The 9th Infantry Division (nicknamed "Old Reliables") is an inactive infantry division 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 ...

. It was formed as the 9th Division during

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 ...

, but never deployed overseas. In later years it was an important unit of the U.S. Army 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 ...

and 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 ...

. It was also activated as a peacetime readiness unit from 1947 to 1962 at

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 as a Training Division,

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

, and

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 ...

, Colorado as a Full Combat Status Division, and from 1972 to 1991 as an active-duty infantry division 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. The division was inactivated in December 1991.

Insignia

The

shoulder sleeve insignia Shoulder sleeve insignia (SSI) are distinctive cloth patches worn on the left sleeve of the United States Army uniform just below the shoulder seam by soldiers assigned to divisions, corps, armies, and other specifically authorized orga ...

is an octofoil resembling a heraldic design given to the ninth son of a family. This represents the son as a circle in the middle with eight brothers around him. The blue represents the infantry, the red the artillery, with the white completing the colors of the flag of the United States of America.

World War I

The 9th Division was part of a group of six divisions (9th-14th) that the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet ...

directed to be formed in mid-1918 from

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 ...

troops augmented by draftees. It was anticipated that the divisions' training would take four months, to be completed by the end of November 1918. The 9th Division was organized from July to September 1918 at Camp Sheridan, near

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...

. At the end of July, the strength of the division was approximately 8,000 officers and men, while during August, draftees sent from Camp Hancock,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Camp Meade Camp George G. Meade near Middletown, Pennsylvania, was a camp established and subsequently abandoned by the U.S. Volunteers during the Spanish–American War. History Camp Meade was established August 24, 1898, and soon thereafter was occupi ...

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 ...

Camp Zachary Taylor Camp Zachary Taylor was a military training camp in Louisville, Kentucky. It opened in 1917, to train soldiers for U.S. involvement in World War I, and was closed three years later. It was initially commanded by Guy Carleton and after the war it ...

and Fort Thomas,

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 ...

Camp Upton Camp Upton was a port of embarkation of the United States Army during World War I. During World War II, it was used as an Army induction center, an internment camp for enemy aliens, and a hospital. It was located in Yaphank, New York, in Suffo ...

and

Fort Slocum Fort Slocum, New York was a US military post which occupied Davids Island in the western end of Long Island Sound in the city of New Rochelle, New York, from 1867 to 1965. The fort was named for Major General Henry W. Slocum, a Union corps c ...

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 * ...

, Camp Travis,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, and other stations brought the strength to about 22,000. Peak strength was reached during September, with 25,000 officers and men. Systematic training began during August. On 28 October 1918, the division's advance detachment moved to

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, preparatory to movement overseas. After the signing of the

armistice with Germany {{Short description, none This is a list of armistices signed by the German Empire (1871–1918) or Nazi Germany (1933–1945). An armistice is a temporary agreement to cease hostilities. The period of an armistice may be used to negotiate a peace t ...

, all training was suspended and the advance detachment returned to Camp Sheridan. Demobilization of all emergency period personnel and units except the 45th and 46th Infantry was ordered on 17 January 1919. Demobilization was completed on 15 February 1919.

Order of battle

* Headquarters, 9th Division * 17th Infantry Brigade (organized December 1917 at Camp Taylor) ** 45th Infantry Regiment (organized May 1917 at

Fort Benjamin Harrison Fort Benjamin Harrison was a U.S. Army post located in suburban Lawrence Township, Marion County, Indiana, northeast of Indianapolis, between 1906 and 1991. It is named for the 23rd United States president, Benjamin Harrison. History In 190 ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, with cadre from the 10th Infantry) ** 67th Infantry Regiment (organized July 1918 at Camp Sheridan with cadre from the 45th Infantry) ** 26th Machine Gun Battalion (organized December 1917 as 23rd Machine Gun Battalion at Camp Taylor with cadres from 45th and 46th Infantry; designation changed same month) * 18th Infantry Brigade (organized July 1918 at Camp Sheridan) ** 46th Infantry Regiment (organized June 1917 at Fort Benjamin Harrison with cadre from 10th Infantry as part of 17th Brigade; transferred to 18th Brigade July 1918) ** 68th Infantry Regiment (organized July 1918 at Camp Sheridan with cadre from 46th Infantry) ** 27th Machine Gun Battalion (organized July 1918 at Camp Sheridan with cadre from 26th Machine Gun Battalion) * 9th Field Artillery Brigade (organized August 1918 at Camp McClellan, Alabama) ** 25th Field Artillery (75 mm gun) ** 26th Field Artillery (75 mm gun) ** 27th Field Artillery (155 mm howitzer) ** 9th Trench Mortar Battery * 25th Machine Gun Battalion (organized August 1918 at Camp Sheridan) * 209th Engineer Regiment (organized August 1918 at Camp Forrest, Georgia) * 209th Field Signal Battalion (organized July 1918 at Camp Sheridan) * Headquarters Troop, 9th Division (organized July 1918 at Camp Sheridan) * 9th Train Headquarters and Military Police (organized July 1918 at Camp Sheridan) ** 9th Ammunition Train (organized August 1918 at Camp McClellan) ** 9th Engineer Train (organized August 1918 at Camp McClellan) ** 9th Supply Train (organized September 1918 at Camp Sheridan) ** 9th Sanitary Train (organized August 1918 at Camp McClellan) *** 233rd-236th Ambulance Companies and Field Hospitals The division was commanded by Colonel Charles C. Clark (July 1918 - September 1918), Maj. Gen. Willard A. Holbrook (September 1918 - October 1918), Brig. Gen.

James A. Ryan James Augustine Ryan (October 22, 1867 – January 14, 1956) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the American Indian Wars, Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, Pancho Villa Expedition, and World War I, he att ...

(October 1918 - November 1918) acting, Maj. Gen. Willard A. Holbrook (November 1918 - February 1919)

Interwar period

The 9th Division was reconstituted on 24 March 1923, allotted to the First Corps Area for mobilization responsibility, and assigned to the I Corps.

Camp Devens Fort Devens is a United States Army Reserve military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Due to extensive environmental contamination it was l ...

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 ...

