History of the First Division

War on Terror: 2003-Present Day

In January 2003, the 1^st Division formed Headquarters, Armed Forces-Turkey to prepare a route through Turkey into northern Iraq for the 4th Infantry Division. When Turkey denied access to US troops, ARFOR-T closed down. The 4th Infantry Division entered Iraq through Kuwait, but the preparations had diverted the attention of the Iraqi regime.

In April 2003, Task Force 1-63 Armor of the Big Red One was airlifted into Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq in the largest combat airlift of heavy armor forces in Army history. Attached to the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1-63 Armor secured the northern oilfields and assisted the local Kurdish forces. This Big Red One unit returned to Germany in February 2004.

In September 2003, the 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq. This Fighting First unit was first attached to the 82nd Airborne Division, and then to the 1st Marine Division. The 1st Brigade Combat Team conducted combat operations in the Sunni Triangle, trained Iraqi National Guard forces and secured and supported many civil aid projects. The 1st Brigade returned to Fort Riley in September 2004.

In February 2004, the 1st Infantry Division arrived in Iraq from Germany as Task Force Danger. Composed of division headquarters, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Brigades and support units, the 1st Infantry Division also had attached units of the 30th Brigade Combat Team (North Carolina Army National Guard) and units of the 25th Infantry Division (Light). Task Force Danger’s area of operation included the hostile Sunni Triangle. The Big Red One conducted combat operations against insurgents while training Iraqi government forces and rebuilding the local infrastructure, allowing the first free elections in Iraqi history in January, 2005. Task Force Danger returned to Germany in February 2005.

In August, 2006, the Big Red One returned again to Fort Riley, where it has a threefold mission: to complete its transformation to the Army’s new modular structure based on brigade combat teams; to deploy components to Operation Iraqi Freedom; and to train all transition training teams being deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq to train the indigenous security forces of those new democracies.

Please check our Current Deployment section for more information on what the division is doing today as part of the Global War on Terror.

For 91 years, in many missions all over the world, the 1st Division and its soldiers have remained true to their motto:

“No mission too difficult, no sacrifice too great – Duty First!”

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