The 34th Armor Regiment is an

armored regiment Armoured warfare or armored warfare (American English; see spelling differences), is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war. The premise of armored warfare rests on the abili ...

of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

formed in 1941. After serving with the 5th Armored Division and the 44th Infantry Division during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the 4th Infantry Division and the

25th Infantry Division (United States) The 25th Infantry Division (nicknamed "Tropic Lightning") is a United States Army division based at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. The division, which was activated on 1 October 1941 in Hawaii, conducts military operations primarily in the Asia- ...

during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

, the 34th was moved to the 1st Infantry Division in 1979 and has remained there since. The current active unit is 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment (2-34 AR), garrisoned at

Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. In service for almost 84 years as of June 2025, the "Dreadnaughts" have been cited for heroism in combat on numerous occasions, including two Presidential Unit Citations, three Valorous Unit Awards, and the

Luxembourg War Cross The Luxembourg War Cross (, ) is a military decoration of Luxembourg. It was created on 17 April 1945 by the Duchess, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg. The War Cross recognizes military service and feats of bravery. The medal is often referred ...

History

1st Battalion

The 1st Battalion, 34th Armor was constituted in the Regular Army on 28 August 1941 as Company A, 34th Armor Regiment. The unit was activated shortly thereafter on 1 October 1941 at Fort Knox, Kentucky, as an element of the 5th Armored Division. During

, the 1st Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment was relieved from the 5th Armor Division, reorganized and re-designated as the 772nd Tank Battalion before being sent to Europe. Arriving at Le Havre, France in February 1945, it participated in the Rhineland and Central Europe Campaigns. Simultaneously, 2nd Battalion was reformed as the new 34th Armor Regiment, and 3rd Battalion became the 10th Armored Regiment. In March 1945, 772nd Battalion was attached to the 44th Infantry Division only days before crossing the Rhine River south of Worms, Germany. The battalion then led the attack of the 44th Infantry Division, which seized the city of Mannheim, an industrial, and transportation center. In April and May 1945, with the war fast approaching an end, the 772nd Tank Battalion moved rapidly across Germany into Austria, again leading the 44th Infantry Division. In Austria, the battalion's final combat mission was highlighted by the surrender of the 19th German Army. After the end of World War II, the battalion was inactivated on 14 November 1945 at

Camp Shelby Camp Shelby is a U.S. Army post whose south gate is located at the southern boundary of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, along U.S. Highway 49. It was originally established during World War I, and has served almost continuously since then as a trai ...

, Mississippi. It was redesignated on 16 January 1947 as Company A,

306th Tank Battalion 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...

. Assigned to the Sixth Army, and allotted to the Army Reserves, the battalion was activated on 25 June 1947 at Seattle, Washington where the unit remained until 1965. In May 1949, Company A was reorganized and redesignated as Company A, 306th Heavy Tank Battalion before being deactivated again on 15 September 1950. The unit was completely disbanded on 20 February 1952. It was reconstituted and redesignated as Company A, 34th Armor in March 1957, the unit was withdrawn from the Army Reserve and re-allotted to the Regular Army. In April of the same year, the unit was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 34th Armor, concurrently assigned to the 4th Infantry Division and reactivated at

Fort Lewis Fort Lewis may refer to: * Fort Lewis (Colorado), a former United States Army post (1878–1891) in the U.S. State of Colorado ** Fort Lewis College, a college in the Durango, Colorado, United States ** Fort Lewis Skyhawks, athletic teams of Fort L ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. It was again reorganized and redesignated on 1 October 1963 as the 1st Battalion, 34th Armor and again inactivated on 14 October 1965 at Fort Lewis, Washington, and relieved from assignment to the 4th Infantry Division. The 1st Battalion, 34th Armor was reactivated at Fort Riley, Kansas on 1 August 1979 and assigned to the

1st Infantry Division (United States) The 1st Infantry Division (1ID) is a combined arms division of the United States Army, and is the oldest continuously serving division in the Regular Army. It has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917 during World War I. It w ...

