28th Infantry Division (United States)
The 28th Infantry Division ("Keystone")[1] is a unit of the United States Army National Guard, and is the oldest division-sized unit in the Army.[2] Some of the units of the division can trace their lineage to Benjamin Franklin's battalion, The Pennsylvania Associators (1747–1777).[3] The division was officially established in 1879 and was later redesignated as the 28th Division in 1917, after the entry of America into the First World War. It is today part of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Maryland Army National Guard, Ohio Army National Guard, and New Jersey Army National Guard.
It was originally nicknamed the "Keystone Division,"[4] as it was formed from units of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard; Pennsylvania being known as the "Keystone State." During World War II, it was given the nickname the "Bloody Bucket" division by German forces due to the shape and color of its red keystone insignia.[5] Today the 28th Infantry Division goes by the name given to it by General Pershing during World War I: "Iron Division." The 28th is the first Army National Guard division to field the Stryker infantry fighting vehicle, as part of the Army's reorganization in the first decade of the 2000s.
The 28th is also one of the most decorated infantry divisions in the United States Army.[6]
World War II[edit]
Federalization[edit]
The division, commanded by Major General Edward Martin, was called into federal service on 17 February 1941 during World War II, although the U.S. was not involved in the conflict at that point. Instead of Camp Bullis, the division traveled to Indiantown Gap for organization and training. In February 1942, the division, now commanded by Major General James Ord, was reorganized; the brigade headquarters were disbanded, and the 111th Infantry Regiment was detached from the 28th and reorganized as a separate regimental combat team, initially used to guard important Eastern Seaboard industrial facilities under the Eastern Defense Command.
As a modular division, the 28th Infantry Division consists of a headquarters battalion, one infantry brigade combat team, one Stryker brigade combat team, the Division Artillery, one combat aviation brigade, a sustainment brigade, and an attached maneuver enhancement brigade.[7] The division headquarters exercises training and readiness oversight of the following elements:[42]
Attached units: