U.S. 12th Infantry Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 12th Infantry Regiment is one of the oldest and most decorated units of the United States Army
. The 12th Regiment has fought in seven wars from the Civil War
to the Global War on Terrorism and has been awarded four Presidential Unit Citation
s, five Valorous Unit Award
s and the Belgian Fourragere.
were fired at Fort Sumter
in South Carolina
, the 12th Infantry Regiment was reconstituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army
as the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry. It was organized 20 October 1861 at Fort Hamilton
in New York. The Battalion saw extensive combat during the Civil War, participating in twelve campaigns with the Army of the Potomac
.
During the Peninsula Campaign
, the 12th Infantry distinguished itself in its first combat action at the Battle of Gaines' Mill
in June 1862, while sustaining fifty percent casualties. The regiment also participated in such historic battles as Antietam
, Fredericksburg
, Chancellorsville
, Gettysburg
and six additional campaigns culminating with the Siege of Petersburg
, Virginia
, from late summer 1864 through April 1865 and the war's end.
tribe in California during 1872-1873, against the Bannocks
in the Northwest in 1878, and against the Sioux
at Pine Ridge, South Dakota from 1890-91. During these campaigns, six Warriors won the Congressional Medal of Honor.
, in June 1898, and participated in the storming of the Spanish fortress in the Battle of El Caney
, where the 12th had the distinction of capturing the Spanish colors.
At the conclusion of the War with Spain, the Regiment was immediately deployed in February 1899 to the Philippine Islands to reinforce other Army units fighting elements of the Filipino Army that resisted the United States after they defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Manila
. There, the Regiment participated in three campaigns (Malolos, Tarlac, and Luzon 1899) of what was to be known as the Philippine-American War
and then served as garrison troops, not returning to the United States until 1912.
, but was not sent overseas in World War I
. The Regiment remained assigned to the 8th Division until 15 August 1927 when it was reassigned to the 4th Division
. During May–July, 1932, 12th IR and 3rd Cavalry Regiment participated in the ejection of the Bonus Army
marchers from Washington, D.C.
The 12th was once again reassigned to the 8th Division on 1 October 1933 and stationed at Fort Howard
, Maryland. On 10 October 1941 the Regiment was transferred to Fort Benning
, Georgia, and assigned to the 4th Motorized Division
.
, 6 June 1944, the 12th Infantry saw its first action of the war when, as part of the 4th Infantry Division, it spearheaded the assault landing on Utah Beach
. Between 9 and 12 August 1944, the Regiment engaged and destroyed the famed SS Adolph Hitler Panzer Division. The Regiment fought in five European campaigns through France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. The 12th Infantry was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation
for valor in action at Luxembourg
during the Battle of the Bulge
. The Regiment was also awarded the Belgian Fourragere. After Germany's surrender, the 12th Infantry, along with the 4th Infantry Division, returned to the United States on 12 July 1945 and was inactivated 27 February 1946 at Camp Butner
, North Carolina. During this time famed author J. D. Salinger
served with the unit.
, California. In July 1951, the 4th Division was returned to line status and rotated to Germany as part of Operation Gyroscope
. In 1956, the Division returned to the United States and was stationed at Fort Lewis
, Washington.
In 1957, the Army decided that in the era of battlefield atomic weapons, tactical infantry regiments were obsolete. To preserve the historic infantry regiments the Army set up the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) whereby the line companies of a regiment would form new elements of the regiment. The 12th Infantry was selected as one of the historic regiments to be preserved. On 1 August 1957, Company A was redesignated and activated as Headquarters Company, 1st Battle Group, 12th Infantry (with organic companies of the battle group constituted and activated) and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. Company B formed the 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry assigned in Germany to the 8th Infantry Division until 1959 when it was reassigned to the 1st Infantry Division also in Germany. Company C was allocated to the Army Reserves and formed the 3rd Battle Group, 12th Infantry assigned to the 79th Infantry Division
.