, the "Big Red One." From 1980 to 1990 the Centurion Battalion participated in numerous field-training exercises to include 4

REFORGER Exercise Campaign Reforger ("return of forces to Germany") was an annual military exercise and campaign conducted by NATO during the Cold War. The exercise was intended to ensure that NATO had the ability to quickly deploy forces to West German ...

trips to Germany, and 4 deployments to the National Training Center in California. In December 1990, the battalion deployed to Operation Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia. During Operation Desert Storm, the battalion was the Brigade Assault Force for the breach of Iraqi defenses, and led the 1st Brigade in the night attack against the Tawakalna Division of the Republican Guard, and was the first unit in the Devil Brigade to enter Kuwait. The battalion deployed to Kuwait in 2003 in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...

as the first unit from 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) to enter that theater of operations. On 7 September 2003, Task Force 1-34th Armor was assigned to the Multi-National Force Iraq and assigned to the Multi-National Division Central. Elements of 1-34th Armor served in Habbaniyah and Ramadi in the Al Anbar province under the 82nd Airborne and 1st Marine Divisions. In Iraq, Task Force 1-34th encountered the beginning of the insurgency in Al Anbar performing full spectrum operations. The task force's missions included tasks such as renovating schools, helping build a local political structure, and simultaneously closing with and destroying the enemy. 1-34th Armor returned from Iraq in 2004. It subsequently participated in a mission readiness exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, LA for a possible redeployment to Iraq. However, in 2006 the mission of the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division changed to one of training units for deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as providing small security forces (SECFOR) elements.

2nd Battalion

The 2nd Battalion was deployed from

Fort Irwin Fort Irwin National Training Center (Fort Irwin NTC) is a major training area for the United States military in the Mojave Desert in northern San Bernardino County, California. Fort Irwin is at an average elevation of . It is located northeast ...

, California to

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...

in September 1966. During the Vietnam War, Company C, 2-34 AR was a tank company; "Charlie" Company now acts as a scout and mechanized infantry company and fields the

Bradley Fighting Vehicle The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) is an American continuous track, tracked armored fighting vehicle of the United States developed by FMC Corporation and now manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments, formerly United Defense. It is named for ...

alongside the heavy armor employed by the rest of 2-34's "line" companies. During its service in Vietnam, Company B, 2-34 AR, was cited on 8 April 1969 under Army General Orders No. 21, for heroism and awarded the

Vietnam Gallantry Cross The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry () is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal was created on August 15, 1 ...

with Palm by the government of South Vietnam, for actions from 12 July 1965 to 16 October 19

The rest of 2nd Battalion was also cited on the same orders, and awarded the Gallantry Cross with Palm for actions from December 1965 to August 1968. 2nd Battalion (excluding Company B) was awarded the Gallantry Cross with Palm again, cited on 14 October 1971 under HQDA General Orders No. 48, for service during October 1966-1 August 1967. 2-34 Armor would altogether be awarded the Gallantry Cross with Palm a total of 4 times for its Vietnam service, with the specific award to Company B counted separately, and while the Civil Actions Medal, Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class was presented to Headquarters & Headquarters Company and Company A, and to 2-34 Armor as a whole on a separate occasi

Additionally, on 19 March 1974, HDQA General Orders No. 8 specified that all units which had served in Vietnam were authorized to wear the Gallantry Cross with Pa

After returning from Vietnam to Fort Carson in December 1970, 2-34 Armor exchanged the M48 Patton, M48A3 Patton tank for the M60. The M60A3 remained in use until it was replaced by the M1 Abrams in 19

which has remained the mainstay of 2-34's tank companies for more than 30 years as of 2025. 2-34th Armor is currently assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (United States), 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas.

Current organization

The current makeup of the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment is as follows: * Company A-

M1 Abrams The M1 Abrams () is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare, it is one of the heavies ...

* Company B-

* Company C-

* Forward Support Company *

Headquarters & Headquarters Company In United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company (HHC) is a company-sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. Considered one unit, a Headquarters and Headquarters Company is essentially two elements within ...

4th Battalion

4th Battalion deployed to Saudi Arabia with the 8th Infantry Division in support of Operations Desert Shield & Desert Storm, from 4 January to 8 May 19

Upon its return to Germany, 4th Battalion was deactivated.

