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The US 1st Armored Division, nicknamed "Old Ironsides", is a combat division of the United States Army based in Wiesbaden, Germany.
This division is part of the U.S. V Corps (technically), or is directly subordinate to the 7th US Army, USAREUR (in certain cases).
Commander: Brigadier General Martin E. Dempsey
"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 U.S.S. 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.
This unit's first major battle was in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of Northwest Africa. It became the first Americann armored division to see combat in World War II. It cut through vicious 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 5th US Army, invaded mainland Italy. It attacked the infamous Winter Line in November 1943. It then flanked the Axis armies at Anzio, fiercely advancing from its beachhead near Anzio, and finally, it liberated Rome on June 4, 1944. By then, it advanced through mountains (namely, 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 deploynment, 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 deployed 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 divisons assigned to VII Corps in theater. In the ground attack of the Gulf War, the Divison 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, although that was complicated by Turkey's refusal to allow American units to stage within its territory.
The division did not take part in the fighting in Iraq. It was part of the first wave of occupation reinforcements after the main fighting in the campaign was over.Command and Staff
Chief of Staff: Colonel Jackson L. Flake
Command Sergeant Major: Command Sergeant Major Michael BushSubunits
Insignia
Unit History
