The 12th Infantry Regiment is a unit 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 ...

. The 12th Infantry has fought in seven wars from the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

to the

War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire *Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in t ...

and has been awarded four Presidential Unit Citations, six

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 ...

s, a

Joint Meritorious Unit Award The Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA) is a US military award that was established on June 4, 1981, by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982. The Joint Meritor ...

, two citations in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army, three Republic of Vietnam Crosses of Gallantry, the

Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal The Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Medal () also known as the Vietnam Civil Actions Medal or Civil Actions Medal, is a military decoration of the former South Vietnamese government (1955–75). The medal was created on May 12, 1964 during t ...

First Class, eight

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 ...

, and the

Belgian Fourragere Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

. In 2021, both 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment reorganized as Stryker Battalions under 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. From 2023-2024, both Battalions completed a rotation to the Republic of Korea as a part of 2nd SBCT, Korea Rotational Force 13.

History

Civil War

Less than a month after the first shots of the

were fired at

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a historical Coastal defense and fortification#Sea forts, sea fort located near Charleston, South Carolina. Constructed on an artificial island at the entrance of Charleston Harbor in 1829, the fort was built in response to the W ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, the 12th Infantry Regiment was constituted 3 May 1861 in the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a ...

as the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry. It was organized 20 October 1861 at

Fort Hamilton Fort Hamilton is a United States Army installation in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. It is one of several posts that are part of the region which ...

in New York. The battalion saw extensive combat during the Civil War, participating in twelve campaigns with the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

. During the

Peninsula Campaign The Peninsula campaign (also known as the Peninsular campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March to July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The oper ...

, the 12th Infantry distinguished itself in its first combat action at the

Battle of Gaines' Mill The Battle of Gaines' Mill, sometimes known as the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles which together decided the outcome of the Union's Peninsula Campaig ...

in June 1862, while sustaining fifty percent casualties. The regiment also participated in such historic battles as

Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgin ...

, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and six additional campaigns culminating with the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a c ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, from late summer 1864 through April 1865 and the war's end. During the war it suffered a total of 319 fatalities; 8 officers and 118 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, and another 3 officers and 190 enlisted men who died from accident or disease.

Indian Wars

The battalion was reorganized and redesignated as the 12th Infantry Regiment on 7 December 1866. In April 1869, having been ordered to the

Presidio of San Francisco The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part ...

, California, the regiment entrained at

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, Nebraska, on the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...

portion the not yet finished

transcontinental railroad A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous rail transport, railroad trackage that crosses a continent, continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks may be via the Ra ...

; rode to

Corinne, Utah } Corinne ( ) is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 809 at the 2020 census, up from the 2010 figure of 685. History For almost ten years from its founding on 25 March 1869, the town of Corinne prospered as th ...

; detrained and marched to the Central Pacific railhead; and re-entrained to complete the journey to

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

, California. In the 1870s, the regiment took part in three campaigns of the Indian Wars; against the

Modoc Modoc may refer to: Ethnic groups *Modoc people, a Native American/First Nations people ** Modoc language ** Modoc Nation, a federally recognized tribe of Modoc * Modoc War, the last armed resistance of the Modoc people in 1873 *The "Modocs", ri ...

tribe in California during 1872–1873, against the

Bannocks Map of lands traditionally inhabited by the Bannock The Bannock tribe () were originally Northern Paiute but are more culturally affiliated with the Northern Shoshone. They are in the Great Basin classification of Indigenous People. Their tr ...

in the Northwest in 1878, and against the

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...

Pine Ridge, South Dakota Pine Ridge (Lakota language, Lakota: ''wazíbló'') is a census-designated place (CDP) and the most populous community in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 3,138 at the 2020 ...

from 1890–91. During these campaigns, six soldiers performed acts deemed worthy of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

Spanish–American War and Philippine–American War

During the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, the 12th Infantry was sent to

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

, in June 1898, and participated in the storming of the Spanish fortress in the

Battle of El Caney The Battle of El Caney was fought on July 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War. 600 Spanish soldiers held for twelve hours, until they ran out of ammunition, against Henry W. Lawton's 5th US Division, made up of 6,899 men. This action temp ...

