incident. On 21 August, following the deaths, the 2nd Infantry Division supported the United Nations Command in "Operation Paul Bunyan" to cut down the "Panmunjeom Tree". This effort was conducted by Task Force Brady (named after the 2nd ID Commander) in support of Task Force Vierra (named after the Joint Security Area Battalion commander).

The 2nd Infantry Division is still stationed in Korea, with a number of camps near the DMZ. Command headquarters are at Camp Red Cloud in Uijeongbu.

Korean schoolgirls highway fatality incident

Main article: Yangju highway incident

On June 13, 2002, a 2ID armored vehicle struck and killed two 14-year-old South Korean schoolgirls on the Yangju highway as the vehicle was returning to base in Uijeongbu after training maneuvers. Sergeants Mark Walker and Fernando Nino, the two soldiers involved, were found not guilty of negligent homicide in a subsequent General Court-martial. The deaths and court-martial was the subject of anti-American sentiment in South Korea.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

2ID soldiers patrolling in Baghdad.

From November 2003 to November 2004, the 3rd Brigade Stryker Brigade Combat Team deployed from Fort Lewis, Washington in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the sands of Iraq the 3rd Brigade Stryker Brigade Combat Team proved the value of the Stryker brigade concept in combat and logistics operations.^{[citation needed]}

During the late spring of 2004, many of the soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division's 2d Brigade Combat Team were given notice that they were about to be ordered to further deployment, with duty in Iraq. Units involved in this call-up included: 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Air Assault); 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment (Air Assault); 2d Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment; 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized); 44th Engineer Battalion; 2nd Forward Support Battalion; Company A, 102nd Military Intelligence Battalion; Company B, 122nd Signal Battalion, elements of the 2d Battalion, 72nd Armor Regiment, a team from the 509th Personnel Services Battalion, and B Battery 5th Battalion 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (Deployed as a combination of mechanized infantry and light infantry with two platoons of Bradley Fighting Vehicles and 1 platoon of armored HMMWVs). The time of the first notice of deployment to the actual "wheels-up" exit of the peninsula was very short. As such, an extreme amount of training was conducted by the brigade as they switched from a focus of the foreign defense of South Korea to the more offensive operations that were going to be needed in action in Iraq. Furthermore, time was given for the majority of the soldiers to enjoy ten days of leave. This was vital: many of the soldiers had been in South Korea for a year or more with only two weeks or less time in the United States during their stay of duty. More, they were about to depart on a deployment that was scheduled to last at least another year. Finally, in the beginning of August 2004, the brigade deployed to Iraq.

U.S. soldiers take cover during a firefight with insurgents in the Al Doura section of Baghdad 7 March 2007

Upon landing in country, the 2d BCT was given strategic command to much of the sparsely populated area south and west of Fallujah. Their mission, however, changed when the major strategic actions began to take place within the city proper. At this time, the brigade combat team was refocused and given control of the eastern half of the volatile city of Ar-Ramadi. Within a few weeks of taking over operational control from the previous units, 2n Brigade began experiencing violent activity that began the WIA and KIA toll. Many of the units had to physically move to new camps in support of this new mission. The primary focus of the 2d BCT for much of their deployment was the struggle to gain local support and to minimize casualties.

The brigade was spread out amongst many camps. To the west of the city of Ar-Ramadi sat the camp of Junction City. 2ID units stationed there included: HQ 2d BCT, 2nd ID; 2–17th Field Artillery; 1–9th Infantry; 44th Engineer Battalion; Company A, 102d Military Intelligence Battalion; Company B, 122d Signal Battalion, and Company C (Medical), 2d Forward Support Battalion. To the eastern end of the city sat a much more austere camp, known ironically as the Combat Outpost. This was home to the 1-503d Infantry Regiment. East of them but outside of the city proper itself was the town of Habbiniya and the 1–506th Infantry Regiment. Adjacent to this camp was the logistically important camp of Al-Taqaddum, where the 2d Forward Support Battalion was stationed.

For this mission, the brigade fell under the direct command not of the 2d Infantry Division, but rather the Marine unit that was in control at the time. For the first six months while in Ramadi, the BCT fell under to the 1st Marine Division. For the second half of the deployment, they were attached to the 2nd Marine Division. While the Marines do not wear unit patches on their uniforms, the units of the 2d BCT involved are authorized to now wear any of the following combat patches: the 2nd Infantry Division patch, the 1st Marine Division unit patch or the 2nd Marine Division unit patch.^{[citation needed]}

SGT Karl King and PFC David Valenzuela lay down cover fire behind the cover of a Stryker vehicle while their squad maneuvers down a street in Al Doura, Iraq, on 7 March 2007. The soldiers are from Company C, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd BCT, 2nd Infantry Division.