, was designated as the mobilization and training station for the division upon reactivation. The 18th Infantry Brigade and additional active and inactive elements were assigned to the division on 24 March 1923. The division’s inactive units were assigned to active associate units for mobilization purposes. During the period 1923–39, the 9th Division was represented in the active Army by the 18th Infantry Brigade and other assorted divisional elements that formed the base force from which the remainder of the division would be reactivated in the event of war. The division headquarters was organized on 28 July 1926 as a Regular Army Inactive (RAI) unit 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 at the

Army Base A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. In 1926-27, the active associate concept was abandoned and many of the division’s inactive elements were organized as RAI units by mid-1927 in the First and Second Corps Areas. The active elements of the division maintained habitual training relationships with divisional RAI units, as well as those of the I Corps,

XI Corps 11 Corps, 11th Corps, Eleventh Corps, or XI Corps may refer to: * 11th Army Corps (France) * XI Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XI Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * ...

, and the 76th, 94th, and 97th Divisions. The RAI and Reserve units often trained with the active elements of the division during summer training camps usually conducted at Camp Devens and Fort McKinley,

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

. The 18th Infantry Brigade's

5th Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth Avenue * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a cont ...

and 13th Infantry Regiments additionally supported the Reserve units’ conduct of the Citizens’ Military Training Camps also held at Camp Devens and Fort McKinley. When funds were available, the 18th Infantry Brigade and the division’s other active elements, which included the 9th Tank Company, 9th Ordnance Company, 9th Quartermaster Regiment, and

25th Field Artillery Regiment The 25th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army, first constituted 5 July 1918 in the National Army (USA). Although the regiment did not see action during World War I, elements participated in World War ...

, held maneuvers and command post exercises at Camp Devens, during which the division headquarters was occasionally formed in a provisional status. The division headquarters was also provisionally formed in 1939 for the First Army maneuvers in upstate New York. Under the new “triangular” tables of organization, the 9th Division was reactivated, less Reserve personnel, on 1 August 1940 at

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, and assigned to the I Corps. The division participated in the Carolina Maneuvers from September–November 1941.

Order of battle, 1939

One asterisk following the unit name indicates it was partially active and the headquarters location shown was the mobilization post. Two asterisks following the unit name indicates it was organized with Reserve personnel as an RAI unit. Three asterisks following the unit name indicates it was wholly inactive or not organized and the headquarters location shown was the mobilization post. * Headquarters** (Army Base, Boston, MA) *Headquarters, Special Troops** (Boston, MA) **Headquarters and Military Police Company** (Boston, MA) **9th Signal Company** (

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other words Arts and media * ''Concord'' (video game), a defunct 2024 first-person sh ...

, NH) **5th Ordnance Company (Medium)*** (Fort Devens, MA) **9th Tank Company (Light)** (Fort Devens, MA) *17th Infantry Brigade** (

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

, NY) **36th Infantry Regiment** (

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, NY) **37th Infantry Regiment** ( Brunswick, NJ) *18th Infantry Brigade (Army Base, Boston, MA) **5th Infantry Regiment ( Fort Williams, ME) **13th Infantry Regiment (Fort Devens, MA) *9th Field Artillery Brigade** (

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

, MA) **25th Field Artillery Regiment* (

Madison Barracks File:Madison Barracks.jpg File:Madison Barracks02.jpg File:Madison Barracks Stone Tower.jpg File:Madison Barracks Stone Tower 02.jpg Madison Barracks was a military installation established in 1813 or 1815 at Sackets Harbor that was built for oc ...

, NY) **26th Field Artillery Regiment** (Lawrence, MA) **34th Field Artillery Regiment** (

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in some religions * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

, RI) **9th Ammunition Train** (

Pittsfield Pittsfield is the most populous city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsf ...

, MA) *15th Engineer Regiment** (Fort Devens, MA) *9th Medical Regiment** (

Ithaca Ithaca most commonly refers to: *Homer's Ithaca, an island featured in Homer's ''Odyssey'' *Ithaca (island), an island in Greece, possibly Homer's Ithaca *Ithaca, New York, a city, and home of Cornell University and Ithaca College Ithaca, Ithaka ...

, NY) *9th Quartermaster Regiment** (Providence, RI)

World War II

*Activated: 1 August 1940 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. *Overseas: 11 December 1942 (Three organic combat teams participated in North African landings 8 November 1942) *Campaigns: Algeria-French Morocco,

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

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 ...

, North France,

Rhineland Campaign The Siegfried Line campaign was a phase in the Western Front (World War II)#1944–1945: The Second Front, Western European campaign of World War II, which involved engagments near the German defensive Siegfried Line. This campaign spanned from ...

Ardennes-Alsace The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during the Second World War, taking place from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 19 ...

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

*Days of combat: 304 *Distinguished Unit Citations: 24 *Awards:

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 ...

– 5;

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...

– 104;

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation, state or country. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in act ...

– 3;

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

– 2,282;

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

– 19; DFC – 2;

Soldier's Medal The Soldier's Medal is an individual decoration of the United States Army. It was introduced as Section 11 of the Air Corps Act, passed by the Congress of the United States on July 2, 1926., Appendix 5, p. 126. The Soldier's Medal is equivalent ...

– 100;

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

–6,593;

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establi ...

– 129 *Commanders: Col . Charles B. Elliott (August 1940), Brig. Gen. Francis W. Honeycutt (September 1940), Maj. Gen.

Jacob L. Devers Jacob Loucks Devers (; 8 September 1887 – 15 October 1979) was a United States Army general who commanded the 6th Army Group in the European Theater of World War II. He was involved in the development and adoption of numerous weapons, i ...

(October 1940 – July 1941), Maj. Gen.

Rene Edward De Russy Hoyle René Edward De Russy Hoyle (September 16, 1883 – November 1, 1981) was a major general in the United States Army. Early life Hoyle was born in New York on September 16, 1883. He was the son of Brigadier General Eli DuBose Hoyle (1851–192 ...

(August 1941 – July 1942), Maj. Gen. Manton S. Eddy (August 1942 – August 1944), Maj. Gen.

Louis A. Craig Louis A. Craig (July 29, 1891 – January 3, 1984) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of Major general (United States), major general, and served in both World War I and World War II. Craig served as a corps ...

(August 1944 – May 1945), Brig. Gen. Jesse A. Ladd (May 1945 – February 1946), Maj. Gen. Horace L. McBride (March 1946 to inactivation)

Combat chronicle

The 9th Infantry Division was among the first U.S. combat units to engage in offensive ground operations during World War II. (The others were the 32nd and the 41st in the Pacific on

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

Carlson's Raiders The Marine Raiders are special operations forces originally established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare. Despite the original intent for Raiders to serve in a special opera ...

on Makin Island, the 1st Marine, and the Americal on

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...