By the time the Berlin Wall
went up in August 1961, the 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry along with the rest of the 1st Infantry Division had been transferred back to Fort Riley
, Kansas. To reinforce NATO, the 1st Division was directed to begin Operation Long Trust whereby the individual battle groups were rotated on temporary duty to West Germany. In July 1962, the 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry was airlifted to West Germany where it undertook several months of tactical training and testing at Wildflecken
, West Germany. It was then ordered to proceed to Berlin overland through East Germany using the Helmstedt
-Berlin autobahn to test the Warsaw Pact's willingness to allow NATO forces to continue to use it. Arriving without incident in Berlin to reinforce the U.S. Army's Berlin Brigade, the 2nd Battle Group was quartered at Andrews and McNair Barracks
. Because of the ongoing Cuban missile crisis
, the battle group was almost on constant alert in October 1962. The 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry's tour of duty in Berlin contributed significantly to NATO's ability to resist the aggressive stance of the Warsaw Pact and in keeping the Cold War from becoming World War III.
In 1963, the Army concluded that the battle group was not the answer and reorganized the infantry and airborne divisions into a quasi-regimental structure of three brigades of three infantry battalions each. Consequently on 1 October 1963, the 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry was reorganized and redesignated as the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry and reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado where it joined the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 12th Infantry.
in III Corps while the rest of the 4th Division was assigned to the Vietnamese Highlands in II Corps alongside the 3rd Brigade of the 25th Division which had arrived in December, 1965. On 1 August 1967, the two divisions swapped 3rd Brigades. Subsequently, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry served with the 25th through 10 of the Battalion's 11 Vietnam campaigns and received the Presidential Unit Citation
for gallantry in action at Suoi Tre. As part of the U.S. draw-down, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry was returned to Fort Lewis
, WA, and inactivated on 17 April 1971.
The 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry was activated and assigned to the 199th Light Infantry Brigade in June 1966 and went with the Brigade to Vietnam
where it was based at Long Binh
near Saigon. In November 1967, the 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry was activated at Fort Lewis, WA and sent to Vietnam to join the 199th Brigade. This made the 12th Infantry unique in that the Regiment had more battalions deployed in Vietnam than any other infantry regiment. In October 1970, the 4th and 5th Battalions returned to Fort Benning
, Georgia and were inactivated. The 1st and 3rd Battalions returned in December 1970 with the 4th Division to Fort Carson, CO. Three soldiers from the 1st Battalion, two soldiers from the 4th Battalion, and one soldier from the 5th Battalion, were awarded the Medal of Honor.
By the early 1990s, the Army draw-down and its expanding worldwide peace-keeping commitments led to a decision to scrap the unit replacement concept before it was fully implemented. The 3rd and 4th Battalions were transferred to the 1st Armored Division and served in Bosnia before being inactivated in Germany in 1997.
as a part of Operation Sea Signal
. The Second battalion was then re-designated as the First in 1996,after having soldiers from the de-activated First battalion added to their ranks.
at Fort Carson. The 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment deployed with the 3d Brigade Combat Team in March 2003, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I. The 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment redeployed back to Fort Carson in March 2004. As a result of transformation of the brigade, elements of the battalion were changed to a cavalry
squadron, the 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment in November, 2004. 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment was re-activated at Fort Hood as part of the 4th ID's 4th Brigade Combat Team and deployed to Baghdad
, Iraq
, in fall of 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were replaced in the fall of 2006 by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division based out of Fort Carson. This unit was temporarily assigned to 1st Cavalry Division which the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment was attached to until February 2007 when the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division was assigned tactical control of Baghdad
. 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry regiment and 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry regiment are currently assigned to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.
In May 2009, 1st and 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4BCT, 4ID, deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. 1st Battalion was based in the Arghandab River valley, west of Kandahar city for the latter 8 months of their deployment. Referred to as the "Heart of Darkness" due to it having been the birth place of the Taliban Regime, and also due to the complexity of the mission in their Area of Operations. Much of their fighting was conducted in notoriously dense grapefields, which provided excellent cover and concealment for insurgent forces.The 2nd battalion was based in The Pech River Valley, Kunar Province, home to the Korengal, Waygal,Shuriak, and Wata Pour Valleys. During their time in Pech valley the 2nd Battalion saw heavy fighting through out the valley. In June 2010, Task Force 1-12 and Lethal Warrior(2-12), 4BCT, 4ID redeployed to Fort Carson, CO after a successful 12 month combat deployment in Afghanistan
.