The 2d Brigade Combat Team was in action in the city of Ramadi for many historical events but most notably the Iraqi national elections of January 2005. Much manpower and effort was put into stabilizing the city for this event. While the voting went off without a hitch and little to no violence was seen within the city, a minimal amount of voters participated (estimated to be in the 700 person range for the eastern half of the city, according to 2nd BCT officials). While the numbers left something to be desired, the BCT noted the lack of violence as a sign of success.^{[citation needed]}

The 2d BCT also left its mark on the area in other ways. They built several new camps within the city. For security reasons, many are left unverified, however ones that can be confirmed include Camps Trotter and Corregidor built to ease the burden on the accommodations at Combat Outpost.

In July 2005, the brigade began to get relieved by units of the United States National Guard, as well as the 3d Infantry Division of the Regular Army. Six months into the deployment, the units of the 2d BCT were given word that they would not be returning to South Korea but, rather, to Fort Carson, Colorado in an effort to restructure the Army and house more soldiers on American soil.

From June 2006 to September 2007, the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team deployed from Fort Lewis, Washington in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the 3rd Stryker Brigade's second deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom their mission was to assist the Iraqi security forces with counter-insurgency operations in the Ninewa Province. 46 soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment.

On 1 June 2006 at Fort Lewis, Washington the 4th Brigade, 2d Infantry Division was formed. From April 2007 to July 2008 the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team was deployed in as part of the surge to regain control of the situation in Iraq. The brigade assumed responsibility for the area north of Baghdad and the Diyala province. 35 soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment.

From October 2006 to January 2008, the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team deployed from Fort Carson, Colorado in support of the Multi-National Division – Baghdad (1st Cavalry Division) and was responsible for assisting the Iraqi forces to become self-reliant, bringing down the violence and insurgency levels and supporting the rebuilding of the Iraqi infrastructure. 43 soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment.

SSG Christopher B. Waiters of the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3d Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on 23 October 2008 for his actions on 5 April 2007 when he was a Specialist. Shortly after SPC Erik Oropeza of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division was also awarded the DSC for his actions on 22 May 2007. Thus the division will be credited with the 17th and 18th Distinguished Service Cross awardings since 1975.

The 2nd Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq in the fall of 2009.

3rd Brigade deployed to Iraq 4 August 2009 for the brigade's third deployment to Iraq, the most of any Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT).

War in Afghanistan

On 17 February 2009, President Barack Obama ordered 4,000 soldiers that are part of 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team to Afghanistan, along with 8,000 Marines. Soldiers are being sent there because of the worsening situation in the Afghan War. These soldiers were deployed in the southeast, on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. During deployment, 35 soldiers were killed in combat, six others were killed in accidents, and 239 were wounded. In July 2010, the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team was inactivated and reflagged as the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The Brigade's Special Troops Battalion was also inactivated and reflagged and the rest of the subordinate units were reassigned to the reactivated 2nd SBCT.

3rd SBCT deployed in December 2011 and served in Afghanistan for one-year. 16 soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment. They were joined by their sister Stryker brigade, the 2nd SBCT in the spring The 4th Stryker BCT also deployed to its first deplyment to the country in fall 2012.

Rogue "kill team" criminal charges

Main article: FOB Ramrod kill team

During the summer of 2010, the US Military charged five members of the 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment with the formation of a "kill team" which staged three separate murders of Afghan civilians in Kandahar province. In addition, seven soldiers were also charged with crimes including hashish use, impeding an investigation and attacking a whistle blowing private who alerted MP's during an initially unrelated investigation into hashish use by members of the 3rd Platoon. The alleged ringleader was Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs.

• On 15 January 2010, Gul Mudin was killed “by means of throwing a fragmentary grenade at him and shooting him with a rifle,” an action carried out by SPC Jeremy Morlock and PFC Andrew Holmes under the direction of Gibbs. Morlock allegedly told Holmes, age 19 and on his first tour of duty, that the killing was carried out for fun.
• On 22 February Gibbs and SPC Michael S. Wagnon allegedly shot the second victim, Marach Agha, and placed a Kalashnikov next to the body to justify the killing.
• On 2 May Mullah Adadhdad was killed after being shot and attacked with a grenade. SPC Adam C. Winfield and Gibbs were allegedly the perpetrators.

