The 70th Armor is an armored (tank) regiment of the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

. The regiment exists only as separate battalions with no regimental headquarters. 2nd Battalion is part of the 1st Armored Division

1st Armored Division (United States)

The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S...

 out of Fort Riley

Fort Riley

Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...

, 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...

. 4th Battalion was stood up on 15 July 2009 as part of the 170th Infantry Brigade (Separate)

170th Infantry Brigade (United States)

The of the United States Army was reestablished 15 July 2009 at US Army Garrison Baumholder in Germany as part of the Grow the Army plan. The 170th Infantry Brigade was formed by reflagging the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. The soldiers and equipment will remain in place but the 2d Brigade...

 in Baumholder

Baumholder

Baumholder is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, in the Westrich, an historic region that encompasses areas in both Germany and France...

, Germany.

Distinctive Unit Insignia

• Description: A green color metal and enamel device 1-1/8 (2.86 cm) inches in height overall consisting of the shield and motto of the coat of arms.
• Symbolism: The shield is green with five gold spearheads representing a platoon of five tanks entering into combat in a flying wedge formation.

Coat of arms

• Blazon:
  • Shield: Vert
    Vert
    The colour green is commonly found in modern flags and coat of arms, and to a lesser extent also in the classical heraldry of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period....
    
    , five spearheads paleways in chevron Or
    Or (heraldry)
    In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
    
    .
  • Crest: On a wreath Or and Vert, supported by two lions rampant sable langued gules a Korean gateway of the last with doors closed of the third secured by a bar with two holders of the first.
  • Motto: Strike Swiftly
• Symbolism:
  • Shield: The shield is green with five gold spearheads representing a platoon of five tanks entering into combat in a flying wedge formation.
  • Crest: The two lions refer to the arms of Normandy
    Normandy
    Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
    
     and of Belgium
    Belgium
    Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
    
     where the unit served with distinction in World War II. The closed and bolted Korean gateway commemorates the organization's action in repulsing the enemy's attempt to pass through the Pusan Perimeter at Taegu in the Korean War.

Lineage

Constituted 15 July 1940 in the Regular Army as the 70th Tank Battalion and activated at Fort George G. Meade

Fort George G. Meade

Fort George G. Meade is a United States Army installation that includes the Defense Information School, the United States Army Field Band, and the headquarters of United States Cyber Command, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Courier Service...

, Maryland

Inactivated 1 June 1946 in Germany

Activated 1 August 1946 at Fort Knox, Kentucky

Reorganized and redesignated 14 June 1948 as the 70th Medium Tank Battalion

Reorganized and redesignated 31 December 1948 as the 70th Heavy Tank Battalion

Reorganized and redesignated 2 May 1950 as the 70th Tank Battalion

Assigned 10 November 1951 to the 1st Cavalry Division

Inactivated 15 October 1957 in Japan and relieved from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division

Redesignated 25 January 1963 as the 70th Armor, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System

4th Battalion activated 16 June 1989 and joins the 2nd Battalion as part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division as 4th Battalion, 70 Armor Regiment

Campaign Credit

World War II: Algeria-French Morocco; Sicily (with arrowhead); Normandy (with arrowhead); Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe

Korean War: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter

Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; Cease-Fire

Decorations

• Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered COTENTIN PENINSULA
• Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered HURTGEN FOREST
• Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered IRAQ
• Belgian Fourragere 1940
  • Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for actions in Belgium
  • Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes
• Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered TAEGU
• Chryssoun Aristion Andrias (Bravery Gold Medal of Greece), Streamer embroidered KOREA