A unit in the Minnesota Army National Guard, the 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment can trace its history back to the Civil War and the organization of the First Minnesota Regiment which holds the honor of being the first volunteer Regiment to present itself to President Abraham Lincoln for service in the Civil War. Its baptism by fire came during the fighting on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, when some 250 Soldiers of the First Minnesota made a determined charge against an Alabama brigade advancing on a vulnerable Union position on Cemetery Ridge, repelling the assault and securing the line.
Today’s 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment was not constituted until 1963 with the Regiment’s reorganization into four Battalions, all elements of the 47th Infantry Division; the 2nd Battalion would retain that status until it was relieved from assignment to the 47th ID in 1991 and reassigned to the 34th Infantry Division. In 1992, the Regiment was reorganized to consist solely of the 2nd Battalion, which was concurrently designated as an element of the 34th Infantry Division.
As of 2021, the unit is assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division. Its most recent deployment came in 2020 when roughly 700 of its Soldiers were deployed to the Horn of Africa in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The Battalion is headquartered in Mankato, Minnesota.
Guidance on the wear of ovals is found
Chapters 21-32 (b) and
22-16 (b) of the January 2021 edition of DA PAM 670-1.