Christopher Winfield, the father of platoon member SPC Adam Winfield, attempted to alert the Army of the kill team's existence after his son explained the situation from Afghanistan via a Facebook chat. In response to the news from his son, Winfield called the Army inspector general's 24-hour hotline, the office of Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), and a sergeant at Joint Base Lewis-McChord who told him to call the Army Criminal Investigation Division. He then contacted the Fort Lewis command center and spoke to a sergeant on duty who agreed that SPC Winfield was in potential danger but that he had to report the crime to his superiors before the Army could take action.

Locations

• Camp Red Cloud (Division Command) – Uijeongbu City
  • Camp Casey – Dongducheon City, 45 miles north of Seoul; 17 miles south of DMZ
  • Camp Hovey – adjacent to Camp Casey
  • Camp Castle – near Camp Casey
  • Camp Mobile – adjacent to Camp Casey
  • Camp Stanley – part of Camp Red Cloud garrison
  • Camp Humphreys – near Pyeongtaek City, South of Seoul
  • Fort Lewis – Tacoma, Washington
  • Fort Carson – Colorado Springs, Colorado (1st Battalion 2nd Aviation Regiment ATTACK)

Current structure

2nd Infantry Division Order of Battle.

1st Brigade Combat Team

Heavy Brigade Combat Team ("Iron Brigade") based at Camp Hovey, South Korea

• Special Troops Battalion
• 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment
• 1st Battalion, 72nd Armor Regiment
• 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment
• 1st Battalion, 15th Field Artillery
• 302nd Brigade Support Battalion
• 23rd Chemical Battalion

2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team

Based at Fort Lewis, Washington

• Headquarters Company
• 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment (Stryker)
• 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment (Stryker)
• 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment (Stryker)
• 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment (RSTA)
• 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment
• 2nd Brigade Support Battalion
• Company A, 52nd Infantry Regiment (Anti-Tank)
• 562nd Engineer Company
• 21st Signal Company
• 572nd Military Intelligence Company (Commanded by 8-1 CAV)

3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team

Based at Fort Lewis, Washington

• Headquarters Company
• 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment (Stryker)
• 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment (Stryker)
• 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment (Stryker)
• 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment (RSTA)
• 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment
• 296th Brigade Support Battalion
• Company C, 52nd Infantry Regiment (Anti-Tank)
• 18th Engineer Company
• 334th Signal Company
• 209th Military Intelligence Company

4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team

Inactivating in 2013. Based at Fort Lewis, Washington

• Headquarters Company
• 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment (Stryker)
• 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment (Stryker)
• 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment (Stryker)
• 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment (RSTA)
• 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment
• 702nd Support Battalion
• Company F, 52nd Infantry Regiment (Anti-Tank)
• 38th Engineer Company
• 472nd Signal Company
• 45th Military Intelligence Company

Combat Aviation Brigade

Helicopters of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea, March 2007.

Combat aviation brigade ("Talon Brigade") based at Camp Humphreys, South Korea

• Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) – "Warrior Knights"
• 2nd Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment (Assault) (UH −60) – "Wild Card"
• 3rd Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment (General Support) – "Nightmare" (CH-47D, UH-60)
• 4th Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment (Reconnaissance & Attack) (AH-64D) – "Death Dealer"
• 164th Air Traffic Services Group
• 602nd Support Battalion (Aviation) – "Warhorse"

210th Fires Brigade

The 210th Fires Brigade, based at Camp Casey, South Korea, is a separate artillery brigade under the division's operational control.

• HHB 210th Fires Brigade
• 6th Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment (MLRS)
• 1st Battalion, 38th Field Artillery Regiment (MLRS)
• 70th Brigade Support Battalion
• Battery F, 333rd Field Artillery Regiment (Target Acquisition)
• 579th Signal Company

Sources

• McGrath, John J. (2004). The Brigade: A History: Its Organization and Employment in the US Army. Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-4404-4915-4. 
• Stanton, Shelby, World War II Order of Battle: An Encyclopedic Reference to U.S. Army Ground Forces from Battalion through Division, 1939–1946 (Revised Edition, 2006), Stackpole Books ISBN 0-8117-0157-3

External links

• 2 ID official website
• "From D+1 to 105: The Story of the 2nd Infantry Division" (World War II unit history booklet)
• 3rd Brigade / 2nd Infantry Division homepage
• 2nd US Infantry Division World War II in Normandy Combat Film DVD
• 2nd Infantry Division in Europe World War II Combat Film DVD August–October 1944
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