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157th Infantry Brigade (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 157th Infantry Brigade is an active/reserve component (AC/RC) unit based at Camp Atterbury
, Indinia. The unit is responsible for training selected United States Army Reserve
and National Guard
units. The unit was activated using the assets of the 5th Brigade, 87th Division
. The brigade is a subordinate unit of First Army Division East
.
"Liberty" Division, also known as the "Lorraine" Division, was a National Army division established 5 August 1917 by the War Department to be formed at Camp Meade, Maryland
. The Division was commanded by Maj. Gen. Joseph E. Kuhn. Draftees were from Pennsylvania
and Maryland. Movement overseas commenced on 6 July 1918 and was completed by 3 August 1918. Primary units included the 157th Infantry Brigade, consisting of the 313th Infantry Regiment, 314th Infantry Regiment
, and 311th Machine Gun Battalion. The 157th Infantry Brigade was commanded by Brig. Gen. William J. Nicholson. One the Army's most expert cavalry officers, he was seldom seen off his horse at Camp Meade.
Shrouded in secrecy, the Brigade left from Hoboken, New Jersey
in July 1918 on the SS Leviathan
, a speedy ex-German liner that arrived at Brest
, France the morning of 15 July 1918. They trained for two months at Champ Little behind the French lines. On 26 September 1918 they "went over the top" in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. In a period of heartbreaking losses, the men struggled through nine kilometers of barbed wire and pot-marked earth. They destroyed German defenses that were said to be impregnable. That night they were on the outskirts of Montfaucon, headquarters of the enemy command. The 313th fought until the end, 11 November 1918. Gen. John J. Pershing
commended the men of the 79th Division, and especially the 313th Infantry Regiment whose forces penetrated deeper into enemy territory then any other outfit.
The 157th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) was reactivated on 3 January 1963 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania using assets from the inactivating 79th Infantry Division. It moved to Horsham
on 31 January 1968, where it remained until its inactivation on 1 September 1995 during the post-Cold War drawdown. In 2006, as part of the Army's Transformation Plan
, the 5th Brigade, 87th Division was reflagged as the 157th Infantry Brigade.
For further information see The Brigade, A History by John J. McGrath from the Combat Studies Institute Press, Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas
.
Organized 25 August 1917 at Camp Meade, Maryland
Demobilized 7 June 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey
Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 157th Infantry Brigade, and assigned to the 79th Division
Organized in November 1921 at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Redesignated 23 March 1925 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 157th Brigade
Redesignated 24 August 1936 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 157th Infantry Brigade
Converted and redesignated 12 February 1942 as the 79th Reconnaissance Troop (less 3d Platoon), 79th Division (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 158th Infantry Brigade, concurrently converted and redesignated as the 3d Platoon, 79th Reconnaissance Troop, 79th Division)
Troop ordered into active military service 15 June 1942 and reorganized at Camp Pickett, Virginia, as the 79th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, an element of the 79th Division (later redesignated as the 79th Infantry Division)
Reorganized and redesignated 2 August 1943 as the 79th Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized
Inactivated 11 December 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey
Activated 28 January 1947 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the 79th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop
(Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps; redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve)
Reorganized and redesignated 15 July 1949 as the 79th Reconnaissance Company
Inactivated 20 April 1959 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Converted and redesignated (less 3d Platoon) 5 November 1962 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 157th Infantry Brigade, and relieved from assignment to the 79th Infantry Division (3d Platoon, 79th Reconnaissance Company, concurrently redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 158th Infantry Brigade – hereafter separate lineage)
Brigade activated 7 January 1963 at Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
Location changed 31 January 1968 to Horsham, Pennsylvania
Inactivated 1 September 1995 at Horsham, Pennsylvania
Withdrawn 24 October 1997 from the Army Reserve and allotted to the Regular Army; Headquarters concurrently activated at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
Inactivated 16 October 1999 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
Activated 1 December 2006 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
World War II
Camp Atterbury
Camp Atterbury, near Edinburgh, Indiana, USA, is a training base of the Indiana National Guard. It was planned just months before the U.S. entry into World War II. Originally surveyed and researched by the Hurd Company, the present site was recommended to Congress in 1941. Construction commenced...
, Indinia. The unit is responsible for training selected United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
and National Guard
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
units. The unit was activated using the assets of the 5th Brigade, 87th Division
U.S. 87th Infantry Division
The 87th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II.-World War I:*87th Division was a National Army division allocated to Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi....
. The brigade is a subordinate unit of First Army Division East
First Army Division East
First Army Division East is a division of the First United States Army. With its new role, First United States Army developed two subordinate multi-component headquarters – one division to support the eastern United States and the other to support the western United States. First Army Division West...
.
Activation
The 79th DivisionU.S. 79th Infantry Division
The 79th Infantry Division The 79th Infantry Division The 79th Infantry Division ("Cross of Lorraine" was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II.-World War I:*Activated: August 1917*Overseas: July 1918*Major Operations: Meuse-Argonne...