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...
. The 12th Regiment has fought in seven wars from the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
to the Global War on Terrorism and has been awarded four Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
s, five Valorous Unit Award
Valorous Unit Award
The Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...
s and the Belgian Fourragere.
Civil War
Less than a month after the first shots of the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
were fired at Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, the 12th Infantry Regiment was reconstituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
as the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry. It was organized 20 October 1861 at Fort Hamilton
Fort Hamilton
Historic Fort Hamilton is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst, and is one of several posts that are part of the region which is headquartered by the Military District of Washington...
in New York. The Battalion saw extensive combat during the Civil War, participating in twelve campaigns with the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
.
During the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
, the 12th Infantry distinguished itself in its first combat action at the Battle of Gaines' Mill
Battle of Gaines' Mill
The Battle of Gaines's Mill, sometimes known as the First Battle of Cold Harbor or the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War...
in June 1862, while sustaining fifty percent casualties. The regiment also participated in such historic battles as Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
, Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
and six additional campaigns culminating with the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, from late summer 1864 through April 1865 and the war's end.
Indian Wars
The Battalion was reorganized and redesignated as the 12th Infantry Regiment on 7 December 1866. In the 1870s, the Regiment took part in three campaigns of the Indian Wars; against the ModocModoc War
The Modoc War, or Modoc Campaign , was an armed conflict between the Native American Modoc tribe and the United States Army in southern Oregon and northern California from 1872–1873. The Modoc War was the last of the Indian Wars to occur in California or Oregon...
tribe in California during 1872-1873, against the Bannocks
Bannock War
The Bannock War was a series of conflicts in 1878 between various Bannock, Northern Shoshone and Paiute tribes against the United States.- Background :...
in the Northwest in 1878, and against the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
at Pine Ridge, South Dakota from 1890-91. During these campaigns, six Warriors won the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Spanish-American War and Philippine-American War
During the Spanish–American War, the 12th Infantry was sent to CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, in June 1898, and participated in the storming of the Spanish fortress in the Battle of El Caney
Battle of El Caney
The Battle of El Caney was fought on July 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War.-Background:At El Caney, Cuba, 514 Spanish regular soldiers, together with approximately 100 armed Spanish loyalists under the command of General Joaquín Vara de Rey were instructed to hold the northwest flank of...
, where the 12th had the distinction of capturing the Spanish colors.
At the conclusion of the War with Spain, the Regiment was immediately deployed in February 1899 to the Philippine Islands to reinforce other Army units fighting elements of the Filipino Army that resisted the United States after they defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Manila
Battle of Manila (1898)
The Battle of Manila was a short land engagement between the United States and Spain at the end of the Spanish-American War, which occurred a couple of months after the pivotal American victory during the naval Battle of Manila Bay...
. There, the Regiment participated in three campaigns (Malolos, Tarlac, and Luzon 1899) of what was to be known as the Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
and then served as garrison troops, not returning to the United States until 1912.
Garrison Duty
On 17 December 1917 the 12th Infantry was assigned to the 8th DivisionU.S. 8th Infantry Division
The 8th Infantry Division, was an infantry division of the United States Army during the 20th Century. The division served in World War I, World War II, and Operation Desert Storm. Initially activated in January 1918, the unit did not see combat during World War I and returned to the United States...
, but was not sent overseas in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The Regiment remained assigned to the 8th Division until 15 August 1927 when it was reassigned to the 4th Division
U.S. 4th Infantry Division
The 4th Infantry Division is a modular division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado, with four brigade combat teams. It is a very technically advanced combat division in the U.S. Army....
