1st Cavalry Division (United States)

History

The 1st Cavalry Division ("First Team") is a combined arms division and is one of the most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army. It is based at Fort Hood, Texas. It was formed in 1921 and served during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, with the Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Iraq War, the War in Afghanistan as well as Operation Freedom's Sentinel and Operation Inherent Resolve. As of August 2026, the 1st Cavalry Division is subordinate to the III Armored Corps and is commanded by Brigadier General Ethan J. Diven.

The unit is unique in that it has served as a cavalry division, an infantry division, an air assault division and an armored division during its existence.

Text from Wikipedia: 1st Cavalry Division (United States), CC BY-SA 4.0, lightly trimmed.

Wars and campaigns

From Wikidata (CC0).

Key dates

1. 1918
   The 1st, 7th, and 8th Cavalry Regiments had previously been assigned to the wartime 15th Cavalry Division until they were returned to the Eighth Corps Area troop list on 12 May 1918.
2. 1921
   The history of the 1st Cavalry Division began in 1921, after the Army established a permanent cavalry division table of organization and equipment on 4 April 1921.
3. 1942
   VIII Corps Louisiana Maneuvers near Mansfield, LA – 27 July 1942 – 21 September 1942.
4. 1943
   The last of the 1st Cavalry Division's mounted units permanently retired their horses and converted to infantry formations on 28 February 1943.
5. 1950
   On 25 June 1950, North Korea attacked South Korea, and the 1st Cavalry Division was rushed to Korea to help shore up the Pusan Perimeter, landing on Pohang On 18 July 1950.
6. 1950
   8th Cavalry Regiment: Emil Kapaun (1 and 2 November 1950) Tibor Rubin (23 July 1950, to 20 April 1953), James L. Stone (21 and 22 November 1952) Robert H. Young (9 October 1950)
7. 1968
   In the early morning hours of 31 January 1968, the largest battle of the Vietnam War, the Tet Offensive, was launched by 84,000 PAVN/VC soldiers across South Vietnam.
8. 1975
   However, the TRICAP concept was short-lived, and by 1975, the division was reorganized under the Round-Out Division concept, with two active duty armored brigades and one National Guard armored brigade - the Mississippi Army National Guard's 155th Armored Brigade from 1984 to 1991.
9. 2006
   The division assumed duties as Headquarters, Multi-National Division – Baghdad from November 2006 to December 2007. 4th Brigade Combat Team, activated in 2005, arrived in Ninawa Governorate in October and November 2006.

Dates and events quoted from the same Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Records that place someone with this unit

A unit history doesn't name everyone who served. These records do:

• Morning reports and unit rosters: access (National Personnel Records Center)
• Search Army morning reports, 1912–1946 (National Archives Catalog)
• Unit and organizational records held in St. Louis

More history

• U.S. Army Center of Military History
• Wikipedia: 1st Cavalry Division (United States)