"Liberty" Division, also known as the "Lorraine" Division, was a National Army division established 5 August 1917 by the War Department to be formed at Camp Meade, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The Division was commanded by Maj. Gen. Joseph E. Kuhn. Draftees were from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and Maryland. Movement overseas commenced on 6 July 1918 and was completed by 3 August 1918. Primary units included the 157th Infantry Brigade, consisting of the 313th Infantry Regiment, 314th Infantry Regiment
314th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 314th Infantry Regiment is an Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army first organized in 1917.-World War I:Organized as part of the 79th Division A.E.F. - World War I The United States in World War I, the men of the 314th were trained at Camp Meade , Maryland...
, and 311th Machine Gun Battalion. The 157th Infantry Brigade was commanded by Brig. Gen. William J. Nicholson. One the Army's most expert cavalry officers, he was seldom seen off his horse at Camp Meade.
Shrouded in secrecy, the Brigade left from Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
in July 1918 on the SS Leviathan
SS Leviathan
SS Leviathan, originally built as SS Vaterland, was an ocean liner which regularly sailed the North Atlantic briefly in 1914 and from 1917 to 1934...
, a speedy ex-German liner that arrived at Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, France the morning of 15 July 1918. They trained for two months at Champ Little behind the French lines. On 26 September 1918 they "went over the top" in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. In a period of heartbreaking losses, the men struggled through nine kilometers of barbed wire and pot-marked earth. They destroyed German defenses that were said to be impregnable. That night they were on the outskirts of Montfaucon, headquarters of the enemy command. The 313th fought until the end, 11 November 1918. Gen. John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
commended the men of the 79th Division, and especially the 313th Infantry Regiment whose forces penetrated deeper into enemy territory then any other outfit.
The 157th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) was reactivated on 3 January 1963 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania using assets from the inactivating 79th Infantry Division. It moved to Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
on 31 January 1968, where it remained until its inactivation on 1 September 1995 during the post-Cold War drawdown. In 2006, as part of the Army's Transformation Plan
Transformation of the United States Army
Army Transformation describes the future-concept of the United States Army's plan of modernization. Transformation is a generalized term for the integration of new concepts, organizations, and technology within the armed forces of the United States....
, the 5th Brigade, 87th Division was reflagged as the 157th Infantry Brigade.
Organization from 1963 to 1995
The unit consisted of:- Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 157th Infantry Brigade – Horsham, PA
- Troop C, 9th Cavalry – Wilkes Barre, PA
- 1st Battalion, 314th Infantry (Mechanized) – Lock Haven PA
- 1st Battalion, 315th Infantry (Mechanized) – Germantown, PA
- 6th Battalion, 68th Armor – Bethlehem, PA
- 3rd Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery – Bristol, PA
- 157th Support Battalion – Edgemont, PA
- 420th Engineer Company – Pittsburgh, PA
Organization
The unit is currently composed of:- Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 157th Infantry Brigade – Camp Atterbury, IN
- 1st Battalion, 345th Regiment – Fort Jackson, SC
- 2nd Battalion, 307th Regiment – Fort Jackson, SC
- 2nd Battalion, 337th Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, 338th Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, 345th Regiment – Fort Jackson, SC
- 2nd Battalion, 347th Regiment – Fort Gordon, GA
- 2nd Battalion, 289th Regiment - Camp Atterbury, IN
- 3rd Battalion, 338th Regiment
For further information see The Brigade, A History by John J. McGrath from the Combat Studies Institute Press, Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
.
Lineage
Constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army as Headquarters, 158th Infantry Brigade, and assigned to the 79th DivisionOrganized 25 August 1917 at Camp Meade, Maryland
Demobilized 7 June 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey
Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 157th Infantry Brigade, and assigned to the 79th Division
Organized in November 1921 at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Redesignated 23 March 1925 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 157th Brigade
Redesignated 24 August 1936 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 157th Infantry Brigade
Converted and redesignated 12 February 1942 as the 79th Reconnaissance Troop (less 3d Platoon), 79th Division (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 158th Infantry Brigade, concurrently converted and redesignated as the 3d Platoon, 79th Reconnaissance Troop, 79th Division)
Troop ordered into active military service 15 June 1942 and reorganized at Camp Pickett, Virginia, as the 79th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, an element of the 79th Division (later redesignated as the 79th Infantry Division)
Reorganized and redesignated 2 August 1943 as the 79th Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized
Inactivated 11 December 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey
Activated 28 January 1947 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the 79th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop
(Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps; redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve)
Reorganized and redesignated 15 July 1949 as the 79th Reconnaissance Company
Inactivated 20 April 1959 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Converted and redesignated (less 3d Platoon) 5 November 1962 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 157th Infantry Brigade, and relieved from assignment to the 79th Infantry Division (3d Platoon, 79th Reconnaissance Company, concurrently redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 158th Infantry Brigade – hereafter separate lineage)
Brigade activated 7 January 1963 at Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
Location changed 31 January 1968 to Horsham, Pennsylvania
Inactivated 1 September 1995 at Horsham, Pennsylvania
Withdrawn 24 October 1997 from the Army Reserve and allotted to the Regular Army; Headquarters concurrently activated at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
Inactivated 16 October 1999 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
Activated 1 December 2006 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
Campaign Credit
World War I- Meuse-Argonne
- Lorraine 1918
World War II
- Normandy
- Northern France
- Rhineland
- Ardennes-Alsace
- Central Europe
Decorations
- French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Streamer embroidered PARROY FOREST
- French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Streamer embroidered NORMANDY TO PARIS
- French Croix de Guerre, World War II, Fourragere