325th Infantry Regiment (United States)

325th Airborne Infantry Regiment
325th Infantry Regiment coat of arms
Active	1917-
Country	United States
Branch	U.S. Army
Part of	82nd Airborne Division
Garrison/HQ	Fort Bragg
Nickname(s)	Falcons
Motto(s)	Let's Go
Engagements	World War I World War II Panama Iraq Campaign
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

previous	317th Infantry Regiment
317th Infantry Regiment	327th Infantry Regiment

The 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment is a unit of the 82nd Airborne Division. Its subordinate units currently constitute the 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division.

Capabilities

The 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment deploys anywhere in the world, within 18 hours of notification.^{[citation needed]}

The regiment conducts forced entry parachute assaults to seize and retain a defended airfield or other asset, then builds up combat power in order to control land, people, and resources.

Lineage for 3rd Battalion

World War I

Constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army as Company A, 325th Infantry, an element of the 82d Division

Organized 1 September 1917 at Camp Gordon, Georgia.

Service in France: St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Lorraine 1918

Demobilized 18 May 1919 at Camp Upton, New York State.

Inter-war period

Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as Company A, 325th Infantry, an element of the 82d Division (later redesignated as the 82d Airborne Division)

Organized in January 1922 at Columbus, Georgia.

World War II

Ordered into active military service 25 March 1942 and reorganized at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana.

Reorganized and redesignated 15 August 1942 as Company A, 325th Glider Infantry

Post World War II

Reorganized and redesignated 15 December 1947 as Company A, 325th Infantry

(Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps.)

Withdrawn 15 November 1948 from the Organized Reserve Corps and allotted to the Regular Army

Reorganized and redesignated 15 December 1948 as Company A, 325th Airborne Infantry

Reorganized and redesignated 1 September 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Airborne Battle Group, 325th Infantry, and remained assigned to the 82d Airborne Division (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated).

Reorganized and redesignated 25 May 1964 as the 325th Infantry

Cold War

The regiment returned to the All American Division on 15 December 1948 and was redesignated this time the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment. On 1 May 1965, the 325th deployed to the revolution torn Dominican Republic as part of Operation Power Pack. Sent with the mission of relieving marines and evacuating civilians, the regiment swept from the airfield at San Isidro into the capital city of Santo Domingo, neutralizing communist-backed rebel forces. By the end of May, all resistance had crumbled and the regiment began peace keeping and civil affairs operations.

Operation Urgent Fury

On 26 October 1983, as part of Operation Urgent Fury, the 325th Regiment spearheaded the All American Division's assault on the communist dominated island of Grenada. Landing at Point Salines Airfield, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions in conjunction with other U.S. Forces overwhelmed all resistance within three days. One hundred thirty eight students were rescued. During this operation, Bravo Company, Second Battalion was given the mission to assault an area known as Little Havanna. The Commander of Bravo Company, Captain Michael Ritz, decided to conduct a recon prior to the assault. At 0430 on 26 October, Captain Ritz and his recon patrol were ambushed. Captain Ritz was killed but the rest of his patrol, although wounded, survived. Bravo Company soon discovered large caches of weapons and equipment.

Operation Just Cause

In December 1989, the 4th Battalion "Gold Falcons" attached to the 1st Brigade, conducted a night parachute assault onto Torrijos International Airport in the Republic of Panama, during Operation Just Cause. The Gold Falcons' assault on critical objectives assisted U.S. forces in reestablishing the legitimate democratic government in Panama. This operation represented the first combat parachute assault since World War II. The battalion was to jump, assemble, and perform a helicopter assault to Fort Cimmarron to secure the garrison. While this was taking place, Delta Company was tasked to stay behind and secure another airport within Panama City.

Gulf War

Members of the regiment in a live fire demonstration during Operation Desert Shield.

In August 1990, the 325th was called on to spearhead the deployment of U.S. forces to the Persian Gulf in response to the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait. In a speech on 8 August, President George Bush said, "A Line in the Sand has been drawn," and the first U.S. forces were being deployed to the Middle East. Those initial forces were the 82nd Airborne Division's ready brigade, the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment. Their mission was to secure Dahran International Airport and the Port of Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia for the buildup of U.S. forces that would follow. While reinforcements streamed into the country, the 325th along with the remainder of the 82nd Airborne Division conducted the most intensive combat trainup in the unit's history.^{[citation needed]}

In mid-January, after the air war had begun, the 82nd Airborne Division displaced nearly 650 miles to the northwest near the Iraqi border in preparation for the commencement of the ground war. On 22 February, a day before the official start of the ground war - Task Force Falcon (commanded by then LTC John R. Vines) which comprised the 4/325 and attached elements of the XVIII Airborne Corps along with soldiers of the 6th French Light Armored Division began their drive into Iraq and were responsible for the destruction of massive amounts of enemy weapons, equipment, and ammunition. The 1/325 and 2/325, as trailing elements, were responsible for the capture of several thousand Iraqi soldiers. The division is credited with playing a major role in the highly successful 100 hour ground war.^{[citation needed]} The first division elements began redeploying to Fort Bragg on 7 March, and by early April the redeployment of the division was complete.

