The 3d Infantry Division has one of the most successful combat records of any U.S. Army division. It has paid a high price for this distinction, suffering more than 50,000 wartime casualties. Forty nine members of the 3d Infantry Division have been awarded the Medal of Honor while serving the United States.
Activated in November 1917 during World War I at Camp Greene, North Carolina. It went into combat for the first time eight months later in France. At midnight on July 141918, the Division earned lasting distinction. Engaged in the Aisne-Marne Offensive as a member of the American Expeditionary Force to Europe, the Division was protecting Paris with a position on the banks of the Marne River, surrounding units retreated, the 3rd Infantry Division remained rock solid and earned its reputation as the "Rock of the Marne". Although the stand was highly successful, a steep price was paid. General "Black Jack" Pershing said the Division's performance one of the most brilliant of the United States' military history. During the war two members of the division were awarded the Medal of Honor (MOH).
The 3rd Division is the only American Division which fought the Nazi on all European fronts.
The Division first saw action in the North African invasion, landing at Fedala, November 8, 1942, and capturing half of French Morocco.
On July 10, 1943, the Division made an assault landing on Sicily, fought its way into Palermo before the armor could get there, and raced on to capture Messina, thus ending the Sicilian campaign.
Nine days after the Italian invasion, September 18, 1943, the 3d landed at Salerno and in intensive action drove to and across the Volturno and to Cassino. After a brief rest, the Division was ordered to hit the beaches at Anzio, January 22, 1944, where for four months it maintained its toe-hold against furious German counterattacks. On February 29, 1944, the 3d fought off an attack by three German Divisions. In May the Division broke out of the beachhead and drove on to Rome, and then went into training for the invasion of Southern France.
On August 15, 1944, another D-day, the Division landed at St. Tropez, advanced up the Rhone Valley, through the Vosges Mountains, and reached the Rhine at Strasbourg, November 26 – November 27, 1944. After maintaining defensive positions it took part in clearing the Colmar Pocket, 23 January 18 February 1945, and on 15 March struck against Siegfried Line positions south of Zweibrucken. The Division smashed through the defenses and crossed the Rhine, March 26, 1945 ; then drove on to take Nurnberg in a fierce battle, capturing the city in block-by-block fighting, 17-20 April. The 3d pushed on to take Augsburg and Munich, 27-30 April, and was in the vicinity of Salzburg when the war in Europe ended.
Korean War
During the Korean War, the Division, was known as the "Fire Brigade" for its rapid response to crisis. It received ten Battle Stars. Eleven more MOH recipients were added to the division's list of heroes during the Korean War.
1950 thru 2000
From April 1958 to April 1996, the Marne Division was stationed in Germany. In November 1990, soldiers of the 3d Infantry Division were once again called into action. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, more than 6,000 Marne men and women deployed with the 1st Armored Division on Operation Desert Storm as part of the Allied Coalition. Later nearly 1,000 soldiers deployed to southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq to provide comfort to Kurdish refugees. Another group of nearly 1,000 were part of Task Force Victory rebuilding Kuwait.
As part of the Army's reduction to a ten-division force, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated on 15 February1996, and reflagged to become the 3rd Infantry Division.
In 1996 the Division was restationed at Fort Stewart, Fort Benning, and Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. The Division repeatedly demonstrated its deployability since then by maintaining a battalion, and later a brigade task force presence in Kuwait. It has also moved sizeable forces to Egypt, Bosnia and Kosovo in partnership training and peacekeeping missions.
Early in 2003 the deployability and fighting capability of the Marne Division was highly visible worldwide when the entire Division deployed in weeks to Kuwait. It was called on subsequently to spearhead Coalition forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom, fighting its way to Baghdad in early April, leading to the end of the Saddam Hussein government.
Beginning in 2004, the 3d began re-organizing. The division shifted from three maneuver brigades to four "units of action," which are essentially smaller brigade formations. In late 2005-early 2006, the 3ID completed its deployment in Iraq and all units have returned to their bases at Forts Stewart, Benning, and at Hunter AAF.
modern units
UNITS
1st brigade,
Charlie Troop 1st CAV,
1-41 FA,
11th ENG Bn (Combat) "Jungle Cats,
103rd MI Bn "Top of the Rock",
123rd SIG Bn "Voice of the Rock",
3rd FSb,
Alpha Battery, 1-3 ADA,
92nd Chemical Company,
1/3 MP Company,
2nd brigade,
3-15 IN (Mech) "China",
1-64 AR "Desert Rogues",
4-64 AR "Tusker",
Eagle Troop 9th CAV,
1-9 FA "Battlekings" (M109A6),
26th FSB,
10th ENG Bn,
U/I Co 123rd Signal Bn,
3rd brigade,
HHC (6 - M-577),
1-15 IN,
1-30 IN,
2-69 AR "Panthers",
Delta Troop 10th CAV "BlackJack",
1-10 FA "Rock's Support",
203rd FSB,
3rd Brigade Troop Battalion,
4th brigade,
HHC,
3-7 IN,
4-64 AR,
6-8 CAV,
1-76 FA,
703rd Brigade Support BN,
4th Special Troops BN,
Reconstituted 1 October1940 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3d Division Artillery, and activated at Fort Lewis, Washington
Redesignated 1 July1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3d Infantry Division Artillery
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for IRON TRIANGLE
Chryssoun Aristion Andrias (Bravery Gold Medal of Greece) for KOREA
Aviation Brigade, 3d Infantry Division Lineage
Constituted 16 March1985 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Aviation Brigade, 3d Infantry Division, and activated in Germany
Aviation Brigade, 3d Infantry Division Honors
Campaign participation credit
None
Decorations
None
3rd Infantry Division Band lineage
Constituted 20 August1943 in the Regular Army as the Band, 3d Infantry Division
Redesignated 1 December1943 as the 3d Infantry Division Band and activated in North Africa
Consolidated 20 March1963 with Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 3d Infantry Division Trains, and consolidated unit reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters, Headquarters and Band, 3d Infantry Division Support Command.
Reorganized and redesignated 15 March1968 as Headquarters, Headquarters Company and Band, 3d Infantry Division Support Command.
Band element withdrawn 21 May1972 from Headquarters, Headquarters Company and Band, 3d Infantry Division Support Command, and absorbed by the 3d Adjutant General Company
Band element withdrawn 1 October1984 from the 3d Adjutant General Company and redesignated as the 3d Infantry Division Band.
