Tuesday, May 23, 2017
What is it?
The 1st Infantry Division (1ID), a combined arms division of the U.S. Army, is the oldest continuously serving division in the Regular Army.
Originally constituted as the First Expeditionary Division in May 1917, the division was organized as the 1st Infantry Division on June 8, 1917, in New York.
It was officially nicknamed the “Big Red One” due to its readily identified shoulder patch and was the first to fight in WWI, WWII and Vietnam and was the first to return to Iraq in 2014 to aid Iraqi security forces against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) during Operation Inherent Resolve.
What is the Army doing?
On June 8, the 1st Infantry Division will celebrate 100 continuous years of service to the nation.
The 1ID began its centennial celebrations with a 100th Anniversary Committee signing a charter on June 6, 2016. The division was honored at the WWI commemoration event at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri, April 6.
The division will continue to celebrate its history during the centennial year, participating in D-Day ceremonies in Normandy and conducting a division run and Victory with Honors ceremony at Fort Riley, Kansas, on the 100th anniversary.
More celebrations are scheduled for Victory Week, Aug. 16-25, at Fort Riley, Kansas. This annual celebration will honor the division’s past, encourage esprit de corps through unit athletic competitions and welcome past division leaders, provide 1ID Soldiers and Vietnam veterans a joint welcome-home ceremony and conduct a historic division review.
What continued efforts are planned for the future?
The division headquarters will continue to command the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command - Operation Inherent Resolve, which is partnered with the Iraqi security forces as they continue to eliminate ISIS and help provide security for the people of Iraq. Meanwhile, the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team is preparing for its fall deployment to Europe in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Why is this important to the Army?
The 1ID America’s first division has a proud and honorable history which reflects the heart of the American Soldier. Having fought in five wars, the 1ID is one of the most decorated divisions in the U.S. Army. It boasts 35 Medal of Honor recipients and more than 35 campaign participation credits.
1ID Soldiers continue to be on point for the nation with more than 5,000 Soldiers globally deployed, and live the division motto No Mission Too Difficult, No Sacrifice Too Great, Duty First!
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