185th Infantry Regiment (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 185th Infantry Regiment is a combat regiment of the United States Army
made up of soldiers from the California Army National Guard
. Only the 1st Battalion
of the regiment remains active. The 185th's higher headquarters is the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
, headquartered in San Diego. Its higher headquarters, in turn, is the 40th Infantry Division
The 2nd Infantry Regiment (less 2nd Battalion, Companies L and M, and Sanitary Detachment) consolidated on 24 September-1 November 1917 with the 5th Infantry Regiment, California National Guard, and the consolidated unit was designated as the 159th Infantry, an element of the 40th Division; demobilized on 1 May 1919 at the Presidio of San Francisco
, CA. The 2nd Battalion, Companies L and M, and Sanitary Detachment, 2nd Infantry Regiment consolidated on 25 September-1 November 1917 with the 7th Infantry Regiment, California National Guard, and the consolidated unit was designated as the 160th Infantry
, an element of the 40th Division; it demobilized on 7 May 1919 at Camp Kearny
in San Diego.
The former central and northern California elements (less San Francisco area) reconstituted and reorganized on 20 October 1924 in the California National Guard as the 184th Infantry, an element of the 40th Division, with Headquarters at Sacramento.
The central California elements (less San Francisco area) was withdrawn, expanded, reorganized, and redesignated on 18 February-1 April 1929 as the 185th Infantry, an element of the 40th Division (later redesignated as the 40th Infantry Division) with headquarters at Fresno
(northern California elements concurrently expanded and reorganized as the 184th; separate lineage).
. The unit was reorganized and federally recognized on 18 November 1946, with Headquarters at Fresno (former 2nd and 3rd Battalions reorganized as the 223rd and 224th Infantry, respectively (separate lineage); and a new 2nd Battalion, 185th Infantry was organized from existing units; 980th Field Artillery Battalion was reorganized, redesignated and Federally recognized on 24 August 1947 as the new 3rd Battalion, 185th Infantry).
The unit was reorganized on 1 May 1959 as the 185th Infantry, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st Battle Group, an element of the 49th Infantry Division; on 1 March 1963 to consist of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, elements of the 49th Infantry Division (the 2nd Battalion was relieved on 4 December 1963 from assignment to the 49th Infantry Division and assigned to the 49th Infantry Brigade
); and on 29 January 1968 to consist of the 2nd Battalion, an element of the 49th Infantry Brigade.
, when it was assigned to guard military bases, airports, and other possible targets of opportunity. In late 2003 the 185th was activated again, this time in the wake of the Invasion of Iraq
. This is not to be confused with the activation of the 185th Armor Regiment
, which was activated at the same time. In 2005, the unit returned from active duty. In 2006, Headquarters Company was activated, and was deployed to Camp Bucca
, Iraq for a year.
It was during the 2006-2007 deployment when the Regiments only death, as of June 2009, occurred. Specialist
Sellen, posthumously promoted to Sergeant, was killed while attached to 16th MP Brigade due to an accidental discharge of a firearm by a fellow soldier.
In 2008, Company C of the Regiment returned to Los Alamitos
after a 7 month deployment to Iraq.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
made up of soldiers from the California Army National Guard
California Army National Guard
The California Army National Guard is the land force component of the California National Guard, one of the reserve component United States Army and is part of the United States National Guard. The California Army National Guard is composed of about 20,000 soldiers...
. Only the 1st Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of the regiment remains active. The 185th's higher headquarters is the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)
The 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is an infantry brigade of the United States Army and the California Army National Guard. In late 2008, the 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was redesignated as the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team without changing its composition.-Order of battle:*1st...
, headquartered in San Diego. Its higher headquarters, in turn, is the 40th Infantry Division
19th Century
The 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment was originally constituted on 22 July 1885 as the 6th Infantry Battalion, California National Guard. The unit was expanded, reorganized, and redesignated on 21 February 1888 as the 6th Infantry Regiment. It was mustered into Federal service on 11 May 1898 at San Francisco as the 6th California Volunteer Infantry; and mustered out on 15 December 1898 at Fort Point, CA. It was reduced and consolidated on 11 May 1907 with the 2nd Infantry Regiment, California National Guard (organized in 1864 as the Sacramento Light Artillery) to form the 2nd Infantry Regiment, California National Guard, with Headquarters at Sacramento.Early 20th Century
The unit was called into Federal service on 15 June 1916 for Mexican border service; mustered into Federal service on 27 June 1916 at Sacramento; and mustered out on 15 November 1916. It was called into federal service on 26 March 1917; and drafted into Federal service on 5 August 1917.The 2nd Infantry Regiment (less 2nd Battalion, Companies L and M, and Sanitary Detachment) consolidated on 24 September-1 November 1917 with the 5th Infantry Regiment, California National Guard, and the consolidated unit was designated as the 159th Infantry, an element of the 40th Division; demobilized on 1 May 1919 at the Presidio of San Francisco
Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
, CA. The 2nd Battalion, Companies L and M, and Sanitary Detachment, 2nd Infantry Regiment consolidated on 25 September-1 November 1917 with the 7th Infantry Regiment, California National Guard, and the consolidated unit was designated as the 160th Infantry
160th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 160th Infantry Regiment is a light infantry regiment of the United States Army. The first Battalion, 160th Infantry, is a component of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team .-History:...
