Activated in June 1917, the 1st Infantry Division is the oldest division to continuously serve in the Regular Arm. Nicknamed the “Big Red One” because of its eye-catching Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, or unit patch, the 1st Infantry has the distinction of being the first division to fight in World War I, World War II, and in Vietnam. And in all three cases, the division was in the fighting for the long haul, garnering official credit for participation seven WWI campaigns, eight WWII campaigns, and eleven campaigns in Vietnam.
The 1st Infantry Division has also been no stranger to combat in Southwest Asia, earning credit for participation in all three campaigns of the First Gulf War, as well as five during Operation Iraqi Freedom and one during Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2014, the unit’s division headquarters became the first to return to Iraq following the withdrawal of combat forces in 2011, and in 2016 the Army announced that 500 1st Infantry Division HQ Soldiers would be deployed to Iraq to serve as the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command-Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The division’s most recent deployment came in April 2017, when four thousand soldiers from its 2nd Brigade Combat Team were deployed to Europe to replace the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Related Items1st Infantry Division Unit Crest (DUI)
1st Infantry Division Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)