Lineage

Constituted 28 August 1941 in the Regular Army as the 34th Armored Regiment and assigned to the 5th Armored Division Activated 1 October 1941 at

Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository (also known as Fort Knox), which is used to house a larg ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

Regiment broken up 20 September 1943 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows: *Headquarters and Headquarters Company and 2d Battalion as the 34th Tank Battalion, and remained assigned to the 5th Armored Division *1st Battalion as the 772d Tank Battalion, and relieved from assignment to the 5th Armored Division *3d Battalion as the 10th Tank Battalion, and remained assigned to the 5th Armored Division *Reconnaissance Company as Troop D, 85th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized, an element of the 5th Armored Division *Maintenance and Service Companies disbanded After 20 September 1943 the above units underwent changes as follows: ;34th Tank Battalion *34th Tank Battalion inactivated 8 October 1945 at

Camp Myles Standish Camp Myles Standish was a U.S. Army camp located in Taunton, Massachusetts, during World War II. It was the main staging area for the Boston Port of Embarkation, with about a million U.S. and Allied soldiers passing through the camp on their ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

*Redesignated 18 June 1948 as the 34th Medium Tank Battalion *Activated 6 July 1948 at

Camp Chaffee Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center, also known as Fort Chaffee, is an Arkansas Army National Guard installation located in western Arkansas, adjacent to the city of Fort Smith. Established as Camp Chaffee in 1941, renamed to Fort Ch ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

*Inactivated 1 February 1950 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas *Activated 1 September 1950 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas *Inactivated 16 March 1956 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas *Relieved 27 March 1957 from assignment to the 5th Armored Division ;772d Tank Battalion *772d Tank Battalion inactivated 14 November 1945 at

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

*Withdrawn 16 January 1947 from the Regular Army, redesignated as the 306th Tank Battalion, and allotted to the Organized Reserves *Headquarters and Headquarters Company activated 5 February 1947 at

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

(remainder of battalion activated 25 June 1947) *(Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps; redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve) *Reorganized and redesignated 2 May 1949 as the 306th Heavy Tank Battalion *Inactivated 15 September 1950 at Seattle, Washington *Disbanded 20 February 1952 *Reconstituted 27 March 1957 in the Regular Army as the 306th Heavy Tank Battalion ;10th Tank Battalion *10th Tank Battalion inactivated 9 October 1945 at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts *Redesignated 18 June 1948 as the 10th Medium Tank Battalion *Activated 6 July 1948 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas *Inactivated 1 February 1950 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas *Activated 1 September 1950 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas *Inactivated 16 March 1956 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas *Relieved 27 March 1957 from assignment to the 5th Armored Division ;Troop D, 85th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized *Troop D, 85th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized, redesignated 25 August 1945 as Troop D, 85th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron *Inactivated 11 October 1945 at

Camp Kilmer Camp Kilmer is a former United States Army camp in Central New Jersey that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Tra ...

, New Jersey *Redesignated 18 June 1948 as Company D, 85th Reconnaissance Battalion *Activated 6 July 1948 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas *Inactivated 1 February 1950 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas *Activated 1 September 1950 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas *Inactivated 16 March 1956 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas ;Maintenance and Service Companies, 34th Armored Regiment *Maintenance and Service Companies, 34th Armored Regiment, reconstituted 27 March 1957 in the Regular Army 34th and 10th Medium Tank Battalions; 306th Heavy Tank Battalion; Company D, 85th Reconnaissance Battalion; and Maintenance and Service Companies, 34th Armored Regiment, consolidated, reorganized, and redesignated 27 March 1957 as the 34th Armor, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System Withdrawn 16 February 1988 from the

Combat Arms Regimental System The Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), was the method of assigning unit designations to units of some of the combat arms branches of the United States Army, including Infantry, Special Forces, Field Artillery, and Armor, from 1957 to 1981. A ...

and reorganized under the

United States Army Regimental System The United States Army Regimental System (USARS) is an organizational and classification system used by the United States Army. It was established in 1981 to replace the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) to provide each soldier with contin ...

