51st Infantry Division (United States)

Last updated

51st Infantry Division
51 INF DIV SSI.svg
51st Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia
Active1946–63
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
BranchFlag of the United States Army.svg  United States Army
Type Infantry
Size Division
Nickname(s)Rattlesnake Division

The 51st Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army, composed of units from the Florida National Guard and the South Carolina National Guard. [1]

Contents

History

Original Organization Date: 11 September 1946 with headquarters at Tampa, Florida. In the post-World War II restructuring of the National Guard a number of new divisions were organized. Among these was the 51st Infantry Division, composed of National Guardsmen from Florida and South Carolina.

Initial organization

As of September 1946, the 51st Division included: [2]

UnitHeadquarteredCommander
Division Headquarters Tampa, Florida Maj. Gen. Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr.
211th Infantry Regiment Miami, Florida Col. Robert A. Ballard
116th Field Artillery Battalion Tampa, Florida Lt. Col. George N. Sagin
51st Infantry Division Band Miami, Florida

A reorganization of the Army National Guard took place following World War II. As part of this effort, the new 51st Infantry Division was allocated to the states of Florida and South Carolina. The division was activated on 5 July 1946 as a standard triangular division. Old and new units were assigned and activated during 1946 and 1947. [3]

In 1949, the 107th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion and 263rd Tank Battalion were assigned to the division. The Division remained in a normal National Guard training status, being reorganized periodically as the Army applied lessons learned in World War II and the Korean War. The 51st Infantry Division never served on active federal duty.

In 1959, the division was reorganized as a pentomic division.

As the result of another major reorganization of the National Guard, the division was inactivated on 1 April 1963. Subordinate units were reorganized and reassigned. Division Headquarters and Headquarters Company was redesignated as Headquarters, 51st Command Headquarters (Divisional), South Carolina National Guard. [4]

Related Research Articles

5th Infantry Division (United States) United States Army infantry unit

The 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized)—nicknamed the "Red Diamond", or the "Red Devils" —was an infantry division of the United States Army that served in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War, and with NATO and the U.S. Army III Corps. It was disbanded and deactivated on 24 November 1992.

42nd Infantry Division (United States) Division of the New York ARNG

The 42nd Infantry Division (42ID) ("Rainbow") is a division of the United States Army National Guard. The 42nd Infantry Division has served in World War I, World War II and the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). The division is currently headquartered at the Glenmore Road Armory in Troy, New York.

31st Infantry Division (United States)

The 31st Infantry Division ("Dixie") was an infantry division of the United States Army National Guard, active almost continuously from 1917 to 1968. Composed of men from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Mississippi at various points in its existence, the division saw service in both World War I and World War II, and was mobilized during the Korean War, although it was not sent overseas in the latter.

33rd Infantry Division (United States)

The 33rd Infantry Division was a formation of the U.S. Army National Guard between 1917 and 1968. Originally formed for service during World War I, the division fought along the Western Front during the Battle of Amiens, the Battle of Hamel, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, at the Second Battle of the Somme, and at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. It was re-formed during the inter-war period, and then later activated for service during World War II, seeing action against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific. In the post war era, the division was reconstituted as an all-Illinois National Guard division. In the late 1960s, the division was reduced to brigade-sized formation, and is currently perpetuated by the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

United States Army Reserve reserve force of the United States Army

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.

Florida Army National Guard

The Florida Army National Guard is Florida's component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. In the United States, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the federal army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization. Federal coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau. The Florida Army National Guard was composed of approximately 10,000 soldiers. The main state training grounds is Camp Blanding.

Pennsylvania Army National Guard

The Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, it is directed by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The PAARNG maintains 124 armories and is present in 87 communities across the Commonwealth.

194th Armored Brigade (United States)

The 194th Armored Brigade is a separate brigade of the US Army.

39th Infantry Division (United States)

The 39th Infantry Division was an infantry formation of the Army National Guard, originally formed as the 18th Division in 1917. The division consisted of troops from Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. After training at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, the division was deployed to France but did not see combat before the end of World War I. In July 1923 the division was re-designated as the 31st Infantry Division. The 39th Infantry Division was reactivated after World War II with troops from Louisiana and Arkansas and its headquarters in Louisiana. In 1967, the 39th Infantry Division was reorganized to become the 39th Infantry Brigade (Separate). Its headquarters was in Little Rock, Arkansas and the unit consisted entirely of troops from the Arkansas Army National Guard.

92nd Military Police Brigade

The 92nd Military Police Brigade is a military police brigade of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard. The brigade was formerly an infantry brigade combat team known as the 92nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and then a Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. It includes two MP battalions, one infantry battalion and some support units.

197th Infantry Brigade (United States)

The 197th Infantry Brigade is an active Infantry brigade of the United States Army. The brigade was active as an Organized Reserve unit from 1921–1942, in the Regular Army from 1962–1991, and as a TRADOC training unit from 2007–2013. The brigade saw service in Operation Desert Storm with the 24th Infantry Division. On July 31st, 2020 the Brigade was activated as a Training Brigade in Ft. Benning, GA to serve the increased training needs of the Army.

48th Armored Division (United States)

The 48th Armored Division was a division of the United States Army National Guard from September 1946 until 1968. Most of its units were part of the Florida Army National Guard and the Georgia Army National Guard. From 1946 to 1955 it was an infantry division. During World War II the denotation 48th Infantry Division was a 'phantom division' created for Operation Quicksilver, part of Operation Fortitude South II.

Arkansas Army National Guard and the Cold War

The history of the Arkansas Army National Guard and the Cold War involves several statewide re-organizations that occurred as a result of the evolving structure of United States Army Divisions and Brigades. In 1959 the state re-organized and restationed units in response to the Army's adoption of the Pentomic Division, the structure which was designed to counter the Soviet threat in eastern Europe. Several Arkansas National Guard units were mobilized in 1960 as part of the Berlin Crisis. In 1963 the state reorganized again as the administration of President John F. Kennedy focused on "Flexible Response" and divisions reorganized to meet the challenged of numerous small wars such as the war in Vietnam. In 1967 the 39th Infantry Division was reorganized as the 39th Infantry Brigade (Separate) as a result of a plan to reduce the total number of National Guard Divisions nationwide. The state would eventually gain a new headquarters, the State Area Command in order to provide a higher headquarters for several units which were not assigned to either the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade or the 39th Infantry Brigade (Separate).

124th Infantry Regiment (United States)

The 124th Infantry Regiment is a parent regiment of the United States Army, represented in the Florida Army National Guard by the 1st Battalion headquartered in Miramar and 2nd Battalion at Orlando. The two Battalions are elements of the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

116th Field Artillery Regiment Florida army national guard unit

The 116th Field Artillery is a regiment of the Florida Army National Guard. Currently there are two battalions; 2-116th FA is fires battalion for the 53rd Brigade Combat Team, and 3-116th (HIMARS) is part of the 164th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, both of the Florida Army National Guard.

149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

The 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is a maneuver enhancement brigade of the Kentucky Army National Guard, headquartered at Richmond.

The 307th Infantry Regiment was a National Army unit first organized for service in World War I as part of the 77th Infantry Division in Europe. It later served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Since then it has served as a training Regiment. In 1999, it was withdrawn from the Combat Arms Regimental System and redesignated as a non-branch regiment. The regiment's 1st Battalion is assigned to the 174th Infantry Brigade at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, with the 2nd Battalion is assigned to the 157th Infantry Brigade at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.

The 118th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the Georgia Army National Guard. The regiment's 1st Battalion is the cannon battalion assigned to the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. It is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots and campaign credit for the War of 1812.

The 306th Infantry Regiment was a National Army unit first organized for service in World War I as part of the 77th Infantry Division in Europe. It later served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Since then it has served as a training Regiment. In 1999, it was withdrawn from the Combat Arms Regimental System and redesignated as a non-branch regiment. The regiment's 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th battalions are stationed at Fort Stewart under the command of the 188th Infantry Brigade. The 3rd Battalion is inactive.

310th Infantry Regiment (United States)

The 310th Infantry Regiment was a National Army Infantry Regiment first organized for service in World War I as part of the 78th Division. It later served in the European Theater during World War II. Since then it has served as a training Regiment, training Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers for service in support of the Global War on Terror.

References

  1. "51st Infantry Division". National Guard Educational Foundation. Washington, DC. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  2. Collins, Vivian (1946). Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Florida. Florida National Guard. p. 11 via Internet Archive.
  3. Wilson, John B. (1984). Maneuver and Firepower (PDF). Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. p. 214.
  4. Wilson, John B. (1997). Maneuver and Firepower (PDF). Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. p. 312.