, and, alongside the 9th in

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

, were the 1st Infantry,

3rd Infantry 3rd Division may refer to: Air divisions *3d Air Division, United States * 3d Attack Wing, United States Anti-air divisions * 3rd Flak Division, Nazi Germany Armoured divisions *3rd Armoured Division (Australia) *3rd Armored Division (Fr ...

, 34th Infantry and the 2nd Armored Divisions.) The 9th saw its first combat on 8 November 1942, when its elements landed at

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

, Safi, and

Port Lyautey Kenitra (, , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is a port on the Sebou River with a population of 507,736 as of 2024. It is one of the three main cities of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region and the capital of the similarly named Kénitra ...

, with the taking of Safi by the 3rd Battalion of the 47th Infantry Regiment standing as the first liberation of a city from Axis control in World War II. With the collapse of French resistance on 11 November 1942, the division patrolled the Spanish Moroccan border. The 9th returned to Tunisia in February and engaged in small defensive actions and patrol activity. On 28 March 1943 it launched an attack in southern Tunisia and fought its way north into

Bizerte Bizerte (, ) is the capital and largest city of Bizerte Governorate in northern Tunisia. It is the List of northernmost items, northernmost city in Africa, located north of the capital Tunis. It is also known as the last town to remain under Fr ...

, 7 May. In August, the 9th landed at

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

, and took part in the capture of

Randazzo Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta. Randazzo () is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It is situated at the northern foot of Mount Etna, c. northwest of Catania. It is the nearest town to the summi ...

and

Messina Messina ( , ; ; ; ) is a harbour city and the capital city, capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of 216,918 inhabitants ...

. Sent to England for further training, the division landed on Utah Beach on 10 June 1944 (

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 ...

plus 4), cut off the

Cotentin Peninsula The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its west lie the Gu ...

, drove on to

Cherbourg Harbour Cherbourg Harbour (French: ''rade de Cherbourg''; literally, the "roadstead of Cherbourg") is a harbour situated at the northern end of the Cotentin Peninsula, on the English Channel coastline, in Normandy, northwestern France. With a surface ...

and penetrated the port's heavy defenses. 36th AIR 9th ID Geich Dec1944

Following a brief rest in July, the division took part in the St. Lo break-through and in August helped close the

Falaise Gap The Falaise pocket or battle of the Falaise pocket (; 12–21 August 1944) was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War. Allied forces formed a pocket around Falaise, Calvados, in which German Army Group B, cons ...

. Turning east, the 9th crossed the

Marne Marne can refer to: Places France *Marne (river), a tributary of the Seine *Marne (department), a département in northeastern France named after the river * La Marne, a commune in western France *Marne, a legislative constituency (France) Nethe ...

, 28 August, swept through Saarlautern, and in November and December held defensive positions from

Monschau Monschau (; , ; ) is a small resort town in the Eifel region of western Germany, located in the Aachen district of North Rhine-Westphalia. Geography The town is located in the hills of the North Eifel, within the Hohes Venn – Eifel Nature ...

Losheim Losheim am See is a municipality in the district Merzig-Wadern, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated on the southern ridge of the Hunsrück, approximately 10 kilometers northeast of Merzig, and 35 kilometers northwest of Saarbrücken. In 1974 a re ...

. Moving north to Bergrath, Germany, it launched an attack toward the

Roer The Roer (, ) or Rur (; ) is a major river that flows through portions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It is a right (eastern) tributary to the Meuse (). About 90 percent of the river's course is in Germany. It is not to be conf ...

river, 10 December, taking Echtz and Schlich. From mid-December through January 1945, the division held defensive positions from Kalterherberg to Elsenborn. On 30 January the division jumped off from Monschau in a drive across the Roer and to the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

, crossing at

Remagen Remagen () is a town in Germany in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, in the district of Ahrweiler (district), Ahrweiler. It is about a one-hour drive from Cologne, just south of Bonn, the former West Germany, West German seat of government. It i ...

, 7 March. After breaking out of the Remagen bridgehead, the 9th assisted in the sealing and clearing of the Ruhr Pocket, then moved 150 miles (240 km) east to

Nordhausen Nordhausen may refer to: *Nordhausen (district), a district in Thuringia, Germany ** Nordhausen, Thuringia, a city in the district ** Nordhausen station, the railway station in the city *Nordhouse, a commune in Alsace (German: Nordhausen) * Narost, ...

, where it assisted in the liberation of the

Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp Mittelbau-Dora (also Dora-Mittelbau and Nordhausen-Dora) was a Nazi concentration camp located near Nordhausen in Thuringia, Germany. It was established in late summer 1943 as a subcamp of Buchenwald concentration camp, supplying slave labour f ...

, and attacked in the

Harz Mountains The Harz (), also called the Harz Mountains, is a Mittelgebirge, highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The nam ...

, 14–20 April. On 21 April the Division relieved the 3d Armored Division along the Mulde River, near

Dessau Dessau is a district of the independent city of Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the ''States of Germany, Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Until 1 July 2007, it was an independent ...

, and held that line until

VE-day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of German Instrument of Surrender, Germany's unconditional surrender of Wehrmacht, its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official su ...

. After the war, the Division moved south to Ingolstadt. The Division assumed control of the Dachau Concentration Camp in early July.

Mediterranean theater of operations

*previous: II Corps *May 1943: I Armored Corps

European theater of operations

*20 November 1943: First Army *25 November 1943:

VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to: * VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I * VII ...

*1 August 1944: VII Corps, First Army,

12th Army Group The Twelfth United States Army Group was the largest and most powerful United States Army formation ever to take to the field, commanding four field armies at its peak in 1945: First United States Army, Third United States Army, Ninth United Stat ...

*26 October 1944:

V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Arm ...

*6 December 1944: VII Corps *18 December 1944: V Corps *20 December 1944: Attached, with the entire First Army, to the

British 21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established i ...

*18 January 1945: V Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group *17 February 1945:

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 ...

*31 March 1945: VII Corps *4 April 1945: III Corps *14 April 1945: VII Corps

Order of battle

* Headquarters, 9th Infantry Division * 39th Infantry Regiment * 47th Infantry Regiment *

60th Infantry Regiment The U.S. 60th Infantry Regiment is a regimental unit in the United States Army. Its 2nd and 3rd Battalion conduct Basic Combat Training. Participating in three wars on three continents, the 60th has played a conspicuous role in the achievemen ...

* Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 9th Infantry Division Artillery **26th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) **34th Field Artillery Battalion (155 mm) **60th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) **84th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) * 15th Engineer Combat Battalion * 9th Medical Battalion * 9th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized) * Headquarters, Special Troops, 9th Infantry Division ** Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry Division ** 709th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company ** 9th Quartermaster Company ** 9th Signal Company ** Military Police Platoon ** Band * 9th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment * 376th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion Detachment

Statistics

= Chronology

= *Activated 1 August 1940 *Arrived UK 27 November 1943 *Arrived Continent (D+4) 10 June 1944 *Entered Combat 14 June 1944 (First elements in combat in North Africa 8 November 1942; entire division entered combat 26 March 1943) *Days in Combat 264

= Casualties

= *Total battle casualties: 23,277Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths in World War II, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953) *Killed in action: 3,856 *Wounded in action: 17,416 *Missing in action: 357 *Prisoner of war: 1,648

= Campaigns

= * Algeria-French Morocco (

Arrowhead device The arrowhead device is a miniature bronze arrowhead that may be worn on campaign, expedition, and service medals and ribbons to denote participation in an amphibious assault landing, combat parachute jump, helicopter assault landing, or combat ...

) *

* 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 ...

= Individual awards

= #Medal of Honor: 4 #Distinguished Service Cross: 86 #Legion of Merit: 6 #Silver Star: 1,789 #Soldier's Medal: 55 #Bronze Star: 5,518 #Distinguished Flying Cross: 1 #Air Medal: 124

= Unit awards

= Presidential Unit Citations: * Division Artillery Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, for 21–23 February 1943 ( WD GO 115, 1946) * Military Police Platoon, for 9–15 March 1943 (WD GO 84, 1945) * Company B, 9th Medical Battalion, for 8–19 March 1945 (WD GO 65, 1946) * 15th Engineer Combat Battalion, for 14 September-23 October 1944 (WD GO 67, 1946) * Company B, 15th Engineer Combat Battalion, for 8–19 March 1945 (WD GO 65, 1946) * 34th Field Artillery Battalion, for 21–23 February 1943 (WD GO 51, 1946) * 1st Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, for 18 June 1944 (WD GO 10, 1945) * 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, for 11–12 July 1944 (WD GO 24, 1945) * 1st Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, for 6–9 August 1944 (WD GO 10, 1945) * 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, for 21–26 June 1944 (WD GO 86, 1944) * 1st Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment * 47th Infantry Regiment, for 8–19 March 1945 (WD GO 65, 1946) * 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, for 2–5 April 1945 (WD GO 98, 1945) * 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, for 14–22 September 1944 (WD GO 139, 1946) * 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, for 24–28 November 1944 (DA GO 25, 1948) * 60th Field Artillery Battalion, for 21–23 February 1943 (WD GO 84, 1947) * 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, for 23–24 April 1943 (WD GO 1, 1944) * 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, for 16 June 1944 (WD GO 90, 1944) * Cannon Company, 60th Infantry Regiment, for 21–23 February 1943 (WD GO 84, 1947) * Medical Detachment, 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, for 6 September 1944 (WD GO 12, 1945) * Company B, 60th Infantry Regiment, for 12 December 1944 (WD GO 55, 1945) * 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, for 9–10 February 1945 (WD GO 68, 1945) * 60th Field Artillery Battalion, for 21–23 February 1943 (WD GO 84, 1947) * 84th Field Artillery Battalion (WD GO 51, 1946) * 84th Field Artillery Battalion (WD GO 65, 1946)

= Prisoners of war taken

= *Total: 130,000

Post-World War II

*Inactivated: 15 January 1947 *Reactivated: 15 July 1947 at Fort Dix, New Jersey *Inactivated: 31 January 1962 at Fort Carson, Colorado *Redesignated 1 February 1966 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry Division, and activated 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 *Inactivated 25 September 1969 in Hawaii *Activated: 21 April 1972 at Fort Lewis, Washington *Inactivated: 15 December 1991 at Fort Lewis, Washington The 9th Infantry Division was reactivated on 15 July 1947 at

Fort Dix, New Jersey 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 For ...

and assumed a peacetime readiness and training role. In the 1950s, the division was stationed in

. It later relocated to

Fort Carson, Colorado Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso, Pueblo, Fremont, and Huerfano counties, Colorado, United States. The developed portion of Fort Carson is located near the City of Colorado Sprin ...

where it was inactivated on 31 January 1962.

Commanding generals

* Maj. Gen.

William W. Eagles Major General William Willis Eagles (January 12, 1895 − February 19, 1988) was a decorated officer in the United States Army. A graduate of the United States Military Academy (USMA), he is most noted for his service during World War II as Com ...

(15 July 1947 – 26 April 1948) * Maj. Gen. Arthur A. White (27 April 1948 – October 1949) * Maj. Gen. John M. Devine (October 1949 - September 1950) * Maj. Gen. William K. Harrison Jr. (September 1950 - February 1952) * Maj. Gen. Roderick R. Allen (February 1952 - June 1952) * Maj. Gen. Homer W. Kiefer (June 1952 - July 1953) * Maj. Gen. Cornelius E. Ryan (July 1953 - May 1954) * Maj. Gen. Donald P. Booth (May 1954 - November 1954) * Maj. Gen. Halley G. Maddox (November 1954 - June 1956) * Maj. Gen. Harry P. Storke (June 1956 - September 1957) * Brig. Gen. Joseph B. Crawford (September 1957 - March 1958) * Maj. Gen. Martin J. Morin (March 1958 - April 1959) * Brig. Gen. Richard A. Risden (April 1959 - March 1960) * Colonel Charles L. Heltman Jr. (March 1960 - May 1960) - acting * Brig. Gen. Ashton H. Manhart (May 1960 - February 1962) - Division inactivated * Maj. Gen. Volney F. Warner (1975 - 1979)

Vietnam War

The 9th Division was reactivated on 1 February 1966, and arrived in

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 ...

on 16 December 1966 from

, Kansas. On deployment the division was assigned to the

Tactical Zone of Vietnam where it commenced operations in

Dinh Tuong Dinh may refer to: Dinh ''pronounced "zinh" or "yinh"'' * Dinh River (Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu), river in Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu, one of five rivers named Sông Dinh in Vietnam. * núi Dinh, hills in Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu, Vietnam Đình ''pronoun ...

and Long An Provinces (6 January-31 May 1967) in Operation Palm Beach. Its area of operations was in the rivers and canals of the

Mekong Delta The Mekong Delta ( or simply ), also known as the Western Region () or South-western region (), is the list of regions of Vietnam, region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong, Mekong River River delta, approaches and empties into the sea th ...

from 1967 to 1972. Operating deep within the

Viet Cong The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...