, where the 12th had the distinction of capturing the Spanish colors. At the conclusion of the War with Spain, the regiment was immediately deployed in February 1899 to the

Philippine Islands The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

to reinforce other Army units fighting elements of the Filipino Army that resisted the United States after they defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Manila. There, the regiment participated in three campaigns (Malolos, Tarlac, and Luzon 1899) of what was to be known as the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

and then served as garrison troops, not returning to the United States until 1912.

Garrison duty

Deployed along the Mexican border, the regiment repulsed Villista harassing attacks during the Battle of Nogales in 1915. On 17 December 1917 the 12th Infantry was assigned to the 8th Division at

Camp Fremont Camp Fremont was a World War I-era military base located near Palo Alto, California. Construction started in July 1917 and the post closed in September, 1919. The post was named for John C. Frémont, a US Army officer and government official who w ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, but was not sent overseas in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. In August 1918 most of the regiment volunteered for duty in

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

and the regiment was skeletonized until replacements were received and trained. As part of the 15th Infantry Brigade, the regiment moved to its pre-embarkation staging location at

Camp Mills Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York (state), New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden Ci ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, between 23 October and 31 October 1918, but entrained while quarantined at Camp Fremont for

Spanish influenza The 1918–1920 flu pandemic, also known as the Great Influenza epidemic or by the common misnomer Spanish flu, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 subtype of the influenza A virus. The earliest docum ...

. After its arrival, the regiment remained in strict quarantine until after its convoy had sailed, and was not released until 11 November, the day the armistice ended the war.

Interwar period

The 12th Infantry was stationed at Camp George G. Meade,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, as of June 1919 as a separate regiment. The 2nd Battalion was transferred in January 1921 to

Camp Lee Fort Lee (formerly Fort Gregg-Adams), in Prince George County, Virginia is a United States Army post and headquarters of the United States Army Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM)/ Sustainment Center of Excellence (SCoE), the U.S. Army Quart ...

. The regiment was designated as a training center regiment on 27 July 1921 and assigned to the Third Corps Area Training Center. The 2nd Battalion was inactivated on 12 October 1921 at Camp George G. Meade. The 3rd Battalion was transferred in June 1922 to Fort Washington, Maryland. The regiment was reorganized as a combat regiment on 11 September 1922 upon the inactivation of the Third Corps Area Training Center. The regiment, less the 3rd Battalion, was transferred on 30 September 1922 to Fort Howard, Maryland. The regiment was assigned to the 8th Division on 24 March 1923. The 2nd Battalion was organized 30 March 1926 with

Organized Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. History Origi ...

personnel as a Regular Army Inactive (RAI) unit with headquarters at Fort Howard. The regiment temporarily transferred on 7 May 1926 to Camp Anthony Wayne,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, and participated in the

Sesquicentennial Exposition The Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition of 1926 was a world's fair in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its purpose was to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the 50th anniversar ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

until 11 December 1926. It was relieved from the 8th Division on 15 August 1927 and assigned to the

4th Division In military terms, 4th Division may refer to: Infantry divisions *4th (Quetta) Division, British Indian Army * 4th Alpine Division Cuneense, Italy * 4th Blackshirt Division (3 January), Italy *4th Canadian Division *4th Division (Australia) * 4th ...

. It participated in the inaugural parades of President

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A wealthy mining engineer before his presidency, Hoover led the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and ...

on 4 March 1929 and President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

on 4 March 1933. In 1932, the unit, along with the 3rd Cavalry regiment (led by then Major George S. Patton), engaged in the forced removal of WWI veterans who had camped in protest for the bonuses they were promised for their World War I service. The overall commander was Douglas MacArthur who declared the peaceful assembley an, "Attempt to overthrow the government." He sent Patton and Dwight Eisenhower's units in and the resulting chaos injured dozens and left at least one person dead. 3rd Battalion established the first

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

(CCC) camp in the United States near

Edinburg, Virginia Edinburg is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,041 at the 2010 census. History The Bowman-Zirkle Farm, Campbell Farm (Edinburg, Virginia), Campbell Farm, Clem-Kagey Farm, Edin ...