War on Terrorism

Members of the regiment waiting to dash across a street in Baghdad, Iraq, as part of their mission there searching for suspected militants.

When America was attacked on 11 Sept. 2001, President George W. Bush called upon the American military to fight global terrorism. The Falcon Brigade’s role in the Global War on Terror began with the invasion of Iraq.

On 28 March 2003, the regiment was called on to spearhead the 82nd’s assault into Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the initial invasion, the regiment was ordered to attack into the town of As Samawah to seize four critical bridges over the Euphrates River. For its actions, the regiment was later awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. The regiment later fought at Ad Diwaniyah, Ar Ramadi, Habbaniyah, Fallujah, and Baghdad. After the Iraqi Army capitulated in May 2003, the 325th AIR remained in Baghdad to conduct combat and support and stability operations. Missions continued until February 2004, when, after almost a year of sustained combat operations, the regiment returned home to Fort Bragg.

In December 2004, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 325th deployed to Iraq to provide a safe and secure environment for the country’s first-ever free national elections. Thanks in part to the efforts of 2nd Brigade paratroopers, more than eight million Iraqis were able to cast their first meaningful ballots.

In July 2005, the Red Falcons of 1st Battalion deployed to Afghanistan in support of the Afghanistan national parliamentary elections. Despite having only a battalion of troops to secure an area the size of Vermont, the Red Falcons’ pursuit of the Taliban insurgents allowed violence-free elections to take place.

In September 2005, only six months after the end of their last deployment to OIF, the 2nd Battalion White Falcons returned to Iraq once more to provide contingency support in Tal’ Afar during the Iraqi national elections. Their successes during the five-month deployment were commended by the President and recognized widely by the national media.

In January 2006, the 325th AIR underwent one of the largest restructurings in its history. As part of the army-wide transformation program, the regiment was reorganized into a modular structure to become the 2nd Brigade Combat Team. As part of the restructuring, the brigade lost one infantry battalion – the 3-325 – but gained an artillery battalion, a mounted reconnaissance and surveillance squadron, a support battalion, and a special troops battalion containing signal, MI, MP, and engineer companies.

A year later, in January 2007, the Falcons were given another critically important mission: to spearhead the “Surge” of U.S. forces into Iraq to restore security to the capital of Baghdad.

With violence in Iraq escalating out of control, the President on 10 January announced a new strategy for victory involving an increase of forces and a new emphasis on counter-insurgency tactics. Within a week of receiving orders, the brigade had 3,000 troops, 300 vehicles, and thousands of pieces of equipment on the way to Iraq.

Over the next 15 months, the Falcon paratroopers moved into small outposts throughout the city and waged an aggressive campaign against Al Qaeda terrorists, Sunni insurgents, Shiite militias, and other elements committed to destroying the fragile Iraqi democracy. At the same time, they devoted thousands of hours of labor and millions of dollars to rebuilding and infrastructure projects. By Christmas of 2007, violence in the Falcon AO had declined by 95%, and violence throughout all of Iraq was down steeply. The regiment redeployed to Fort Bragg in March 2008.

A Designated Marksman provides security

Campaign participation credit

World War I: St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Lorraine 1918

World War II: Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Normandy (with arrowhead); Rhineland (with arrowhead); Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe

Armed Forces Expeditions: Dominican Republic; Grenada; Panama (with arrowhead)

Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait; Cease-Fire

War on Terrorism: Campaigns to be determined

Decorations

• Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for SALERNO
• Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for STE. MERE EGLISE
• Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for IRAQ 2003
• Valorous Unit Award for IRAQ 2003
• Valorous Unit Award for NINEVEH PROVINCE 2005
• Valorous Unit Award for YUSIFIYAH, IRAQ 2006
• Valorous Unit Award for BAGHDAD 2007-2008
• Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for SOUTHWEST ASIA 1990-1991
• Army Superior Unit Award for 1987–1988
• Army Superior Unit Award for 1994
• Army Superior Unit Award for 1994–1996
• Army Superior Unit Award for 2010 Humanitarian Reflief Operations in HAITI
• French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II for STE. MERE EGLISE
• French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II for COTENTIN
• French Croix de Guerre, World War II, Fourragere
• Military Order of William (Degree of the Knight of the Fourth Class) for NIJMEGEN 1944
• Netherlands Orange Lanyard
• Belgian Fourragere 1940
  • Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes
  • Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in Belgium and Germany

[edit]

Individual awards

The following awards were received by individuals. • Medal of Honor–1 (Pfc. Charles N. DeGlopper)[1] • Silver Star–1 (SSG. Gerald A. Wolford)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Center of Military History document "325th Infantry Lineage and Honors". [1] "DeGlopper's Medal of Honor certificate". Archived from the original on 2009-08-08. http://web.archive.org/web/20090808135922/http://geocities.com/glidertroop325/DeGlopperMOHCert.html. Retrieved 2008-04-12.

External links

• Regimental Unit Study No. 4 506 The Forcing of the merderet Causeway at La Fiere, France: An Action of the 325th Glider Infantry. European Theater of Operations. United States Army Center of Military History Historical Manuscripts Collection 8-3.1 BB 4. http://www.history.army.mil/documents/WWII/LaFiere/325-LaF.htm. 
• 2 BDE 82nd Airborne Division homepage
• In action in Iraq