(VC)–controlled Delta, the Division was charged with protecting the area and its population against VC insurgents and ensuring the success of the South Vietnamese government's pacification program. Faced with unrelenting physical hardships, a tenacious enemy and the region's rugged terrain, the Division established strategies and quantifiable goals for completing their mission. Division commanding generals were: Maj. Gen. George S. Eckhardt (February 1966 - June 1967), Maj. Gen. George G. O'Connor (June 1967 - February 1968), Maj. Gen.

Julian Ewell Julian Johnson Ewell (November 5, 1915 – July 27, 2009) was a career United States Army officer who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He commanded the 9th Infantry Division and II Field Force in Vietnam, and attaine ...

(February 1968 - April 1969), Maj. Gen. Harris W. Hollis (April 1969 - August 1969) The infantry units that served with the 9th Infantry Division were: Fire Support Base Danger March 1969

*2d Battalion, 39th Infantry *3d Battalion, 39th Infantry *4th Battalion, 39th Infantry *2d Battalion, 47th Infantry (Mechanized) *3d Battalion, 47th Infantry (Riverine) *4th Battalion, 47th Infantry (Riverine) *2d Battalion, 60th Infantry *3d Battalion, 60th Infantry (Riverine) *5th Battalion, 60th Infantry (Mechanized Dec. 1966 – 12 September 1968; Infantry 13 September 1968 – October 1970) *6th Battalion, 31st Infantry Other units included: * Company E, 50th Infantry (reflagged Co. E, 75th Inf (Ranger)), 2 December 1967 – Aug 1969 * Company E, 75th Infantry, Oct 1969 – Oct 1970 * 3d Squadron, 5th Cavalry, Feb 1967 – Nov 1971 * 9th Aviation Battalion, Jan 1967 – Aug 1969 * 2d Battalion, 4th Artillery (105mm Howitzer), Jan 1967 – Oct 1970 * 1st Battalion, 11th Artillery (105mm Howitzer), Jan 1967 – Aug 1969 * 3d Battalion, 34th Artillery (105mm Howitzer)(Riverine), Dec 1966 – Jul 1969 (Riverine) * 1st Battalion, 84th Artillery (155mm Howitzer/8-inch Howitzer), Feb 1967 – Aug 1969 * 15th Engineer Battalion, Oct 1966 – Aug 1969 * 571st Engineer Company, Oct 1969 – Oct 1970 * 9th Medical Battalion, 4 January 1967 – 18 August 1969 * 9th Signal Battalion, 19 December 1966 – 19 August 1969 * 9th Supply and Transport Battalion, 16 December 1966 – 23 August 1969 * 709th Maintenance Battalion, 26 January 1967 – 20 August 1969 * 9th Adjutant General Company, 30 December 1966 – 26 August 1969 * 9th Military Police Company, 19 December 1966 – 25 September 1969 * 335th Army Security Agency Company (a.k.a. "335th Radio Research Unit"), 12 January 1967 – 5 April 1971 * 99th Support Battalion, 1 October 1969 – 12 October 1970 * 493 Military Intelligence Detachment, 3/9th Inf Div, 19 December 1966 - 20 August 1970 One of the experimental units serving with the division was the 39th Cavalry Platoon (Air Cushion Vehicle) which used three of the specially designed

hovercraft A hovercraft (: hovercraft), also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and various other surfaces. Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the ...

to patrol marshy terrain like the

Plain of Reeds Plain of Reeds (in ) is an inland wetland in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. Most of the wetlands are within Long An Province and Đồng Tháp Province. Physical characteristics Đồng Tháp Mười is a "back swamp" forming a large inundated depress ...

along the south Vietnamese/Cambodian border. Other experimental units were the 1st and 2nd Airboat Platoons, which operated

Hurricane Aircat The Hurricane Aircat was an airboat used as a riverine patrol boat by the US Army and South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) during the Vietnam War. It was used to conduct various counterinsurgency (COIN) and patrol missions in riverine and marshy areas w ...

airboat An airboat (also known as a planeboat, swamp boat, bayou boat, or fanboat) is a flat-bottomed watercraft propelled by an aircraft-type propeller and powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine. It is commonly used for fishing, hunting, r ...

s. From 1967 on, the 2d Brigade of the division was the Army contingent of the

Mobile Riverine Force In the Vietnam War, the Mobile Riverine Force (MRF) (after May 1967), initially designated Mekong Delta Mobile Afloat Force, and later the Riverines, were a joint US Army and US Navy force that comprised a substantial part of the brown-water n ...

(MRF). This brigade lived on the ships of Navy Task Force 117, and were transported on their infantry missions throughout the Mekong Delta on Tango boats (converted

landing craft Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force (infantry and vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. ...

) supported by various other armored boats. The MRF was often anchored near the South Vietnamese city of

Mỹ Tho Mỹ Tho () is a city in the Tiền Giang province in the Mekong Delta region of South Vietnam. It has a population of approximately 169,000 in 2006 and 220,000 in 2012. It is the regional center of economics, education and technology. The majori ...

, or near the Division's

Đồng Tâm Base Camp Đồng Tâm Base Camp (also known as Đồng Tâm Army Airfield) is a former U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) base west of Mỹ Tho in the Mekong Delta, southern Vietnam. History 1966–9 Đồng Tâm Base C ...

and they conducted operations in coordination with the Navy SEAL teams, the South Vietnamese Marines, units of the ARVN 7th Division and River Assault Groups. Following the

Tet offensive The Tet Offensive was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. The Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) launched a surprise attack on 30 January 1968 against the forces of ...

in 1968, General Westmoreland stated that the Division and the MRF saved the Delta region from falling to the

People's Army of Vietnam The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), officially the Vietnam People's Army (VPA; , , ), also recognized as the Vietnamese Army (), the People's Army () or colloquially the Troops ( ), is the national Military, military force of the Vietnam, S ...

forces. In 1969, the division also operated throughout

IV Corps 4 Corps, 4th Corps, Fourth Corps, or IV Corps may refer to: France * 4th Army Corps (France) * IV Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * IV Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperi ...

