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| 32nd Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
| Active | 1916 – present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Type | Light infantry |
| Garrison/HQ | 1st Battalion –Fort Drum, New York |
| Nicknames | "Chosin" "Buccaneers" "Spearhead" |
| Mottos | "Against All Odds" "The Queen's Own" |
| Engagements | World War II *Attu Island *Kwajalein *Leyte Island *Okinawa Korean War *Battle of Incheon *Battle of Chosin Reservoir *Battle of Triangle Hill Gulf War Operation Uphold Democracy Multinational Force and Observers Operation Joint Guardian Global War on Terror *Operation Iraqi Freedom *Operation Enduring Freedom *Operation Freedom's Sentinel *Operation Inherent Resolve |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | LTC Ross Daly |
| Notable commanders | William S. Carpenter Colin Powell Michael Oates Don C. Faith Christopher Cavoli Frederick “Mark” O'Donnell Kenneth J. Mintz |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia |  |
| U.S. Infantry Regiments | ||||
|
The32nd Infantry Regiment is a battalion within theUnited States Army. Of the original regiment, only the 1st Battalion remains as an active duty unit. The 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment is alight infantry battalion assigned to the1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, garrisoned atFort Drum, New York. The battalion was previously assigned to the3rd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Drum, before this unit was reflagged toFort Johnson, formerly Fort Polk, Louisiana.
The 32ndRegiment was first organized on 7 August 1916, onOahu,Hawaii from elements of the1st and2nd Infantry Regiments. At its activation, it was known as "The Queen's Own" Regiment, a title bestowed by the last queen of Hawaii,Liliuokalani.
DuringWorld War I, units of the 32nd Regiment were used to escort Germanprisoners of war being transferred to the United States from Hawaii. On 20 July 1918, the 32nd was transferred toCamp Kearny,San Diego,California, where it became a part of the 32nd Infantry Brigade,16th Infantry Division. A short time later, many of the Regiment's men were transferred to the 82nd Infantry Regiment and remained with this organization until it was demobilized in 1919.
After the demobilization of the 16th Division, the 32nd Infantry became a separate regiment and was transferred on 8 September 1920 to thePresidio of San Francisco,California. Concurrently, the 1st and 3rd Battalions were transferred toVancouver Barracks,Washington. The regimental headquarters was inactivated on 1 November 1921 at the Presidio of San Francisco; the38th Infantry Regiment was previously designated as "Active Associate" on 27 July 1921, and would provide the cadre from which the 32nd Infantry would be reactivated in time of war. Those personnel at the Presidio were concurrently transferred to the19th Infantry Regiment, and those at Vancouver Barracks were transferred to the59th Infantry Regiment. The 38th Infantry was relieved as the Active Associate on 17 July 1922 and the14th Infantry Regiment was designated as Active Associate.
The regiment was concurrently allotted to the Panama Canal Department and assigned to the Panama Canal Division, but being inactive, it never deployed to Panama as a unit. it was organized as a "Regular Army Inactive" unit withOrganized Reserve personnel about June 1926 atLos Angeles, California. It was withdrawn from allotment to the Panama Canal Department on 27 June 1927, relieved from the Panama Canal Division, and allotted to the NinthCorps Area. It was affiliated with theUniversity of California at Los AngelesROTC program 8 February 1928 and organized with Regular Army personnel assigned to the ROTC Detachment and Reserve officers commissioned from the program. Many unit personnel participated inearthquake relief operations 14–22 March 1933 in the Los Angeles area. The regiment conducted summer training atDel Monte, California, and thePresidio of Monterey. The 2nd Battalion was activated on 18 October 1939 with personnel and equipment of the 2nd Battalion,7th Infantry Regiment, atChilkoot Barracks,Territory of Alaska, which was concurrently transferred to Camp Bonneville,Idaho. The 2nd Battalion was transferred on 22 June 1940, less personnel and equipment, to Camp Ord, California, and the remainder of the regiment was assigned to the7th Infantry Division and activated 1 July 1940, less Reserve personnel, at Camp Ord.[1]
After the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor, the 32nd was moved into defensive positions along the West Coast. The regiment underwent intensive training as a motorized unit atCamp San Luis Obispo, California. Vast maneuvers were held in the Mojave Desert to prepare the 32nd for participation in the defeat of the GermanAfrika Korps, led byField MarshalErwin Rommel. A change in Allied strategy, however, turned the 32nd overnight toward a role ofamphibious assaults from theAleutian Islands to tropical jungle islands.
Rushed to the Aleutians in the spring of 1943, after the Japanese had landed onAttu Island a year earlier, the regiment played a major role in retaking American soil during theBattle of Attu. It was on the Aleutian Islands thatPrivateJoe P. Martinez, Company I, earned theMedal of Honor. Seeing his unit pinned down by enemy machine gun fire, Private Martinez single-handedly charged the enemy emplacement and destroyed it. While rallying the men he was mortally wounded. Private Martinez received the Medal of Honor posthumously.