, an element of the 40th Division; it demobilized on 7 May 1919 at Camp Kearny
Camp Kearny
Camp Kearny was a U.S. military base in San Diego, California, on the site of the current Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. It operated from 1917 to 1946.-Establishment and early years:...
in San Diego.
The former central and northern California elements (less San Francisco area) reconstituted and reorganized on 20 October 1924 in the California National Guard as the 184th Infantry, an element of the 40th Division, with Headquarters at Sacramento.
The central California elements (less San Francisco area) was withdrawn, expanded, reorganized, and redesignated on 18 February-1 April 1929 as the 185th Infantry, an element of the 40th Division (later redesignated as the 40th Infantry Division) with headquarters at Fresno
Fresno
Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
(northern California elements concurrently expanded and reorganized as the 184th; separate lineage).
World War II
As part of the United States mobilization during World War II, the 185th Infantry Regiment was federalized at Fresno, California, on 3 March 1941 and moved to Camp San Luis Obispo, California, within two weeks. The regiment trained there for over a year as part of the 40th Division before relocating to Fort Lewis, Washington, on 29 April 1942. From there, the regiment went to San Francisco, California, in August and was shipped to Hawaii the following month. The regiment stayed in Hawaii where it trained in jungle warfare for over a year before being moved forward during January 1944 to the Solomon Islands. From April through December the regiment was employed in combat on New Britain island during the New Britain campaign. Then the regiment landed on Manus Island in December 1944 and invaded the Japanese-held Philippine Islands on 9 January 1945. The regiment participated in various actions of the Philippines Campaign of 1944–45 during the rest of the war, and arrived back at San Francisco, California on 5 April 1946, being inactivated the next day.Cold War
The regiment was relieved on 25 June 1946 from assignment to the 40th Infantry Division, it was assigned on 5 August 1946 to the 49th Infantry Division49th Infantry Division (United States)
The 49th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army formed from the 52nd Infantry Division.The 52nd Infantry Division was activated on 15 August 1946, and was allocated to the State of California as a National Guard division during the post World War II demobilization. The division was...
. The unit was reorganized and federally recognized on 18 November 1946, with Headquarters at Fresno (former 2nd and 3rd Battalions reorganized as the 223rd and 224th Infantry, respectively (separate lineage); and a new 2nd Battalion, 185th Infantry was organized from existing units; 980th Field Artillery Battalion was reorganized, redesignated and Federally recognized on 24 August 1947 as the new 3rd Battalion, 185th Infantry).
The unit was reorganized on 1 May 1959 as the 185th Infantry, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st Battle Group, an element of the 49th Infantry Division; on 1 March 1963 to consist of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, elements of the 49th Infantry Division (the 2nd Battalion was relieved on 4 December 1963 from assignment to the 49th Infantry Division and assigned to the 49th Infantry Brigade
49th Military Police Brigade (United States)
The 49th Military Police Brigade is California’s only Army National Guard Military Police Brigade and is based in Fairfield, California. The 49th’s primary role in California is to provide Defense Support to Civilian Authorities in the northern region of the state...
); and on 29 January 1968 to consist of the 2nd Battalion, an element of the 49th Infantry Brigade.
21st Century
Following the events of September 11th multiple national guard units were activated for various reasons. The 185th was no different with the regiment activated for Operation Noble EagleOperation Noble Eagle
Operation Noble Eagle is the name given to military operations related to homelandsecurity and support to federal, state, and local agencies...
, when it was assigned to guard military bases, airports, and other possible targets of opportunity. In late 2003 the 185th was activated again, this time in the wake of the Invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. This is not to be confused with the activation of the 185th Armor Regiment
185th Armor Regiment (United States)
The 185th Armor Regiment is a combat regiment of the United States Army consisting of soldiers from the California Army National Guard.-Lineage:...
, which was activated at the same time. In 2005, the unit returned from active duty. In 2006, Headquarters Company was activated, and was deployed to Camp Bucca
Camp Bucca
Camp Bucca was a detention facility maintained by the United States military in the vicinity of Umm Qasr, Iraq. As of June 2011, a group of entrepreneurial Iraqis and Americans are re-building Camp Bucca as Basra Gateway, a logistics city and environmentally-friendly industrial hub to lead the new...
, Iraq for a year.
It was during the 2006-2007 deployment when the Regiments only death, as of June 2009, occurred. Specialist
Specialist (rank)
Specialist is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal. Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers...
Sellen, posthumously promoted to Sergeant, was killed while attached to 16th MP Brigade due to an accidental discharge of a firearm by a fellow soldier.
In 2008, Company C of the Regiment returned to Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos Army Airfield
Los Alamitos Army Airfield is a military airport located one mile southeast of central Los Alamitos, and within its city limits, in Orange County, California, USA.- Facilities :Los Alamitos Army Airfield has two runways:...
after a 7 month deployment to Iraq.