Chuck Hagel Charles Timothy Hagel ( ; born October 4, 1946)Secretary of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

, served in the 9th ID from 1967 to 1968 as a

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

(E-5), serving as an infantry

squad leader ''Squad Leader'' is a tactical level board war game originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by John Hill and simulates on infantry combat in Europe during World War II. One of the most complex war games of its time, ''Squ ...

. Hagel served in the same infantry squad as his younger brother Tom; they are believed to be the only American siblings to serve together during the Vietnam War."The private war of Chuck and Tom Hagel
by

Myra MacPherson Myra MacPherson (born 1934) is an American author, biographer, and journalist known for writing about politics, the Vietnam War, feminism, and death and dying. Although her work has appeared in many publications, she had a long affiliation with ...

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

, 30 April 2007. The Division's major units departed from South Vietnam on 27 August 1969 (HHC & 1st Brigade) to Hawaii; 27 August 1969 (2nd Brigade) to

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 ...

; 12 October 1970 (3rd Brigade) to Fort Lewis.

Post-Vietnam

9th Infantry Division

Following the Vietnam War the division was stationed at Fort Lewis. The formal activation ceremony was held on 26 May 1972. Initially the division was organized under the army's

Reorganization Objective Army Division The history of the United States Army began in 1775. The Army's main responsibility has been in fighting land battles and military occupation. The Corps of Engineers also has a major role in controlling rivers inside the United States. The Conti ...

system. Parts of the division between 1972 - 1983 were organized as follows: ** 9th Cavalry Brigade (Air Attack) (activated 18 December 1980) *** 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry *** 9th Aviation Battalion (activated 21 April 1972) *** 268th Attack Helicopter Battalion (activated 1 September 1981) *** Company A, 214th Aviation Battalion (activated 1 July 1981) ** Division Artillery (activated 21 June 1972) *** 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery (activated 21 October 1972) *** 1st Battalion, 11th Field Artillery (activated 21 July 1972) *** 3rd Battalion, 34th Field Artillery (activated 21 October 1972) *** 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery (activated 21 October 1972) *** Battery E, 333rd Field Artillery (activated 21 November 1977) ** Division Support Command *** Division Material Management Center *** 9th Medical Battalion *** 9th Supply & Transportation Battalion *** 709th Maintenance Battalion *** 9th Adjutant General Company *** 9th Finance Company *** 9th Division Band *** 100th Ordnance Detachment ** 1st Battalion, 67th Air Defense Artillery (activated 13 September 1972 - 1 April 1979) ** 1st Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery (activated 1 April 1979) ** 9th Signal Battalion (activated 21 June 1972) **

15th Engineer Battalion The 15th Engineer Battalion is an Echelon above Brigade (EAB) battalion of the United States Army. It is currently a subordinate unit of 7th Engineer Brigade and is headquartered in Grafenwoehr, Germany. Soldiers of the 15th Engineer Battalion ...

(activated 21 June 1972) ** 109th Military Intelligence Battalion (activated 1 October 1981) *** Company A (former 335th Army Security Agency Company (activated 21 December 1977 - reorganized 1 October 1981) *** Company B (former 9th Military Intelligence Company (activated 21 December 1972 - reorganized 1 October 1981) ** 9th Chemical Company (activated 1 September 1981) ** 9th Military Police Company

9th Infantry Division (Motorized)

From 1983 the division served as the High-Technology Test-Bed (HTTB) for the army. This led the division to develop the concept of "motorized infantry" from 1983. The motorized infantry division was to be equipped with enhanced technology to give it deployability and fire power and fill the gap between light and heavy divisions. The idea was to create a lighter version of the armored and mechanized divisions, which could be deployed easily by aircraft, while providing more firepower than a light infantry division. Initially the vision was to create three motorized brigades with three new types of infantry battalion: * Light Attack Battalion * Combined Arms Battalion Light * Combined Arms Battalion Heavy The light attack battalions utilized the Fast Attack Vehicles (FAV - later re-designated the

Desert Patrol Vehicle The Desert Patrol Vehicle (DPV), formerly called the Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV), is a Chenowth high-speed, lightly armored sandrail-like vehicle first used in combat during the Gulf War in 1991. Due to their dash speed and off-road mobility, the ...

), essentially a

Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...

-engined dune buggy with either a 40 mm

Mk 19 grenade launcher The Mk 19 grenade launcher (pronounced Mark 19) is an American 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher that was first developed during the Vietnam War. Overview The Mk 19 is a belt-fed, blowback-operated, air-cooled, crew-ser ...

or 12.7 mm

M2 Browning machine gun The M2 machine gun or Browning .50-caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed near the end of World War I by John Browning. While similar to Browning's M1919 Browning machine gun, which was chamber ...

. The FAV was designed to provide highly mobile firepower that could attack the flanks of heavier mechanized units. Some variants also mounted TOW missiles. All of these weapons systems were attached to the FAV by a mount designed to break away if the vehicle rolled over, which they were prone to do. The FAVs were problematic at best and were eventually replaced by various versions of the

Humvee The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of Military light utility vehicle, light, four-wheel drive Military vehicle#Military trucks, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It ...

/HMMWV light truck. The combined arms battalions were organized as a mix of assault gun companies and light motorized infantry companies, with the heavy battalions fielding two assault gun companies and one light motorized infantry company, while the ratio was reversed in the light battalions. The assault gun companies were to be equipped with the

Armored Gun System The Armored Gun System (AGS) was a U.S. Army competition in the 1990s to design a light tank to replace the M551 Sheridan and TOW-equipped HMMWVs. It was the ultimate incarnation of several research programs run in the 1970s with the aim of provi ...