Distinctive unit insignia

* Description A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 5/32 inches (2.94 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Azure, an arm embowed Proper and couped at the shoulder raised and armed with a buckler Or having seven rivets of the field three and four. * Symbolism The buckler represents the armored protective device. The arm embowed is raised in the attitude of striking. * Background The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 34th Armored Regiment (Light) on 10 December 1941. It was redesignated for the 34th Armored Regiment on 26 March 1942. The insignia was redesignated for the 34th Tank Battalion on 10 November 1943. It was redesignated for the 34th Medium Tank Battalion on 29 March 1954. It was redesignated for the 34th Armor Regiment on 20 January 1958.

Coat of arms

Blazon

* Shield Azure, an arm embowed Proper and couped at the shoulder raised and armed with a buckler Or having seven rivets of the field three and four. * Crest On a wreath Or and Azure, in front of a tower Gules masoned of the first and emitting from each side a stream of water of the second, three spears one in pale and two in saltire with shafts of the first and points of the second those points in saltire each charged with a

fleur-de-lis The ''fleur-de-lis'', also spelled ''fleur-de-lys'' (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a common heraldic charge in the (stylized) shape of a lily (in French, and mean and respectively). Most notably, the ''fleur-de-lis'' ...

of the first, over all in pale an escutcheon barry of ten Argent and of the second. Motto THE STRONG ARM FOR VICTORY. * Symbolism * Shield The buckler represents the armored protective device. The arm embowed is raised in the attitude of striking. * Crest The red tower gushing water to each side alludes to the bitter campaign to secure the dams of the Roer River, for which the Regiment received a

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...

. The spears refer to the unit's push through

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

, Northern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. The shield, bearing a part of the arms of

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

, represents the award of the

Luxembourg Croix de Guerre The Luxembourg War Cross (, ) is a military decoration of Luxembourg. It was created on 17 April 1945 by the Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg. The War Cross recognizes military service and feats of bravery. The medal is often referred to as th ...

for participation in the liberation of that state. * Background The coat of arms was originally approved for the 34th Armored Regiment (Light) on 10 December 1941. It was redesignated for the 34th Armored Regiment on 26 March 1942. It was redesignated for the 34th Tank Battalion on 10 November 1943. The insignia was redesignated for the 34th Medium Tank Battalion on 29 March 1954. It was redesignated for the 34th Armor Regiment on 20 January 1958. The insignia was amended to add a crest on 9 June 1964.

Campaign participation credit

World War II: Normandy; Northern France;

Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...

; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe Vietnam': Counteroffensive, Phase II; Counteroffensive, Phase III; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase IV; Counteroffensive, Phase V; Counteroffensive, Phase VI; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase VII Southwest Asia: Defense of

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

; Liberation and Defense of

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

; Cease-Fire Southwest Aisa:

Operation Iraq Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

based out of Forward Operating Base Gabe, Baqubah 2005-2006

Decorations

* Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered ROER RIVER DAMS *Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered SUOI TRE, VIETN

*

Valorous Unit Award The Valorous Unit Award (VUA) is the second highest United States Army unit decoration which may be bestowed upon an Army unit after the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). The VUA is awarded by the United States Army to units of the United State ...

, Streamer embroidered FISH HO

*Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered IR

*Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered IRAQ-KUWA

*

Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or ...

(2014-201

* Superior Unit Award, Army Superior Unit Award (2006-200

*

, Streamer embroidered LUXEMBOU

* South Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1965-19

* South Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1966-19

References

{{Reflist

External links

* Campaigns & Honors list for 2-34 Armor hosted by the former 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Associati

* HQDA General Orders No. 51 (10 November 1971), specifying award of Civil Action Honor Medal, 1st Class to Companies A & D, 2-34 Armor (page 1

* HQDA General Orders No. 53 (22 October 1970), specifying award of Civil Action Honor Medal, 1st Class to Company B, 2-34 Armor (page

* HQDA General Orders No. 3, (20 February 1970), containing citation (page 4) for the Gallantry Cross with Palm awarded to 2-34 Armor (excluding Company B) under General Orders No. 48, which was an amendment to No.

* HQDA General Orders No. 9 (18 November 2005), specifying campaign credit for the Gulf War for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Battalio

* U.S. Army General Orders master list, containing numerous general orders PDF lin

* U.S. Army Human Resources Command roster of unit awar

Armored regiments of the United States Army, 034 1941 establishments in Kentucky Military units and formations established in 1941