| Unit Name: | 252nd Combined Arms Battalion |
| Dates: | 1959- |
| Country: |  United States |
| Branch: | North Carolina Army National Guard |
| Type: | Combined arms battalion |
| Role: | Mechanized Infantry/Armor |
| Garrison: | Fayetteville, North Carolina (Headquarters) |
| Motto: | "Ready, Poised, Decisive" |
| Battles: | Iraq War
|
| Identification Symbol Label: | DUI |
The 252nd Armor Regiment is an armored regiment of the North Carolina Army National Guard, part of the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, which in turn is part of the 29th Infantry Division.
1st Battalion, 252nd Armor is the currently the only active unit within the regiment, fielding 2 tank companies and 1 infantry company, stationed at various locations around North Carolina.
The 252nd Armor Regiment was originally constituted on 20 March 1959 as the 196th Armor for the North Carolina Army National Guard as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System and assigned to the 30th Infantry Division. Twelve days later, on 1 April 1959, 3rd Battalion, 139th Infantry Regiment and the 130th Tank Battalion, both from the 30th Infantry Division, were re-flagged and reassigned to the regiment as the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron and the 2nd Medium Tank Battalion, respectively. On 10 March 1963, the regiment was reorganized as the 252nd Armor Regiment, consisting of 1st and 2nd Battalions as elements of the 30th Infantry Division (concurrently, the former 196th Armor Regiment was reconstituted and reorganized from existing units of the North Carolina Army National Guard as the 196th Cavalry Regiment, hereafter a separate lineage).[1] [2]
After the 30th Infantry Division was reorganized as the 30th Infantry Brigade, the regiment was reorganized as well. On 1 December 1973, 1st Battalion was reorganized as an element of the 30th Infantry Brigade, while 2nd Battalion was reorganized as a separate armor battalion of the North Carolina Army National Guard, where it was later deactivated. On 1 June 1989, the regiment was withdrawn from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System.[2]
1st Battalion, 252nd Armor deployed with the rest of 30th Brigade for a year-long tour of duty to Iraq in February 2004.[3] While this was the first combat deployment for the battalion as a whole, B Company had previously completed a six-month deployment to the Balkans from October 2000 to March 2001 with Task Force Eagle.[4]
1st Battalion, 252nd Armor deployed back to Baghdad, Iraq on 18 April 2009 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 9. This was their second deployment as a battalion, but their first deployment as a brigade in whole. Over 4,000 soldiers were deployed and stationed throughout Baghdad. C Company, 1/252 CAB ran over 600 Combat missions during a 10-month period making them the most used unit in the Combat Arms perspective for the 30th Brigade. 2nd Platoon of C Company was hit on two separate occasions with Improvised explosive devices approximately 1 week apart. 3rd Platoon, C Company was ambushed north of FOB Falcon in the Saydiyah district. Over 10 insurgents were captured with no injuries or casualties to 3rd Platoon.
After redeploying from Iraq in 2005, the 30th Infantry Brigade began the process of converting from an enhanced heavy separate brigade to the new heavy brigade combat team table of organization and equipment. As part of this reorganization, 1st Battalion was converted to a combined arms battalion.
1st Battalion currently has companies in the following locations in North Carolina:
A gold color metal and enamel device NaNinches in width consisting of a red embattled arrowhead charged with a gold fleur-de-lis flanked and surmounted on either side by a pierced green mullet. The device is supported by a tri-segmented gold scroll inscribed "READY" "POISED" "DECISIVE" in black letters.
The pierced green mullets (simulating spur rowels) surmounting a gold fleur-de-lis represent service in Europe during World War II. The red embattled arrowhead simulates the spirit of the unit and is symbolic of the motto "Ready, Poised and Decisive". The red and green together refer to the decorations of the French Croix-de-Guerre and the Belgian Fourragere awarded to elements of the Regiment.
The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 16 November 1966. It was amended to change the symbolism on 29 January 1970.