(AGS), but because of delays in the AGS program they were initially equipped with M901 ITVs Improved Tow Vehicles, then

M551 Sheridan The M551 "Sheridan" AR/AAV (Reconnaissance vehicle, Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle) was a light tank developed by the United States and named after General (United States), General Philip Sheridan, of American Civil War fame. It ...

light tank A light tank is a Tank classification, tank variant initially designed for rapid movements in and out of combat, to outmaneuver heavier tanks. It is smaller with thinner vehicle armour, armor and a less powerful tank gun, main gun, tailored for ...

s and later with Humvees with TOW missiles or Mk 19 grenade launchers. Light motorized infantry companies were equipped with Humvees mounting a Mk 19 grenade launcher. Each combined arms battalion also fielded a combat support company equipped with mortars, scouts, and an anti-armor platoon slated to be equipped with Humvees mounting a ground version of the Hellfire missile. As this Hellfire version never entered service, the platoons were later also equipped with Humvees with TOW missiles. The division's first and third brigade were to field one of each of the three new battalions, while the second brigade would field three combined arms battalions heavy. The third brigade was to field one light and one heavy combined arms battalion and the 9th Cavalry Brigade two attack helicopter battalions, one combat support aviation battalion, and one cavalry reconnaissance squadron. The division artillery would consist of three battalions equipped with M198 155 mm towed howitzers, one light artillery rocket battalion with M102 105 mm towed howitzers and

M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (M270 MLRS) is an American armored self-propelled multiple launch rocket system. The U.S. Army variant of the M270 is based on the chassis of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The first M270s were delivere ...

s, and one target acquisition battery. The division support command would field three forward support, one cavalry support and one main support battalion. However, because of the delay of the Armored Gun System the division did only activate four of the envisioned five combined arms battalions heavy and retained the 2nd Battalion, 77th Armor instead. Parts of the division were organized at the end of the 1980s as follows: ** 9th Cavalry Brigade (Air Attack) *** 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry *** 9th Aviation Battalion *** 268th Attack Helicopter Battalion *** Company A, 214th Aviation Battalion ** Division Artillery *** 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery *** 1st Battalion, 11th Field Artillery *** 3rd Battalion, 34th Field Artillery *** 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery *** Battery E, 333rd Field Artillery ** Division Support Command *** 1st Support Battalion (Forward) *** 2nd Support Battalion (Forward) *** 3rd Support Battalion (Forward) *** 4th Support Battalion (Aviation) *** 5th Support Battalion (Main) ** 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery ** 9th Signal Battalion **

** 109th Military Intelligence Battalion ** 9th Chemical Company ** 9th Military Police Company ** 9th Division Band In case of war with

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...

forces the division would have reinforced the

Allied Forces Baltic Approaches Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (BALTAP) was a Principal Subordinate Command (PSC) of the NATO Military Command Structure, with responsibility for the Baltic Sea area. It was in existence from 1962 to 2002 and consisted of the Danish Armed Forces ...

Command defending Denmark. By 1984 the 9th Cavalry Brigade (Air Attack) was testing motorcycles for reconnaissance work in its reconnaissance squadron, the 3rd Squadron,

5th Cavalry Regiment The 5th Cavalry Regiment ("Black Knights") is a historical unit of the United States Army that began its service on March 3, 1855, as the Second Cavalry Regiment. On August 3, 1861, it was redesignated as the 5th Cavalry Regiment following an ...

. And the 9th Infantry Division (MTZ) tested motorized infantry doctrine at the Yakima Firing Center in Eastern Washington, at the

National Training Center 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 ...

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 and in Korea during the annual

Team Spirit Team Spirit was a joint military training exercise of United States Forces Korea and the Military of South Korea held between 1974 and 1993. The exercise was also scheduled from 1994 to 1996 but cancelled during this time period as part of diplom ...

exercise. While the motorized units performed well, they were vulnerable to heavier mechanized forces, particularly if forced to stand and fight. They were also extremely vulnerable to indirect artillery fire. On 1 April 1984, Echo Company of the 15th Engineer Battalion reorganized to form the 73rd Engineer Company (Assault Ribbon Bridge), which was assigned to I Corps, which in turn attached it as separate company to the 15th Engineer Battalion. With the switch from

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 ...

to 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 ...

the division saw a few of its units reflagged or inactivated: * 15 September 1986: Company A, 214th Aviation Battalion inactivated * 2 October 1986: 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery to 3rd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery * 2 October 1986: 3rd Battalion, 34th Field Artillery to 6th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery * 16 March 1987: 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry to 1st Squadron,

9th Cavalry 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 ...

* 16 April 1987: 2nd Battalion, 77th Armor to 1st Battalion, 33rd Armor * 1987: 9th Aviation Battalion to 1st Battalion, 9th Aviation * 1987: 268th Attack Helicopter Battalion to 2nd Battalion, 9th Aviation * 16 March 1988: 1st Battalion, 67th Air Defense Artillery to 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery * unknown date: ** 1st Support Battalion (Forward) to 99th Support Battalion ** 2nd Support Battalion (Forward) to 109th Support Battalion ** 3rd Support Battalion (Forward) to 209th Support Battalion ** 4th Support Battalion (Aviation) to 3rd Battalion, 9th Aviation ** 5th Support Battalion (Main) to 709th Support Battalion (Main) During fiscal year 1987 the army decided to inactivate the division's 2nd brigade, which would be replaced by the 81st Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) of the

Washington Army National Guard The Washington Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the Washington National Guard based in Washington (state), Washington. The history of the Washington Army National Guard dates back to 1854 with formation of the Wash ...

. The 2nd brigade was inactivated on 15 August 1988 along with the following units: * 2nd Combined Arms Battalion Heavy, 47th Infantry * 3rd Combined Arms Battalion Heavy, 60th Infantry * 6th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery (inactivated 15 September 1988) * 209th Support Battalion On the same date the 1st Battalion, 33rd Armor, which until then had been attached to the division, was assigned to the division. With the inactivation of the 2nd brigade the remaining units were reassigned among the remaining brigades: 1st brigade now consisted of 2nd Combined Arms Battalion Heavy, 2nd Infantry, 1st Battalion, 33rd Armor, and 4th Combined Arms Battalion Light, 23rd Infantry. 3rd brigade consisted of 2nd Light Attack Battalion, 1st Infantry, 3rd Combined Arms Battalion Light, 47th Infantry, and 2nd Combined Arms Battalion Heavy, 60th Infantry. The 2nd Combined Arms Battalion Heavy, 23rd Infantry was assigned to the 9th Cavalry Brigade.