After their baptism of fire in the Aleutians Campaign, the 32nd Regiment sailed to Hawaii for intensive training that emphasized amphibious landings and jungle fighting.
On 1 February 1944, the 32nd Regiment assaultedKwajalein. During five days of fighting, the 32nd, along with the184th Infantry Regiment, eliminated all the enemy personnel on the island, with the exception of a few exhausted Japanese who surrendered.
The regiment returned to Hawaii on 14 February where it went through additional intensified jungle training for an expected invasion ofthe Yap Island. Arriving atEniwetok Atoll on 25 September 1944, the regiment's orders were changed and the 32nd joined GeneralDouglas MacArthur's forces, spearheading the firstlandings onLeyte Island, Philippines. Fighting in swamps, tropical jungles, and over rugged mountains, the7th Infantry Division battled over 37 miles (60 kilometers) in 60 days of bitter combat.[citation needed]
The regiment's last campaign of World War II started 1 April 1945 with the landings atOkinawa. During thisbattle, the 32nd won the nickname "Spearhead" because of its continuous attacks against the enemy.
After only three days of rest after the fighting on Okinawa, the 32nd embarked forKorea to receive thesurrender of all the Japanese troops south of the 38th parallel. During its campaigns through the Pacific, the 32nd Infantry Regiment traveled 16,910 miles.
During the regiment's occupation stay in Korea, infantrymen obtained a preview of their future tour in the Korean War. Units of the 32nd rotated on outpost positions along the 38th Parallel. The troops formed a tight perimeter against southbound guerrilla bands and were assigned the mission of eliminating the wholesale movement of black-market goods across the boundary.
In December 1948, the 7th Infantry Division loaded on ships and sailed to Japan where its zone of occupation responsibility included almost half of the total land area of Japan. The 32nd replaced the11th Airborne Division. During its stay in Japan, the strength of the regiment dropped by almost half of its authorized strength.
On 25 June 1950, theNorth Korean Armycrossed the 38th Parallel, initiating the Korean War, takingSeoul and pushing all the way to thePusan Perimeter. The 32nd began immediate preparation for deployment from Japan.
Intensive training for a proposed amphibious landing in Korea focused the training for the regiment. A major problem facing the 32nd at this time was the integration of several hundredROK soldiers who were to fight alongside American troops. Demonstrations, sign language, and a smattering of Japanese were used during the intensive military training. The ROK soldiers were integrated at the squad level and introduced to the American "buddy team" system in combat. American soldiers were responsible for the training and integration of the assigned ROK troops. After six days of loading supplies and equipment, the 32nd boardedtroopships, departing forInchon, Korea.
The 32ndwent ashore on 16 September 1950, and were immediately met by small arms, mortar, and tank fire from communist forces. The 32nd advanced north toward theHan River, the last natural barrier to Seoul. The "Buccaneers" of the 32nd, in the cold morning hours of 25 September, crossed the Han River under intense enemy fire and captured their first objective, a dominating hill mass outside Seoul, at 1030. Its capture provided the 32nd with sufficient momentum to gain all assigned objectives. With the capture of the surrounding heights overlooking and dominating the city,US Marine elements were able to resume their advance. The regiment was awarded theNavy Unit Commendation for their actions in relieving pressure on the Marines.
The division was relieved of the responsibility for the Seoul area on 30 September 1950 and moved 350 miles overland, arriving in Pusan to begin training for another proposed landing, this time at Wonson, North Korea. Departing from Pusan Harbor on 28 October, the mission of the 7th Infantry Division was changed to land atRiwŏn and advance to the Korean-Manchurian border.
Landing at Riwŏn on the 29th, the regiment moved quickly northward with the 1st Battalion on the east coast of theChosin Reservoir and the 2nd and 3rd in the Fusan Reservoir area.
At that point there were definite indications ofCommunist Chinese intervention in the war. Information that three enemy divisions had arrived at Yudam-ni on 20 November reached intelligence personnel via prisoners of war. On the ground, no contact was made in the Chosin Reservoir area.
On 29 November 1950, when the full force of the Chinese attack struck the UN forces, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions stood their ground until UN elements further north moved to join the battle. Together all these UN elements made an orderly withdrawal from the Fusan area.
The 1st Battalion on the east coast of theBattle of Chosin Reservoir was with elements of the 31st Infantry Regiment and the 1st Marines, who were cut off by Chinese forces. Only after long and bloody fighting did these forces work their way south to Koto-ri, and then to the Hungman perimeter. Lieutenant ColonelDon C. Faith Jr., 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry, commander ofTask Force Faith, distinguished himself in this action. During the five-day period from 27 November to 1 December 1950, he personally directed his troops across the ice-covered reservoir and continually placed himself with the forward elements of the battalion. He was mortally wounded while attempting to destroy an enemy road block with hand grenades. For his leadership, Lieutenant Colonel Faith was posthumously awarded theMedal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor.
Elements of the regiment were among the units that participated in theBattle of Triangle Hill from October to November 1952.
With the signing of theKorean Armistice Agreement and the end of the Korean war, the regiment busied themselves with defensive preparations on the Korean peninsula, in case of a resumption of hostilities. The regiment was later reorganized and activated as the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment.
On 28 May 1978, the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment was stood down as part of PresidentCarter's effort to withdraw from Korea. Just prior to that,Colin Powell,William S. Carpenter and Steven Silvasy served as battalion commanders.
The 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry was later reactivated on 7 Aug 1980 atFort Ord, California, where it joined the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 32nd Infantry to form the 2nd Brigade,7th Infantry Division. This effort was part of a plan on the part of officers in the brigade, particularly the commander, Colonel Don Chunn, to support the re-establishment of a strong regimental system in the US Army. This effort supported the wider Army's "cohort" effort to rebuild cohesive units after the struggles with unit morale and effectiveness in the late stages of the Vietnam War and the early developments of the "All-Volunteer Army." The effort focused on the training of recent Basic Combat Training (BCT) graduates in a company organization assigned to 1st Battalion, 32d Infantry, as they would be in a normal organization. The 1st Battalion, 32d Infantry became the first CONUS based infantry battalion to deploy to the Republic of Korea during TEAM SPIRIT 80 since the Korean War. This deployment, which included a full Divisional support element totally 850 men was named Task Force Faith in honor of LTC Faith. When the Army restructured its regimental designations later in the 1980s, the three battalions of the 32nd Infantry were re-designated.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s the 3rd Battalion, 32nd Infantry served as a basic training battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia, and had the distinction of one of the first training units to conduct M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle specific training. On 2 August 1990 Saddam Hussein's armies invaded Kuwait. Many recruits found themselves graduating that October, only to find themselves in the deserts of Saudi Arabia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm as early as late November-early December of the same year.
On 15 February 1996, 1st Battalion, 32nd was activated as the only activebattalion of the 32nd Regiment, as part of the10th Mountain Division,Fort Drum, New York. Following reactivation, the battalion participated in numerous training exercises and a six-month rotation as a highly visible component of theMultinational Force and Observers (MFO) peacekeeping mission in the Middle East.
In May 2002 the battalion returned from a six-month rotation in Kosovo as part of Task Force Falcon. The deployment was part ofOperation Joint Guardian.
In August 2003, the battalion deployed to central Iraq as part of1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom. What had originally been planned as a six-month deployment ended as a thirteen-month combat tour. During the deployment, Alpha Company was based at FOB Volturno nearFallujah while Bravo and Charlie Companies conducted combat operations and builtFOB Chosin (later renamedFOB Iskandariyah) at the Musayyib Power Plant in conjunction with engineers from the82nd Airborne Division. Later Bravo and Charlie Companies would move to FOB Manhattan, located betweenRamadi and Fallujah.
In February 2006 the battalion deployed to eastern Afghanistan as "Taskforce Chosin" in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom for what became a fifteen-month combat tour when3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division was extended after twelve months in country. Initially, the battalion assumed responsibility forNangarhar,Laghman, Kunar, and portions ofNuristan Provinces. Alpha Company operated in theKorengal Valley, Bravo Company operated aroundNangalam and in Nuristan Province, specifically Bella and Aranas. Charlie Company operated along thePeche River, while Delta Company detached individual platoons to Alpha and Charlie Companies and received the attachment of 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company. Delta Company was detached to4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment at FOB Salerno as the only maneuver force inKhost Province. Further, the battalion was augmented by Alpha Company, 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat)(Airborne). The first platoon of the engineer company conducted route clearance in the battalion's area of operations, while the Light Equipment platoon conducted construction and combat operations in theKorengal Valley,Pech River Valley, andWaygal Valley—including serving as battlespace owners in the village ofWanat.
In late February 2007 the battalion was notified that 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division would remain in country until June 2007 to allow time to deploy additional combat troops. Taskforce Chosin's AO was redrawn to include only Kunar and parts of Nuristan Provinces as the remainder of the brigade repositioned from the southern portion ofRegional Command East. As part of this move, Delta Company returned to battalion control, receiving its 2nd Platoon, a section of mortars, and a forward logistics element (FLE). Delta Company then established Fire Base Fortress along the Abad-Jbad Road between the Chowkay and Narang Valleys, and began operations into both valleys. In June 2007, the trail elements of the battalion finally returned home to Fort Drum, New York.