. During May–July, 1932, 12th IR and 3rd Cavalry Regiment participated in the ejection of the Bonus Army
Bonus Army
The Bonus Army was the popular name of an assemblage of some 43,000 marchers—17,000 World War I veterans, their families, and affiliated groups—who gathered in Washington, D.C., in the spring and summer of 1932 to demand immediate cash-payment redemption of their service certificates...
marchers from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The 12th was once again reassigned to the 8th Division on 1 October 1933 and stationed at Fort Howard
Fort Howard (Maryland)
Fort Howard is the name of a former military installation in Baltimore County, Maryland, near the present-day settlement of Fort Howard.This park's historical significance is its connection with the War of 1812 and largest invasion of the United States in history on the morning of September 12, 1814...
, Maryland. On 10 October 1941 the Regiment was transferred to Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia, and assigned to the 4th Motorized Division
U.S. 4th Infantry Division
The 4th Infantry Division is a modular division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado, with four brigade combat teams. It is a very technically advanced combat division in the U.S. Army....
.
World War II
The 12th Infantry Regiment was reorganized as a motorized infantry regiment on 29 September 1942. Less than a year later, on 1 August 1943, the 12th was reorganized as a standard infantry regiment when the 4th Division was converted from motorized to dismounted infantry. The Regiment along with the rest of the 4th Infantry Division arrived in England on 29 January 1944. On D-DayD-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, 6 June 1944, the 12th Infantry saw its first action of the war when, as part of the 4th Infantry Division, it spearheaded the assault landing on Utah Beach
Utah Beach
Utah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
. Between 9 and 12 August 1944, the Regiment engaged and destroyed the famed SS Adolph Hitler Panzer Division. The Regiment fought in five European campaigns through France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. The 12th Infantry was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
for valor in action at Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. The Regiment was also awarded the Belgian Fourragere. After Germany's surrender, the 12th Infantry, along with the 4th Infantry Division, returned to the United States on 12 July 1945 and was inactivated 27 February 1946 at Camp Butner
Camp Butner
Camp Butner was a United States Army installation in Butner, North Carolina during World War II. It was named after Army General Henry W. Butner....
, North Carolina. During this time famed author J. D. Salinger
J. D. Salinger
Jerome David Salinger was an American author, best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, as well as his reclusive nature. His last original published work was in 1965; he gave his last interview in 1980....
served with the unit.
Cold War
On 15 July 1947, the 12th Infantry Regiment was reactivated as a training regiment when 4th Infantry Division was given the mission of basic training at Fort OrdFort Ord
Fort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...
, California. In July 1951, the 4th Division was returned to line status and rotated to Germany as part of Operation Gyroscope
Operation Gyroscope
Operation Gyroscope was a project started by the United States military after World War II that was active 1947-1956. The plan was to ship soldiers out of the U.S. state of California, instead of New York.- German Reconstruction :...
. In 1956, the Division returned to the United States and was stationed at Fort Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Washington.
In 1957, the Army decided that in the era of battlefield atomic weapons, tactical infantry regiments were obsolete. To preserve the historic infantry regiments the Army set up the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) whereby the line companies of a regiment would form new elements of the regiment. The 12th Infantry was selected as one of the historic regiments to be preserved. On 1 August 1957, Company A was redesignated and activated as Headquarters Company, 1st Battle Group, 12th Infantry (with organic companies of the battle group constituted and activated) and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. Company B formed the 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry assigned in Germany to the 8th Infantry Division until 1959 when it was reassigned to the 1st Infantry Division also in Germany. Company C was allocated to the Army Reserves and formed the 3rd Battle Group, 12th Infantry assigned to the 79th Infantry Division
U.S. 79th Infantry Division
The 79th Infantry Division The 79th Infantry Division The 79th Infantry Division ("Cross of Lorraine" was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II.-World War I:*Activated: August 1917*Overseas: July 1918*Major Operations: Meuse-Argonne...
.
By the time the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
went up in August 1961, the 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry along with the rest of the 1st Infantry Division had been transferred back to Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
, Kansas. To reinforce NATO, the 1st Division was directed to begin Operation Long Trust whereby the individual battle groups were rotated on temporary duty to West Germany. In July 1962, the 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry was airlifted to West Germany where it undertook several months of tactical training and testing at Wildflecken
Wildflecken
Wildflecken is a municipality in the Bad Kissingen district, at the border of northeastern Bavaria and southern Hesse. In 2005, its population was 3,285; the postal code is 97772. Wildflecken is in the picturesque Rhön hills and nature-park....
, West Germany. It was then ordered to proceed to Berlin overland through East Germany using the Helmstedt
Helmstedt
Helmstedt is a city located at the eastern edge of the German state of Lower Saxony. It is the capital of the District of Helmstedt. Helmstedt has 26,000 inhabitants . In former times the city was also called Helmstädt....
-Berlin autobahn to test the Warsaw Pact's willingness to allow NATO forces to continue to use it. Arriving without incident in Berlin to reinforce the U.S. Army's Berlin Brigade, the 2nd Battle Group was quartered at Andrews and McNair Barracks
Mcnair Barracks
The McNair Barracks was a US Army installation in Lichterfelde, a locality in southwest Berlin, Germany. The barracks were named after Lieutenant General Lesley J. McNair, an American Army officer who served in World War I and World War II and was killed in an infamous friendly fire incident on...
. Because of the ongoing Cuban missile crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
, the battle group was almost on constant alert in October 1962. The 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry's tour of duty in Berlin contributed significantly to NATO's ability to resist the aggressive stance of the Warsaw Pact and in keeping the Cold War from becoming World War III.
In 1963, the Army concluded that the battle group was not the answer and reorganized the infantry and airborne divisions into a quasi-regimental structure of three brigades of three infantry battalions each. Consequently on 1 October 1963, the 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry was reorganized and redesignated as the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry and reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado where it joined the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 12th Infantry.
Vietnam
The three 12th Infantry battalions deployed to Vietnam with the 4th Division from August through October 1966. The 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, to which the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry was assigned, set up base camp at Dau TiengDau Tieng
Dau Tieng , is a district of Binh Duong Province in the Southeast region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 92,592. The district covers an area of 720 km². The district capital lies at Dầu Tiếng.-References:...
in III Corps while the rest of the 4th Division was assigned to the Vietnamese Highlands in II Corps alongside the 3rd Brigade of the 25th Division which had arrived in December, 1965. On 1 August 1967, the two divisions swapped 3rd Brigades. Subsequently, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry served with the 25th through 10 of the Battalion's 11 Vietnam campaigns and received the Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation (US)
The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
for gallantry in action at Suoi Tre. As part of the U.S. draw-down, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry was returned to Fort Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, WA, and inactivated on 17 April 1971.
The 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry was activated and assigned to the 199th Light Infantry Brigade in June 1966 and went with the Brigade to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
where it was based at Long Binh
Long Binh
Long Binh is a ward, in District 9 of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.-Long Binh Post:During the Vietnam War, Long Binh Post was located near Bien Hoa, Dong Nai province. Vietnam, 33km from Saigon . The base functioned as a U.S. Army base, logistics center, and major command headquarters for United...
near Saigon. In November 1967, the 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry was activated at Fort Lewis, WA and sent to Vietnam to join the 199th Brigade. This made the 12th Infantry unique in that the Regiment had more battalions deployed in Vietnam than any other infantry regiment. In October 1970, the 4th and 5th Battalions returned to Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia and were inactivated. The 1st and 3rd Battalions returned in December 1970 with the 4th Division to Fort Carson, CO. Three soldiers from the 1st Battalion, two soldiers from the 4th Battalion, and one soldier from the 5th Battalion, were awarded the Medal of Honor.
Post Vietnam
The CARS system was replaced by the US Army Regimental System in 1985 when the army contemplated shifting to a unit replacement system. Under the new system four battalions of the 12th Infantry were activated. The 1st and 2nd Battalions were assigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson and the 3rd and 4th Battalions were assigned to the 8th Infantry Division in Germany. The concept was for members of the regiment to spend the majority of their army careers rotating between assignments with regimental battalions at Fort Carson and in Germany.By the early 1990s, the Army draw-down and its expanding worldwide peace-keeping commitments led to a decision to scrap the unit replacement concept before it was fully implemented. The 3rd and 4th Battalions were transferred to the 1st Armored Division and served in Bosnia before being inactivated in Germany in 1997.