Organization in 1988

McGrath writes that the 9th Infantry Division was organized as follows in 1988: * 9th Infantry Division (Motorized),

, WA ** Headquarters & Headquarters Company ** 1st Brigade *** Headquarters & Headquarters Company *** 1st Battalion, 33rd Armor *** 2nd Combined Arms Battalion Heavy, 2nd Infantry *** 4th Combined Arms Battalion Light, 23rd Infantry ** 3rd Brigade *** Headquarters & Headquarters Company *** 2nd Light Attack Battalion, 1st Infantry *** 3rd Combined Arms Battalion Light, 47th Infantry *** 2nd Combined Arms Battalion Heavy, 60th Infantry ** 81st Infantry Brigade (Mechanized), (

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, WA *** Headquarters & Headquarters Company *** 1st Battalion, 303rd Armor *** 1st Battalion, 803rd Armor *** 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry (Mechanized) *** 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry (Mechanized) *** 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery ( M109 155 mm self-propelled howitzers) *** 181st Support Battalion *** Troop E, 303rd Cavalry *** 898th Engineer Company *** Battery D, 216th Air Defense Artillery (

Minnesota Army National Guard The Minnesota Army National Guard, along with the Minnesota Air National Guard, is an element of the Minnesota National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. I ...

) - did not exist after 1993 ** 9th Cavalry Brigade (Air Combat) *** Headquarters & Headquarters Troop *** 1st Squadron,

(8 × AH-1F Cobra, 12 × OH-58C Kiowa, 2 × UH-60A Black Hawk) *** 2nd Battalion, 9th Aviation (30 × UH-60A Black Hawk & 16 × CH-47D Chinook) *** 1st Battalion, 9th Aviation (21 × AH-1F Cobra & 13 × OH-58C Kiowa, a second attack helicopter battalion was scheduled to be activated) *** 2nd Combined Arms Battalion Heavy, 47th Infantry ** Division Artillery *** Headquarters & Headquarters Battery *** 1st Battalion, 11th Field Artillery (18 × M198 155 mm towed howitzers) *** 3rd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery (18 × M198 155mm towed howitzer) *** 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery (12 × M102 105 mm towed howitzer & 9 ×

s) *** Battery E, 333rd Field Artillery (Target Acquisition, AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder & AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder radars) ** Division Support Command *** 3rd Battalion, 9th Aviation *** 99th Support Battalion (Forward) (supports 3rd Brigade) *** 109th Support Battalion (Forward) (supports 1st Brigade) *** 709th Support Battalion (Main) ** 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery **

** 9th Signal Battalion ** 109th Military Intelligence Battalion ** 9th Chemical Company ** 9th Military Police Company ** 73rd Engineer Company (Assault Ribbon Bridge) ** 9th Division Band In fiscal year 1989

Chief of Staff of the United States Army The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and a ...

General Carl E. Vuono approved the conversion of the division's two combined arms battalions light to standard mechanized infantry battalions.

Inactivation

The division was the first to undergo full inactivation following the end of the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

. Army leadership at first decided that inactivating units would turn in all of their equipment at "10/20" standard, i.e. in ready and reusable condition. The division struggled to meet this standard, which required both extensive work by the division's soldiers and high costs for repair parts. While the remaining 9th ID soldiers were ultimately successful, later inactivating units were not required to attain this goal. The inactivation of the division began on 28 September 1990 with the inactivation of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry, and 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry. The 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery inactivated on 15 January 1991. As inactivation proceeded, elements and individual soldiers from the division were detached and deployed for service in the Gulf War. On 16 February 1991 the 3rd Brigade was reflagged as

199th 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 ...

(Motorized) with the following units: *

(Motorized), Fort Lewis ** Headquarters & Headquarters Company ** 1st Battalion, 33rd Armor ** 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry ** 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry ** 1st Battalion, 11th Field Artillery ** 99th Support Battalion (Forward) ** Troop A, 9th Cavalry (B troop 1/9 cavalry reflagged to A troop 1/9 cavalry rest of 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry disbanded on the same date) ** 102nd Engineer Company (Company D, 15th Engineer Battalion) ** 9th Chemical Company ** Battery E, 44th Air Defense Artillery (rest of 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery disbanded on the same date) ** 109th Military intelligence Company The remainder of the division's units inactivated on the following dates: * 15 February 1991: 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry * 15 April 1991: 15th Engineer Battalion * 15 May 1991: 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry * 15 July 1991: 9th Signal Battalion and Battery E, 333rd Field Artillery * 15 September 1991: 109th Military Intelligence Battalion With the support and aviation units also inactivating. The divisional headquarters remained active until 15 December 1991.Dinackus 2000, page 11-3. The 3rd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery became a General Support battalion of I Corps Artillery. The division was identified as the second-highest priority inactive division in the

United States Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...

's lineage scheme due to its numerous accolades and long history. All of the division's flags and heraldic items were moved to the

National Infantry Museum The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center is a museum located in Columbus, Georgia, United States, just outside the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning. The museum opened in June 2009. The museum chronicles the history of the U ...

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 following its inactivation. Should the U.S. Army decide to activate more divisions in the future, the center stated its activation recommendations would be the 9th Infantry Division, then the 24th Infantry Division, the 5th Infantry Division, and the 2nd Armored Division. The 7th Infantry Division, previously inactivated, resumed service as an administrative headquarters at

Joint Base Lewis–McChord Joint Base Lewis–McChord (JBLM) is a U.S. military installation home to I Corps and 62nd Airlift Wing located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Headquarters, Joint Base Lewis� ...

in 2012.

References

Bibliography

* - ''Public Domain - United States Government'' *

External links

9th Infantry Division AssociationThe 9th Infantry Division during World War II - Official History & ResearchHistorical researches about the 9th Infantry Division during World War II, and the Lieutenant Cook MuseumThe 9th Division WWII Historical Preservation Society

39th Infantry Regiment47th Infantry Regiment Tribute, 9th Infantry Division in World War II60th Infantry Regiment
(World War II Stars and Stripes booklet)
9th Infantry Division, Normandy American Cemetery9th Infantry Division Reenacted-CaliforniaFort Lewis: 9th Infantry DivisionOperation Keystone Robin, 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, Redeployment to CONUS
Vietnam War After Action Report {{DEFAULTSORT:009 Infantry divisions of the United States Army Infantry Division, U.S. 009th 009th Infantry Division Infantry divisions of the United States Army in World War II Military units and formations established in 1918 Military units and formations disestablished in 1991 United States Army divisions of World War I

Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

Insignia

World War I

Order of battle

Interwar period

Order of battle, 1939

World War II

Combat chronicle

Mediterranean theater of operations

European theater of operations

Order of battle

Statistics

= Chronology

= Casualties

= Campaigns

= Individual awards

= Unit awards

= Prisoners of war taken

Post-World War II

Commanding generals

Vietnam War

Post-Vietnam

9th Infantry Division

9th Infantry Division (Motorized)

Organization in 1988

Inactivation

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links