In April 2008 a corporal who had been killed at the Chosin Reservoir was identified.
In 2009, the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment deployed toKunar Province, Afghanistan in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom under the command ofRegional Command East of theInternational Security Assistance Force. The battalion was detached from3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division to support the1st Infantry Division and later Task Force Mountain Warrior of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The battalion conducted mounted and dismounted operations in Kunar Province and responded to enemy movement and activity in nearbyNuristan Province. However, the Battalion was not whole. Bravo Company was assigned to deploy with3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, and was detached and separate from the rest of the battalion for the deployment. Bravo Company operated inLogar Province. The battalion redeployed to the United States in the winter of 2010, returning to Fort Drum and their higher headquarters. During this deployment, the battalion received theValorous Unit Award—the Army's second highest unit decoration—for actions during the Battle of Barge-Matal.
In March 2011, the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry again deployed as part of3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, this time toKandahar Province, southern Afghanistan, in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom XI-XII under the command of Lieutenant Colonel (later Colonel) Kenneth J. Mintz.[2] The battalion was a battle space owner in the western portion of theZhari District, replacing the2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment of the101st Airborne Division. The battalion's area of operations included the villages of Nalgham and Sangsar, the spiritual heartland of the Taliban and the hometown of the Taliban's founder,Mullah Omar. Throughout the deployment, the battalion was headquartered atForward Operations Base (FOB) Howz-e-Madad located on the north side ofHighway 1, with Attack Company atCombat Outpost (COP) Ahmed Khan, Battle Company at COP Sangsar, Combat Company at COP Nalgham, and Dawg/Dog Company at COP Zarif Khel. Soldiers from the battalion conducted a series of successful "Steel Lion"[3] operations, fighting south to theArghandab River to isolate the Taliban insurgents from the population, secure the area through the construction of numerous strongpoints manned by US and Afghan security forces, and bring relative stability to the area.[4] Additionally, Soldiers from the battalion worked shoulder to shoulder with theAfghan National Army,Afghan National Police,Afghan National Civil Order Police, and stood up several new elements ofAfghan Local Police, before redeploying toFort Drum in March 2012. During this deployment the battalion suffered fourteen Soldiers killed-in-action (KIA), half of the brigade's total KIA casualties.
The battalion again deployed to Afghanistan as part of3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom in the fall of 2013.
After the deactivation of 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division and its reflagging atFort Polk, Louisiana in 2014, the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment was again reassigned back to1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division.
In 2020, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Scott Horrigan, the battalion deployed to Afghanistan in support ofOperation Freedom's Sentinel.
In 2022, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Bilotta, the battalion deployed to Syria in support ofOperation Inherent Resolve. The TF's AO encompassed the Eastern Syria Security Area. During this deployment tree Soldiers earned purple hearts, however the battalion returned whole with no KIA.
In 2024-2025, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ross Daly, the battalion deployed to Syria again in support ofOperation Inherent Resolve. The Battalion was in Syria during theFall of the Assad regime
1st BATTALION, 32d INFANTRY REGIMENT
Constituted 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as Company A, 32d Infantry
Organized 7 August 1916 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii(32d Infantry assigned 31 July 1918 to the 16th Division; relieved 8 March 1919 from assignment to the 16th Division)
Inactivated 13 September 1921 at Vancouver Barracks, Washington
Activated 1 July 1940 at Camp Ord, California, as an element of the 7th Division (later redesignated as the 7th Infantry Division)
Reorganized and redesignated 1 July 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battle Group, 32d Infantry, and remained assigned to the 7th Infantry Division (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated)
Reorganized and redesignated 1 July 1963 as the 1st Battalion, 32d Infantry
Relieved 31 March 1971 from assignment to the 7th Infantry Division and assigned to the 2d Infantry Division
Inactivated 21 October 1978 in Korea and relieved from assignment to the 2d Infantry Division
Assigned 7 August 1980 to the 7th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Ord, California
Inactivated 10 June 1987 at Fort Ord, California, and relieved from assignment to the 7th Infantry Division
Assigned 16 February 1996 to the 10th Mountain Division and activated at Fort Drum, New York
Relieved 16 September 2004 from assignment to the 10th Mountain Division and assigned to the 3d Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
Redesignated 1 October 2005 as the 1st Battalion, 32d Infantry Regiment[5]
World War II: Aleutian Islands (with arrowhead); Eastern Mandates; Leyte (with arrowhead); Ryukyus (with arrowhead)
Korean War: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea, Summer-Fall 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea, Summer 1953
War on Terrorism (1st battalion only): Consolidation 1; Consolidation 2; Consolidation 3
Company B Only
This article incorporatespublic domain material from32d Infantry History.United States Army.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from32d Infantry Lineage and Honors.United States Army Center of Military History. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.