, on 17 April 1933. The regiment was relieved from the 4th Division on 1 October 1933 and reassigned to the 8th Division. Assigned Reserve officers conducted summer training with the regiment at Fort Howard. The primary

ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC; or ) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. While ROTC graduate officers serve in all branches o ...

"feeder" school for new Reserve lieutenants for the regiment was

Pennsylvania State College The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855 as Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Pe ...

. The 3rd Battalion was transferred on 27 June 1939 to Arlington Cantonment, Virginia. The regiment, less the 3rd Battalion, was transferred on 3 September 1940 to Arlington Cantonment. The entire regiment was transferred on 12 June 1941 to

Fort Dix Fort Dix, the common name for the Army Support Activity (ASA) located at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, is a United States Army post. It is located south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. Fort Dix is under the jurisdiction of the Air Fo ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. It was relieved from the 8th Division on 10 October and assigned to the 4th Division, and transferred on 24 October to

Fort Benning Fort Benning (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve compone ...

, Georgia.

World War II

The 12th Infantry Regiment was reorganized as a motorized infantry regiment on 29 September 1942. Less than a year later, on 1 August 1943, the 12th was reorganized as a standard infantry regiment when the 4th Division was converted from motorized to dismounted infantry. The regiment along with the rest of the 4th Infantry Division arrived in England on 29 January 1944. On

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

, 6 June 1944, the 12th Infantry saw its first action of the war when, as part of the 4th Infantry Division, it spearheaded the assault landing on Utah Beach under the command of Colonel Russell "Red" Reeder. Between 9 and 12 August 1944, the regiment helped defeat the Germans in

Operation Lüttich Operation Lüttich (7–13 August 1944) was the codename of the Nazi German counter-attack during the Operation Overlord, which occurred near U.S. positions near Mortain, in northwestern France. ''Lüttich'' is the German name for the city of Li� ...

. The regiment fought in five European campaigns through France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. The 12th Infantry was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for valor in action at

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 ...

during the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...

. The regiment was also awarded the

. After Germany's surrender, the 12th Infantry, along with the 4th Infantry Division, returned to the United States on 12 July 1945 and was inactivated 27 February 1946 at

Camp Butner Camp Butner was a United States Army installation in Butner, North Carolina, during World War II. It was named after Army general and North Carolina native Henry W. Butner. Part of it was used as a POW camp for German prisoners of war in the Unit ...

, North Carolina. During this time famed author

J. D. Salinger Jerome David Salinger ( ; January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010) was an American author best known for his 1951 novel '' The Catcher in the Rye''. Salinger published several short stories in '' Story'' magazine in 1940, before serving in World Wa ...

served with the unit.

Cold War

On 15 July 1947, the 12th Infantry Regiment was reactivated as a training regiment when 4th Infantry Division was given the mission of basic training at

Fort Ord Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...

, California. In July 1951, the 4th Division was returned to line status and rotated to Germany as part of

Operation Gyroscope Operation Gyroscope was a United States Army program implemented between 1955 and 1959. Taking place during the Cold War, this initiative modified the system of troop rotation, so that entire divisions were rotated out of overseas service together, ...

