U.S. 1st Armored Division

Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 1st Armored Division, the Old Ironsides.

The 1st Armored Division —nicknamed the Old Ironsides— is an armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Wiesbaden, Germany. It was the first armored division of the U.S. Army to see battle in WWII.

Command and Staff

This division is part of the U.S. V Corps (technically), or is directly subordinate to the 7th US Army, USAREUR (in certain cases). As of July 2004 its command personnel include:

Commander: Major General Martin E. Dempsey
Chief of Staff: Colonel Jackson L. Flake
Command Sergeant Major: Command Sergeant Major Michael Bush

Subunits

HHC (Headquarters): 2 M577 Command Post Carrier

1st Brigade "Ready First Brigade"

HHC: 6 M577 Command Post Carrier

1-36th Infantry "Spartans": 58 M2 BFV

1-37th Armored "Bandits": 44 M1A1 Abrams MBT

2-37th Armored "Dukes": 44 M1A1 Abrams MBT

2-3rd Field Artillery "Gunners": 18 M109A6 Paladin SP Howitzer & 15 M981 FISTV

16th Engineer Battalion "Catamounts"

501st Forward Support Battalion "Providers"

2nd "Iron" Brigade

HHC: 6 M577 Command Post Carrier

1-6th Infantry "The Regulars": 58 M2 BFV

2-6th Infantry "The Regulars": 58 M2 BFV

1-35th Armored "Conqueror": 44 M1A1 Abrams MBT

4-27th Field Artillery "Iron Thunder": 18 M109 Paladin SP Howitzer

40th Engineer Battalion "Battering Rams"

47th Forward Support Battalion "Modern Pioneers"

3rd Brigade "Bulldogs"

HHC: 6 M577 Command Post Carrier

1-41st Infantry: 58 M2 BFV

1-13th Armor: 58 M-1 Abrams MBT

2-70th Armor "Thunderbolts": 58 M-1 Abrams MBT

4-1st Field Artillery

70th Engineer Battalion

125th Forward Support Battalion

C/1-4th Air Defense Artillery

596th Signal Company

4th Brigade "Iron Eagle"

1-1 Cavalry "Blackhawks": 27 M-1 Abrams MBT, 39 M3 CFV, and AH-1 Cobra Assault Helicopter

1-501st Aviation "Flying Dragons": AH-64 Apache Assault Helicopter

2-501st Aviation "Knightmares": UH-60A Black Hawk Utility Helicopter

127th Aviation Support Battalion "Workhorse": 32 UH-60 Black Hawk Utility Helicopter & 19 EH-60 Quick Fix Tactical Electronic Helicopter

69th Chemical Company

Divisional Artillery "Iron Steel"

2-3rd Field Artillery "Gunners": 18 M109A6 Paladin SP Howitzer & 15 M981 FISTV (1st Brigade)

4-27th Field Artillery "Iron Thunder": 18 M109 Paladin SP Howitzer (2nd Brigade)

1-94th Field Artillery (MLRS): 18 M270 MLRS (Unattached)

Divisional Engineers

Above Engineer Units (1st 2nd and 3rd Brigade)

Divisional Support Command

Above Support Battalions (Forward and Aviation Support Battalions)

Divisional Unattached Units

123rd Main Support Battalion

141st Signal Battalion "The Communicators"

1-4th Air Defense Artillery: 24 BFVS & 12 Avenger (Mounted Stingers)

501st Military Police Company

501st Military Intelligence Battalion

Insignia

"Old Ironsides", the nickname of this division, was thought up by its first commander, Major General Bruce R. Magruder, after he saw a picture of the USS Constitution, which was also called "Old Ironsides". The large 1 at the top represents the numerical designation of the division, and the insignia is used as a basis for most other sub-unit insignias.

Unit History

This unit's first major battle was in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of Northwest Africa. It became the first American armored division to see combat in World War II. It cut through Vichy French resistance, and eventually led the assault on Erwin Rommel's tank units. After long months of fighting, the battle was won by the Allies.

After the fall of Sicily, this unit, under the US Fifth Army, invaded mainland Italy. It took part in the attack on the infamous Winter Line in November 1943. It then flanked the Axis armies in the landings at Anzio, and participated in the liberation of Rome on June 4, 1944. The division continued in combat in the Po Valley until the German forces surrendered on May 2, 1945. In June, the Division moved to Germany as part of the occupation forces. April 1946 saw the Division return to the United States for deactivation.

The Korean War saw the US forces being built up again. As part of that buildup, the 1st Armored Division was reactivated on 7 March 1951 at Fort Hood. It was the first US Army unit to receive the new M48 Patton tank. After a number of years in Texas, the division was moved to Fort Polk, Louisiana, in 1956.

The division was deployed to Texas, Florida, and Georgia, in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis. During the six week deployment, it received a visit from President John F. Kennedy. A few units fought in the Vietnam War, and were returned to the division after the war. The 3rd Brigade deployed to Chicago to restore order, after Martin Luther King's marches. At that time, the division was based in Fort Hood, Texas.

As the Vietnam War wound down, there was a fundamental reorganisation of the Army. As part of this reorganisation, the 1st Armored Division was moved to Germany in 1971. It replaced the 4th Armored Division there. The Division remained in Germany for the next twenty years, as part of the American forces committed to NATO.

In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. US Army units were despatched to protect Saudi Arabia. Later in the fall, President Bush made the decision to deploy American heavy forces on a massive scale to eject the Iraqis from Kuwait. The lead unit for this deployment was the VII Corps from Germany. 1st Armored Division was one of four American heavy divisions assigned to VII Corps in theater. In the ground attack of the Gulf War, the Division led the VII Corps' flank attack on the Iraqis. It had the duty of destroying the elite Iraqi Republican Guard units. In 89 hours, the division moved 250 kilometers, destroyed 768 vehicles, and captured 1,064 prisoners of war, at the cost of 4 dead. It returned to Germany on May 8, 1991. It celebrated with a visit from the Vice President.

In 1995, the division deployed to the Balkans, in Operation Joint Endeavor, as the command element of Task Force Eagle, a powerful, multinational unit. It returned in late 1996 to Germany. In 1999, the unit was once again deployed, this time to Kosovo, for Operation Allied Force, and Operation Joint Guardian.

Afterwards, the unit trained heavily in Germany, with realistic opfor exercises. Some units were deployed into Iraq and other countries in the Middle East for the global War on Terrorism.

The division did not take part in the initial invasion of Iraq. The 1st Armored Division assumed command of Baghdad and the surrounding areas, relieving the 3rd Infantry Division. The division was sheduled to return home on March-April 2004, but was extended in order to put down the Moqtada Al Sadr uprising. Task Force 1-37AR ("Bandits") fought in Karbala while Task Force 2-37AR ("Dukes") fought in Najaf. Forces from the 2nd Brigde fought in Kut. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, the division lost over 125 soldiers.sl:1._oklepna_divizija_(ZDA)