Operation Sea Signal
The 1st Battalion 12th Infantry Regiment "Warriors" of the 4th Infantry Division deployed from 29 August 1994 - 25 February 1995 to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in support of Joint Task Force 160 to provide refugee camp security at Camp Alpha, Camp Bravo, Camp Golf, Camp Mike and Camp X-Ray. The unit also served as a Quick Reaction Force to quell any refugee uprisings, built refugee housing camp facilities, escorting refugees for medical treatment, repatriation of Haitian refugees, distribution of food and supplies, and Main Base security. The Regiment was housed in a tent city located on the football field of the base High School. Awards for participation in Joint Task Force 160 include the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. First Battalion was inactivated at Fort Carson in September 1995, after returning from deployment to Guantanamo BayGuantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
as a part of Operation Sea Signal
Operation Sea Signal
Operation Sea Signal was a United States Military humanitarian operation in the Caribbean in response to an influx of Cuban and Haitian migrants attempting to gain asylum in the United States. As a result, the migrants became refugees at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. The operation took place from...
. The Second battalion was then re-designated as the First in 1996,after having soldiers from the de-activated First battalion added to their ranks.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
The 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment was formerly attached to the 3d Brigade Combat Team of the U.S. 4th Infantry DivisionU.S. 4th Infantry Division
The 4th Infantry Division is a modular division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado, with four brigade combat teams. It is a very technically advanced combat division in the U.S. Army....
at Fort Carson. The 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment deployed with the 3d Brigade Combat Team in March 2003, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I. The 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment redeployed back to Fort Carson in March 2004. As a result of transformation of the brigade, elements of the battalion were changed to a cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
squadron, the 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment in November, 2004. 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment was re-activated at Fort Hood as part of the 4th ID's 4th Brigade Combat Team and deployed to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, in fall of 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were replaced in the fall of 2006 by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division based out of Fort Carson. This unit was temporarily assigned to 1st Cavalry Division which the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment was attached to until February 2007 when the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division was assigned tactical control of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry regiment and 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry regiment are currently assigned to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.
Operation Enduring Freedom
In December 2001, Bravo and Charlie Companies from the 1st Battalion deployed to Kuwait in support of Intrinsic Action 01-02 and later in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Elements of other units from within the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division made up the remainder of Task Force 1-12. The task force redeployed to Fort Carson in May 2002.In May 2009, 1st and 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4BCT, 4ID, deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. 1st Battalion was based in the Arghandab River valley, west of Kandahar city for the latter 8 months of their deployment. Referred to as the "Heart of Darkness" due to it having been the birth place of the Taliban Regime, and also due to the complexity of the mission in their Area of Operations. Much of their fighting was conducted in notoriously dense grapefields, which provided excellent cover and concealment for insurgent forces.The 2nd battalion was based in The Pech River Valley, Kunar Province, home to the Korengal, Waygal,Shuriak, and Wata Pour Valleys. During their time in Pech valley the 2nd Battalion saw heavy fighting through out the valley. In June 2010, Task Force 1-12 and Lethal Warrior(2-12), 4BCT, 4ID redeployed to Fort Carson, CO after a successful 12 month combat deployment in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Lineage
Lineage of the 12th Infantry Regiment:- Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry
- Organized 20 October 1861 at Fort HamiltonFort HamiltonHistoric Fort Hamilton is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst, and is one of several posts that are part of the region which is headquartered by the Military District of Washington...
, New York
- Reorganized and redesignated 7 December 1866 as the 12th Infantry
- Abandoned (closed) Fort Abraham LincolnFort Abraham LincolnFort Abraham Lincoln State Park is located seven miles south of Mandan, North Dakota. The park is home to On-A-Slant Indian Village, the blockhouses and the Custer house...
, North Dakota; assigned to Fort Yates, North Dakota, July 1891, Company F
- Abandoned (closed) Fort BennettFort BennettFort Bennett was originally called the Post at Cheyenne River Agency and was established during the Indian wars in the Department of Dakota by the U.S. Army to control the Sioux.-History:...