. In 1956, the Division returned to the United States and was stationed at Fort Lewis (Washington) In 1957, the Army decided that in the era of battlefield atomic weapons, tactical infantry regiments were obsolete. To preserve the historic infantry regiments the Army set up the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) whereby the line companies of a regiment would form new elements of the regiment. The 12th Infantry was selected as one of the historic regiments to be preserved. On 1 August 1957, Company A was redesignated and activated as Headquarters Company, 1st Battle Group, 12th Infantry (with organic companies of the battle group constituted and activated) and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. Company B formed the 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry assigned in Germany to the 8th Infantry Division until 1959 when it was reassigned to the 1st Infantry Division also in Germany. Company C was allocated to the Army Reserves and formed the 3rd Battle Group, 12th Infantry assigned to the 79th Infantry Division. By the time the

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (, ) was a guarded concrete Separation barrier, barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany). Construction of the B ...

went up in August 1961, the 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry along with the rest of the 1st Infantry Division had been transferred back to

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. To reinforce NATO, the 1st Division was directed to begin Operation Long Trust whereby the individual battle groups were rotated on temporary duty to West Germany. In July 1962, the 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry was airlifted to West Germany where it undertook several months of tactical training and testing at

Wildflecken Wildflecken is a municipality in the Bad Kissingen district, at the border of northwestern Bavaria and southern Hesse. In 2022, its population was 2,935; the postal code is 97772 (US Forces used APO NY 09026 until July 15, 1991, when APO/FPO/DPO ...

, West Germany. It was then ordered to proceed to Berlin overland through East Germany using the

Helmstedt Helmstedt (; Eastphalian: ''Helmstidde'') is a town on the eastern edge of the German state of Lower Saxony. It is the capital of the District of Helmstedt. The historic university and Hanseatic city conserves an important monumental heritage o ...

-Berlin

autobahn The (; German , ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. Much of t ...

to test the Warsaw Pact's willingness to allow NATO forces to continue to use it. Arriving without incident in Berlin to reinforce the U.S. Army's Berlin Brigade, the 2nd Battle Group was quartered at Andrews and McNair Barracks. Because of the ongoing

Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis () in Cuba, or the Caribbean Crisis (), was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union, when American deployments of Nuclear weapons d ...

, the battle group was almost on constant alert in October 1962. In 1963, the Army concluded that the battle group was not the answer and reorganized the infantry and airborne divisions into a quasi-regimental structure of three brigades of three infantry battalions each. Consequently, on 1 October 1963, the 2nd Battle Group, 12th Infantry was reorganized and redesignated as the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry and reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division at

ort Lewis Ort or ORT may refer to: Broadcasting *Channel One Russia (formerly ) *ORT (TV channel), a Greek radio and television station () Organisations *Order of Railroad Telegraphers, an American labor union (founded 1886) * Organización Revolucionaria ...

Washington and eventually joined the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 12th Infantry at Fort Carson, Colorado.

Vietnam

Three 12th Infantry battalions deployed to South Vietnam with the 4th Division from August through October 1966. The 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, to which the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry was assigned, set up base camp at

Dầu Tiếng Dầu Tiếng is a township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception ...

III Corps III or iii may refer to: Companies * Information International, Inc., a computer technology company * Innovative Interfaces, Inc., a library-software company * 3i, formerly Investors in Industry, a British investment company Other uses * I ...

while the rest of the 4th Division was assigned to the Central Highlands in II Corps alongside the 3rd Brigade of the 25th Division which had arrived in December 1965. On 1 August 1967, the two divisions swapped 3rd Brigades. Subsequently, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry served with the 25th through 10 of the Battalion's 11 Vietnam campaigns and received the Presidential Unit Citation for gallantry in action at Suoi Tre. As part of the U.S. draw-down, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry was returned to

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 ...

, WA, and inactivated on 17 April 1971. NARA photo 111-CCV-605C-CC51629

The 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry was activated and assigned to the

199th Light Infantry Brigade The 199th Infantry Brigade (Light) is a unit of the United States Army which served in the Army Reserve from 1921 to 1940, in the active army from 1966 to 1970 (serving in the Vietnam War), briefly in 1991–1992 at Fort Lewis, and from 2007 as ...

in June 1966 and went with the Brigade to Vietnam in December, 1966, where it was based at

Long Binh Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great time, duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music ...

near

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

. In November 1967, the 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry was activated at Fort Lewis, WA and sent to Vietnam to join the 199th Brigade. This made the 12th Infantry unique in that the regiment had more battalions deployed in Vietnam than any other infantry regiment. In October 1970, the 4th and 5th Battalions returned to

, Georgia and were inactivated. The 1st and 3rd Battalions returned in December 1970 with the 4th Division to

Fort Carson Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, El Paso, Pueblo County, Colorado, Pueblo, Fremont County, Colorado, Fremont, and Huerfano County, Colorado, Huerfano counties, Color ...

