151st Infantry Regiment (United States)

The 151st Infantry Regiment traces its roots to the Indiana Territory Indiana Rangers militia. It was in the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe that it earned its motto "Wide Awake! Wide Awake!"[1] In 1846, the 2d Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, Indiana Brigade was mustered into Federal Service for the Mexican–American War, and was again federalized in 1861 during the American Civil War.[2] It was reorganized in 1882 into the Indiana Legion, which was renamed the Indiana National Guard 5 March 1895.[2] The 151st Infantry Regiment is credited with 24 campaigns from the Civil War due to lineage traced to the 7th, 10th, and 11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiments.[3]

The Regiment was again federalized in 1898 for service in the Spanish–American War. In 1900, it was reorganized as the First Infantry, Indiana National Guard.[2] The First Infantry was mustered into federal service at Fort Benjamin Harrison in 1916 for service in the Mexican Border Campaign.

With the outbreak of World War I, the First Infantry was reorganized into the 151st Infantry Regiment, and assigned to the 76th Infantry Brigade, 38th Division.[4] The division was mobilized for Federal service in 1917 and demobilized in 1919.[2] The division was again activated in 1941 in preparation for World War II. In the South Pacific, the 151st Regiment earned three battle streamers (New Guinea, Leyte and Luzon) helping the 38th Infantry Division win the nickname "Avengers of Bataan."[5]

Company D (Ranger), 151st Infantry Regiment on patrol in Vietnam (from United States Army Center of Military History

Elements of the 151st Regiment served in the Vietnam War. Company D (Ranger), "Delta Company," was the only National Guard Infantry unit to serve intact,[6] and earned more medals in 1969 than any other Army infantry company during a 1-year period,[5] and has been credited with reintegrating National Guard units with the United States Army after they were intentionally separated during the Vietnam War.[7] The company was eventually assigned to II Field Force Vietnam[8] with the mission of conducting long range patrols in War Zone D, in the III Corps Tactical Zone. After the company's arrival, the 199th Infantry Brigade (Light) oversaw its initial administration and support.

In 1977, the regiment was organized into two battalions, elements of the 38th Infantry Division.[2] Both the 1st Battalion (1-151 IN) and 2nd Battalion (2-151 IN) are elements of the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Separate),[9] Elements of the 151st have deployed to Bosnia (NATO SFOR), Iraq Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan Operation Enduring Freedom. During deployment to Afghanistan in 2009-2010, Bravo company of 2nd Bn, 151st Inf received both the Meritorious Unit Citation and the Valorous Unit Award while attached to Task Force Yukon (4th IBCT (Airborne)) and Task Force Rakkasan (3d Bde, 101st Airborne Division), as a part of Regional Command East, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) conducting counterinsurgency operations in Khost province.[3] The two battalions reunited in 2011 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Tippecanoe.[10]

Organized and Federally recognized 9 December 1940 in the Indiana National Guard at Indianapolis as the Antitank Company, 151st Infantry, an element of the 38th Division (later redesignated as the 38th Infantry Division)

Inducted into active Federal service 17 January 1941 at Indianapolis

Inactivated 9 November 1945 at Camp Anza, California

Reorganized and Federally recognized 11 April 1949 at Greenfield as the Tank Company, 151st Infantry

Reorganized and redesignated 1 February 1959 as the Combat Support Company, 1st Battle Group, 151st Infantry

Reorganized and redesignated 1 March 1963 as Company B, 2d Battalion, 151st Infantry

Reorganized and redesignated 1 December 1967 as Company D, 151st Infantry, and relieved from assignment to the 38th Infantry Division

Ordered into active Federal service 13 May 1968 at Greenfield; released from active Federal service 26 November 1969 and reverted to state control

Consolidated 1 April 1971 with Company E, 151st Infantry (organized and Federally recognized 1 December 1967 at Muncie), and consolidated unit designated as Company D, 151st Infantry, at Muncie

Converted and redesignated 1 March 1977 as Troop A, 1st Squadron, 238th Cavalry, an element of the 38th Infantry Division

Reorganized and redesignated 3 October 1986 as the Long Range Surveillance Detachment, 1st Squadron, 238th Cavalry

Converted and redesignated 1 October 1989 as the 151st Infantry Detachment

Location changed 1 September 1990 to Indianapolis; on 1 September 1996 to Darlington

                                              CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT

                                                       World War II
                                                       New Guinea
                                                       Leyte
                                                       Luzon (with arrowhead)

                                                       Vietnam
                                                       Counteroffensive, Phase VI
                                                       Tet 69/Counteroffensive
                                                       Summer–Fall 1969
                                                       Winter–Spring 1970

                                                         DECORATIONS

                       Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered 17 OCTOBER 1944 TO 4 JULY 1945[11]

 This article incorporates public domain material from Lineage And Honors Information. United States Government.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 151st Infantry Regiment (United States).

• "1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment "Warhawks"". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
• "2-151 Infantry Battalion". Indiana Guardsman. Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
• "Home of 2-151 Infantry". Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
• http://www.armyhistory.org/company-d-151st-infantry-the-indiana-rangers-vietnam/