312th Military Intelligence Battalion (United States)

23rd Signal Construction Battalion 312th Communications Reconnaissance Battalion 312th Military Intelligence Battalion
312 MIBN
Coat of Arms of the battalion
Active	1943—1946 1951—1953 1955—1957 1981—2005
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Intelligence Corps
Type	Military Intelligence Collection Unit
Role	Military Intelligence
Size	Battalion
Part of	1st Cavalry Division
Nickname(s)	312 MI Battalion
Motto(s)	"Semper Veritas" (Always the Truth)
Engagements	World War II Korean War Vietnam War Gulf War Operation Iraqi Freedom
Insignia
Identification symbol

The 312th Military Intelligence Battalion is a military intelligence battalion of the United States Army currently serving under the 1st Cavalry Division. The battalion before joining the division was part of the former III Corps while based in Germany but reassigned following the 2003-2006 re-organisation of combat arms support units. In 2005 the battalion was inactivated and reduced to a company of the Special Troops Battalion of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

Structure

The structure of the battalion before being reduced;

• Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 312th Military Intelligence Battalion "The Headhunters"
• A Company
• B Company "The Bulldogs"
• C Company
• D Company "The Daggers"

Lineage

• Constituted 31 December 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 23rd Signal Construction Battalion
  • Activated 10 February 1944 at Camp Pickett, Virginia
  • Redesignated 24 April 1944 as the 23rd (Light) Signal Construction Battalion
  • Reorganized and redesignated 21 August 1944 as the 23rd (Heavy) Signal Construction Battalion
  • Inactivated 22 January 1946 at Fort Lawton, Washington
  • Redesignated and allotted to the Regular Army 27 September 1951 as the 23rd Signal Construction Battalion
• Activated 2 November 1951 in South Korea
  • Inactivated 15 May 1953 in South Korea
  • Converted and redesignated 19 May 1955 as the 312th Communications Reconnaissance Battalion
• Activated 25 June 1955 in West Germany
  • Redesignated 1 July 1956 as the 312th Army Security Agency Battalion
  • Inactivated 15 October 1957 in West Germany
  • Redesignated 1 October 1981 as the 312th Military Intelligence Battalion
• Activated 1 October 1981 and concurrently assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas
  • Inactivated 2005, B Company reflagged as A Company, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division

Annex 1

• Constituted 11 May 1962 in the Regular Army as C Company, 313th Army Security Agency Battalion
  • Activated 25 May 1962 at Two Rock Ranch Station, California
  • Reorganized and redesignated 15 October 1966 as the 371st Army Security Agency Company

Annex 2

• Constituted 25 September 1950 in the Regular Army as the 191st Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment
  • Activated 6 October 1950 in South Korea
  • Inactivated 24 June 1956 in South Korea
• Activated 15 October 1957 in South Korea
  • Reorganized and redesignated 15 May 1959 as the 191st Military Intelligence Company
  • Inactivated 15 August 1972 in South Vietnam
• Activated 21 June 1975 at Fort Hood, Texas and assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division

Honors

Campaign Participation Credit

• Battalion HQ
  • World War II; Asiatic-Pacific Theater, Streamer without inscription
  • Korean War; UN Summer-Fall Offensive, Second Korean Winter, Korea Summer-Fall 1952, Third Korean Winter
  • Southwest Asia; Defense of Saudi Arabia, Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
• A Company
  • Vietnam; Defense, Counteroffenseive Phases I II III IV V VI and VII,Tet Counteroffensive, Tet 69/Counteroffensive, Summer-Fall 1969, Winter-Spring 1970, Sanctuary Counteroffensive
• B Company
  • Korean War; UN Offensive, CCF Intervention, First UN Counteroffensive, CCF Spring Offensive
  • Vietnam; Defense, Counteroffensive Phases II III IV V VI VII, Tet Counteroffensive, Tet 69/Counteroffensive, Summer-Fall 1969, Winter-Spring 1970, Sancutary Counteroffensive, Consolidations I and II, Cease-Fire

Decorations

• Meritorius Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroided SOUTHWEST ASIA
• Company A additionally entitled to:
  • Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered PLEIKU PROVINCE
  • Presidential Unit Citation (army), Streamer embroidered BINH THUAN PROVINCE
  • Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered FISH HOOK
  • Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1965-1966
  • Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1967-1968
  • Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1968-1969
  • Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1970-1971
  • Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1965-1969
  • Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1969-1970
  • Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1970-1971
  • Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1969-1971
• Company B additionally entitled to:
  • Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered PLEIKU PROVINCE
  • Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered FISH HOOK
  • Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered KOREA
  • Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1967-1968
  • Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1965-1969
  • Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1969-1970
  • Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1970-1971
  • Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1971-1972
  • Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1969-1971

Heraldic Items

Coat of Arms:

• Shield: Argent, on a taeguk proper and inflamed torch palewise in front of two lightning flashes saltirewise of the first, on a chief wavy azure a chess knight argent.
• Crest: None approved
• Motto: Semper Veritas (Always the Truth)
• Symbolism: Oriental blue and silver gray (white) are the colors traditionally associated with military intelligence. The wavy parition alludes to service in the Pacific in World War II; the taeguk to service in Korea. The crossed flashes refer to the units' origin as signal and its present combat electronic warfare and intelligence function. The torch is the symbol of truth and reflects the motto and the mission of the unit. The chess knight, a piece that can move convertly, further symbolizes the military intelligence mission.

Distinctive Unit Insignia:

• The distinctive unit insignia is the shield and motto of the coat of arms.

References

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Center of Military History document "Army Lineage Series, Military Intelligence" by John Patrick Finnegan
  Romana Danysh. Retrieved on 1 December 2019.
• "312th Military Intelligence Battalion "Silent Warriors"". 312 MI History | 1st Cavalry Division. 1st Cavalry Divisional Association. Retrieved 1 December 2019