, CO. Three soldiers from the 1st Battalion, one from the 2nd Battalion, two soldiers from the 4th Battalion, and one soldier from the 5th Battalion, were awarded the Medal of Honor.

Post-Vietnam

The CARS system was replaced by the US Army Regimental System in 1985 when the army contemplated shifting to a unit replacement system. Under the new system four battalions of the 12th Infantry were activated. The 1st and 2nd Battalions were assigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson and the 3rd and 4th Battalions were assigned to the 8th Infantry Division in Germany. The concept was for members of the regiment to spend the majority of their army careers rotating between assignments with regimental battalions at Fort Carson and in Germany. By the early 1990s, the Army draw-down and its expanding worldwide peace-keeping commitments led to a decision to scrap the unit replacement concept before it was fully implemented. The 3rd and 4th Battalions were transferred to the 1st Armored Division and served in Bosnia before being inactivated in Germany in 1997.

Operation Sea Signal

The 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment "Warriors" of the 4th Infantry Division deployed from 29 August 1994 – 25 February 1995 to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in support of Joint Task Force 160 to provide refugee camp security at Camp Alpha, Camp Bravo, Camp Golf, Camp Mike, Camp Quebec, Camp Romeo, Camp Sierra, and Camp X-Ray. The unit also served as a quick reaction force to quell any refugee uprisings, built refugee housing camp facilities, escorting refugees for medical treatment, repatriation of Haitian refugees, distribution of food and supplies, and main base security. The battalion was housed in a tent city located on the football field of the base high school with the exception of Charlie Company who was housed in tents in the nursery. Awards for participation in Joint Task Force 160 include the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. The 1st Battalion was inactivated at Fort Carson in September 1995, after returning from deployment to Guantanamo Bay as a part of

Operation Sea Signal Operation Sea Signal was a United States Department of Defense operation in the Caribbean in response to an influx of Cuban and Haitian migrants attempting to gain asylum in the United States. As a result, the migrants became refugees at Guantana ...

. The 2d Battalion was then reflagged as the 1st Battalion in 1996 after having soldiers from the inactivated 1st Battalion added to the ranks.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

The 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment was formerly assigned to the 3d Brigade Combat Team of the

U.S. 4th Infantry Division The 4th Infantry Division is a Division (military), division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado. It is composed of a division headquarters battalion, three brigade combat teams (two Stryker and one armor), a combat avia ...

and deployed with the 3rd BCT in March 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I. From May 2003 to February 2004, the battalion and elements of 1-68 Armor and 4th Engineers was attached to 173rd Airborne Infantry Brigade while B/1-12 remained with 1-68 Armor under 3rd Brigade/4th Infantry Division. The battalion redeployed back to Fort Carson in March 2004. As a result of the transformation of the brigade to the modular concept, elements of the battalion were changed to a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

squadron, the 2nd Squadron,

9th Cavalry Regiment The 9th Cavalry Regiment is a parent cavalry regiment of the United States Army. Historically, it was one of the Army's four segregated African-American regiments and was part of what was known as the Buffalo Soldiers. The regiment saw combat d ...

in November 2004. 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment was reactivated at

Fort Hood Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is currently named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. The post is located halfway between Austi ...

as part of the 4th BCT, 4th Infantry Division and deployed to

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, in fall of 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was replaced in the fall of 2006 by the 2nd BCT, 2nd Infantry Division from

. This unit was temporarily assigned to 1st Cavalry Division to which the 2d Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment was attached until February 2007 when the 4th BCT, 1st Infantry Division was assigned tactical control of

. On 6 April 2015 the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 12th Infantry Regiment were re-flagged under the 2nd

IBCT The brigade combat team (BCT) is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the U.S. Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its assigned support and fire units. A brigade is normally commanded by ...

, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Operation Enduring Freedom

In December 2001, Companies B and C of the 1st Battalion deployed to Kuwait in support of Intrinsic Action 01-02 and later in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Elements of other units from within the 3d BCT, 4th Infantry Division made up the remainder of Task Force 1-12. The task force redeployed to Fort Carson in May 2002. In May 2009, 1st and 2nd Battalions, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4BCT, 4th Infantry Division, deployed to

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...

X. 1st Battalion was based in the Arghandab River Valley, west of

Kandahar City Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's List of cities in Afghanistan, second largest city, after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118 in 2015. It i ...

, for the latter eight months of the deployment. Task Force 1-12's area of responsibility was referred to as the "Heart of Darkness" due to its significance as the birthplace of the

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

, and also due to the inherent complexity of their mission. Much of their fighting was conducted in notoriously dense grape fields, which provided excellent concealment for insurgent forces. The 2nd Battalion was based in the Pech River Valley,

Kunar Province Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- ...

, home to the

Korengal ''Korengal'' is a 2014 documentary about the War in Afghanistan directed by Sebastian Junger. It picks up where the film '' Restrepo'' (2010) left off, taking the viewer deeper into the experiences of the soldiers of Second Platoon, Battle Company ...

, Waygal, Shuriak, and

Wata Pour WATA (1450 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Local News Talk Information format. Licensed to Boone, North Carolina, United States. The station is currently owned by Curtis Media Group of Raleigh, North Carolina and features predominantly ...

Valleys. During its time in the Pech Valley, the 2nd Battalion saw heavy fighting throughout their area of responsibility at the foothills of the

Hindu Kush The Hindu Kush is an mountain range in Central Asia, Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and eastern Afghanistan into northwestern Pakistan and far southeastern Tajikistan. The range forms the wester ...

mountains. In June 2010, Task Force 1-12 and Lethal Warrior (2-12), 4th BCT, 4 ID redeployed to Fort Carson, Colorado, after 12 months in Afghanistan. In March 2012, 1st and 2nd Battalions, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4BCT, 4 ID, again deployed to

in support of

. This time, both battalions were based out of

Regional Command East In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

. Both battalions returned by December 2012, after nine months in Afghanistan. It was deployed to Afghanistan in February 2014 to assist in efforts to withdraw troops and equipment. The elements of the unit began to return to Ft Carson in September with the last unit arriving in December 2014.

Lineage

Lineage of the 12th Infantry Regiment: *Constituted 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry *Organized 20 October 1861 at

, New York *Reorganized and redesignated 7 December 1866 as the 12th Infantry *Abandoned (closed)

Fort Abraham Lincoln Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park is a North Dakota state park located south of Mandan, North Dakota, United States. The park is home to the replica Mandan On-A-Slant Indian Village and reconstructed military buildings including the Custer House. ...

, North Dakota; assigned to

Fort Yates Fort Yates is a city in Sioux County, North Dakota, United States. It is the tribal headquarters of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and county seat of Sioux County. Since 1970 the population has declined markedly from more than 1,100 residents, a ...

, North Dakota, July 1891, Company F *Abandoned (closed)

Fort Bennett Fort Bennett was originally called the Post at Cheyenne River Agency and was established during the Indian wars in the Department of Dakota by the U.S. Army to control the Sioux. History Cheyenne River Agency was established in 1869, following co ...

, South Dakota; assigned to

, North Dakota, October 1891, Company A *Assigned 17 December 1917 to the 8th Division *Relieved 15 August 1927 from assignment to the 8th Division and assigned to the

*Relieved 1 October 1933 from assignment to the 4th Division and assigned to the 8th Division *Relieved 10 October 1941 from assignment to the 8th Division and assigned to the 4th Division (later redesignated as the 4th Infantry Division) *Inactivated 27 February 1946 at

, North Carolina *Activated 15 July 1947 at

, California *Relieved 1 April 1957 from assignment to the 4th Infantry Division and reorganized as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) *Withdrawn 16 June 1989 from the CARS and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System *Reflagged 16 April 2015 from 4th IBCT to 2nd IBCT, "War Horse" Brigade - 4th IBCT "Warriors" colors were cased and inactivated as part of the U.S. Army's downsizing efforts. 4th Infantry Division at

, Colorado

Honors

Campaign participation credit

*Civil War: # Peninsula Manassas # Antietam # Fredericksburg # Chancellorsville # Gettysburg # Wilderness # Spotsylvania # Cold Harbor # Petersburg # Virginia 1862 # Virginia 1863 *Indian Wars: # Modocs #

# Pine Ridge *Spanish–American War: # Santiago *Philippine–American War: # Malolos # Tarlac # Luzon 1899 *World War II: # Normandy (with arrowhead) # Northern France # Rhineland # 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 *War on Terrorism: #Iraq - National Resolution - Operation Iraqi Freedom #Iraq - Iraqi Surge - Operation Iraqi Freedom #Afghanistan - Consolidation II - Operation Enduring Freedom #Afghanistan - Consolidation III - Operation Freedom's Sentinel

Decorations

# Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for LUXEMBOURG (12th Infantry) # Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for SUOI TRE, VIETNAM (2nd Battalion) # Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for PLEIKU PROVINCE, VIETNAM (3rd Battalion) # Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for DAK TO DISTRICT, VIETNAM (3rd Battalion) #

for PLEIKU PROVINCE, VIETNAM (1st Battalion) #

for CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, VIETNAM (1st Battalion) #

for SAIGON – LONG BINH, VIETNAM (4th Battalion) #

for FISH HOOK, VIETNAM (5th Battalion) #

for IRAQ 2003-2004 (1st Battalion) #

for IRAQ KUNAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN 2009 (2nd Battalion) #

for IRAQ 2003 (1st Battalion) #

for IRAQ 2005-2006 (1st Battalion) #

for IRAQ 2006-2008 (2nd Battalion) #

for AFGHANISTAN 2009-2010 (1st & 2nd Battalion) #

for AFGHANISTAN 2012 (1st & 2nd Battalion) #

for AFGHANISTAN 2014 (1st & 2nd Battalion) #

for AFGHANISTAN 2016 (1st Battalion) #

for AFGHANISTAN 2018 (1st & 2nd Battalion) #

for Operation Sea Signal (JTF-160) in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba #

1940 #Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in BELGIUM (12th Infantry) #Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the ARDENNES (12th Infantry) #

Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry 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, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1966-1967 #

with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1967-1968 #

with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1968-1970 #

, First Class, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1967-1970 # Presidential Unit Citation (Army) FOR Iraq 2003-2004 (Not confirmed by DOA, Lineage and Honors as of 2/3/2019)

Legacy

Several photographers and journalists were embedded with the 1st Battalion 12th Infantry Regiment during their 2009–2010 tour to

Kandahar Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city, after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118 in 2015. It is the capital of Kandahar Pro ...

. A series of articles published by David Philipps in the

Colorado Springs Gazette ''The Gazette'' is a daily newspaper based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. It has operated since 1873. History The publication began as ''Out West'', beginning March 23, 1872, but failed in its endeavor. The company relaunched ...

chronicles the 2nd Battalion of the 12th Infantry Regiment. The series inspired the book '' Lethal Warriors - When the New Band of Brothers Came Home''. which follows the lives of Lethal Warriors members after returning to the United States.

Notes

References

External links

The Hell of War Comes Home: Newspaper Series Documents Murder, Suicide, Kidnappings by 12th Infantry Regiment
- video by ''Democracy Now!'' {{DEFAULTSORT:012 1861 establishments in the United States 0012 Military units and formations established in 1861 012th Infantry Regiment 012th Infantry Regiment 012th Infantry Regiment Military units and formations of the United States in the Indian Wars Infantry regiments of the United States Army in World War II 12th Infantry Regiment