, South Dakota; assigned to Fort Yates, North Dakota, October 1891, Company A
- Assigned 17 December 1917 to the 8th DivisionU.S. 8th Infantry DivisionThe 8th Infantry Division, was an infantry division of the United States Army during the 20th Century. The division served in World War I, World War II, and Operation Desert Storm. Initially activated in January 1918, the unit did not see combat during World War I and returned to the United States...
- Relieved 15 August 1927 from assignment to the 8th Division and assigned to the 4th DivisionU.S. 4th Infantry DivisionThe 4th Infantry Division is a modular division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado, with four brigade combat teams. It is a very technically advanced combat division in the U.S. Army....
- Relieved 1 October 1933 from assignment to the 4th Division and assigned to the 8th Division
- Relieved 10 October 1941 from assignment to the 8th Division and assigned to the 4th Division (later redesignated as the 4th Infantry Division)
- Inactivated 27 February 1946 at Camp ButnerCamp ButnerCamp Butner was a United States Army installation in Butner, North Carolina during World War II. It was named after Army General Henry W. Butner....
, North Carolina
- Activated 15 July 1947 at Fort OrdFort OrdFort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...
, California
- Relieved 1 April 1957 from assignment to the 4th Infantry Division and reorganized as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS)
- Withdrawn 16 June 1989 from the CARS and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System
- Currently 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment are part of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado
Campaign Participation Credit
- Civil War:
- Peninsula Manassas
- Antietam
- Fredericksburg
- Chancellorsville
- Gettysburg
- Wilderness
- Spotsylvania
- Cold Harbor
- Petersburg
- Virginia 1862
- Virginia 1863
- Indian Wars:
- ModocsModoc WarThe Modoc War, or Modoc Campaign , was an armed conflict between the Native American Modoc tribe and the United States Army in southern Oregon and northern California from 1872–1873. The Modoc War was the last of the Indian Wars to occur in California or Oregon...
- BannocksBannock WarThe Bannock War was a series of conflicts in 1878 between various Bannock, Northern Shoshone and Paiute tribes against the United States.- Background :...
- Pine Ridge
- Spanish-American War:
- Santiago
- Philippine-American War:
- Malolos
- Tarlac
- Luzon 1899
- World War II:
- Normandy (with arrowhead)
- Northern France
- Rhineland
- Ardennes-Alsace
- Central Europe
- Vietnam:
- Counteroffensive, Phase II
- Counteroffensive, Phase III
- Tet Counteroffensive
- Counteroffensive, Phase IV
- Counteroffensive, Phase V
- Counteroffensive, Phase VI
- Tet 69/Counteroffensive
- Summer-Fall 1969
- Winter-Spring 1970
- Sanctuary Counteroffensive
- Counteroffensive, Phase VII
Decorations
- Presidential Unit CitationPresidential Unit Citation (US)The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
(Army) for LUXEMBOURG - Presidential Unit CitationPresidential Unit Citation (US)The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
(Army) for SUOI TRE, VIETNAM - Presidential Unit CitationPresidential Unit Citation (US)The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
(Army) for PLEIKU PROVINCE - Presidential Unit CitationPresidential Unit Citation (US)The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
(Army) for DAK TO DISTRICT - Valorous Unit AwardValorous Unit AwardThe Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...
for PLEIKU PROVINCE - Valorous Unit AwardValorous Unit AwardThe Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...
for CENTRAL HIGHLANDS - Valorous Unit AwardValorous Unit AwardThe Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...
for SAIGON - LONG BINH - Valorous Unit AwardValorous Unit AwardThe Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...
for FISH HOOK - Joint Meritorious Unit AwardJoint Meritorious Unit AwardThe Joint Meritorious Unit Award is a military award that was established on June 4, 1981 by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982...
for Operation Sea Signal (JTF-160) in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - Belgian Fourragere 1940
- Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in BELGIUM
- Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the ARDENNES
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1966-1967
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1967-1968
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1968-1970
- Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1967-1970
- Valorous Unit AwardValorous Unit AwardThe Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...
for KUNAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN