| Unit Name: | 7th Infantry Regiment |
| Type: | Infantry regiment |
| Dates: | 1812–present |
| Command Structure: | 3rd Infantry Division |
| Current Commander: | LTC Sean Hollars (2-7 IN) |
| Command Sergeant Major: | CSM Eric Caudill (2-7 IN) |
| Man Of The Marne: | SFC Edward "White Dragon" Prewitt |
| Nickname: | "Cottonbalers" |
| Motto: | Volens et Potens (Willing and Able) |
| Battles: | War of 1812 Mexican War Indian Wars War with Spain American Civil War Philippine–American War World War I World War II Korean War Vietnam War Persian Gulf War Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
| Notable Commanders: | William M. Morrow John Joseph Abercrombie Henry C. Merriam |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Coat of arms[1] |
The 7th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. In its 200-year history it has participated in 12 wars, been awarded 78 campaign streamers, and 14 unit decorations.[2] The regiment has served in more campaigns than any other infantry unit in the United States Army.[2]
It is known as "The Cottonbalers"[3] [2] for its actions during the Battle of New Orleans, while under the command of Andrew Jackson, when soldiers of the 7th Infantry Regiment held positions behind a breastwork of cotton bales during the British attack. These actions and the lineage of other units that made up the 7th Infantry give the regiment campaign credit for the War of 1812.
The regiment's official lineage is as follows:
ANNEX
Canada; New Orleans; Florida 1814; Louisiana 1815
Creeks; Seminoles; New Mexico 1860; Wyoming 1866; Montana 1872; Little Big Horn; Nez Perces; Utes; Pine Ridge
Santiago
Samar 1901; Samar 1902
Aisne; Champagne-Marne; Aisne-Marne; Saint-Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Champagne 1918; Ile de France 1918
Algeria-French Morocco (with arrowhead); Tunisia; Sicily (with arrowhead); Naples-Foggia; Anzio (with arrowhead); Rome-Arno; Southern France (with arrowhead); Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
CCF Intervention
Counteroffensive, Phase II
Defense of Saudi Arabia
The 7th Infantry Regiment, was originally constituted on 11 January 1812 in the Regular Army as a company of the 8th Infantry.[4] was reorganized in preparation for the conflict with Great Britain which came to be known as the War of 1812. Since that time it has remained on duty in one form or another, making it one of the five oldest continuously-serving regiments in the United States Army.[5] In 1815, the regiment was headquartered at Fort Montgomery in the Mississippi Territory.[6] After the Creek War, the regiment helped build and was stationed at Fort Crawford in the newly-formed Alabama Territory.[7]
See also: Mexican–American War. The regiment was active in the American invasion of the Mexican heartland and the capture of Mexico City. Streamers awarded are: Texas 1846 Monterey, Vera Cruz (sic), Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churubusco, Molino del Rey, and Chapultepec, and Texas 1846
The regiment won 14 campaign streamers for actions during the Civil War.
The Seventh Infantry regiment fought at El Caney and San Juan Hill.
The regiment has been associated with the Third Infantry Division since that unit was established in World War I.
The unit is credited with participation in the Aisne Defensive, the battle of Château-Thierry, the defense of the Champagne-Marne region and the attacks at Aisne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, and Saint-Mihiel.
The 7th Infantry arrived at the port of New York on 22 August 1919 on the USS Kaiserin Auguste Victoria and was transferred 27 August 1919 to Camp Pike, Arkansas. The regiment was again transferred on 20 September 1921 to Camp Lewis, Washington, and on 27 September 1922 to Vancouver Barracks, Washington . Concurrently, the 2nd Battalion was transferred to Chilkoot Barracks, Territory of Alaska, where it absorbed the personnel and equipment of the inactivated 2nd Battalion, 59th Infantry Regiment. The initial wartime mission of the 7th Infantry in accordance with established war plans was to conduct a mobile defense of possible amphibious landing areas in support of the Harbor Defenses of the Columbia River. The regiment participated in the making of the First National Pictures movie “The Patent Leather Kid” during March–April 1927. In April 1933, the regiment assumed command and control of the Vancouver Barracks Civilian Conservation Corps District. Company D was awarded the Edwin Howard Clark machine gun trophy for 1935. The 2nd Battalion was transferred on 18 October 1939 to Camp Bonneville, Idaho, and to Vancouver Barracks on 7 May 1940, while the entire regiment transferred 7 February 1941 to Fort Lewis, Washington.[8]
During World War II, the regiment fought German forces on three fronts, North Africa, Italy, and Northwest Europe. It conducted four amphibious landings against beach defenses earning a spearhead device on the streamers awarded for these battles.
In 1942, the regiment conducted an amphibious landing in Morocco.On 10 July 1943, the regiment made an amphibious assault at Licata, Operation Husky Mollarella, Poliscia, Torre di Gaffe e Rocca San Nicola beaches[9] starting the Allied invasion of Sicily. In 1944, it landed at Anzio, conducted a breakout and drove towards Rome. In August 1944, the regiment landed again, this time in Southern France as part of Operation Dragoon, advancing up the Rhone River to the German frontier.
After fighting in the Vosges and in the Alsace at the Colmar Pocket the 7th crossed the Rhine into Germany. Taking part in the seizure of Munich it headed for Austria, reaching the Salzburg area in the waning days of the war. After the 3rd Division is able to capture the key bridges over the Saalach River, the regiment commanded by Colonel John A. Heintges upon direct orders from division commander General John O'Daniel entered Hitler's retreat at Berchtesgaden on 4 May 1945..[10] See also American Courage, American Carnage Video Transcript Presentation by John C. McManus.
After World War II the 7th Infantry Regiment remained a part of the 3rd Infantry Division. This would be the last war that the Cottonbalers would fight as a Regimental Combat Team (RCT).
When the Korean War began in June 1950, the Seventh (7th) Infantry Regiment was located at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. Already at reduced strength, the regiment was further decimated when a battalion from Fort Devens was redesignated as the Third Battalion, Eighth Cavalry Regiment, and sent to Korea to join the First Cavalry Division.
The 7th Regiment sailed from San Francisco, California, on 20 August 1950,[11] and landed in Japan on 16 September 1950. There its strength was augmented by hundreds of KATUSA (Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army—Korean conscripts detailed to serve with U.S. units). Two months later, the regiment embarked again and landed at Wonsan on Korea's eastern coast on 21 November 1950. It joined with the 15th and 65th Infantry Regiments and moved to the northwest of the Hungnam area where it covered vis-à-vis Task Force Dog[12] from Chinhung-ni, the Army's X Corps forward elements (1st Marine Division and 7th Infantry Division Regimental Combat Team RCT 31 (AKA Task Force Faith)) withdrawal from the Chosin Reservoir and, joining the perimeter defense for the Hungnam Evacuation during the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) Second Phase Campaign.
The 7th Regiment was the last unit off of Pink Beach at Hungnam and withdrew by sea on 24 December 1950; they moved into position north of Seoul as part of the Eighth U.S. Army's defensive line participating in the PVA April 1951 spring offensive. During the next two years, the regiment supported 3rd Division's combat operations in the Chorwon-Kumwha area, fought at the Battle of Jackson Heights and Arrowhead outposts, and blocked a PVA push in the Kumsong Area in July 1953.
During eight campaigns on the Korean battlefield, the elements of the 7th Infantry were awarded Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations. In addition, the First Battalion, Seventh Infantry Regiment won a Distinguished Unit Citation for its bravery at Choksong, the Second Battalion for its bravery at Kowang-ni and the Third Battalion for bravery at Segok.[13]
During the Vietnam War, elements of the regiment were assigned to the 199th Infantry Brigade.
Presently, the regiment consists of mechanized infantry units equipped with the M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and a light infantry battalion.
The 1st and 2nd Battalions and, as already noted the 3rd Battalion, were assigned to the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division (United States) at Fort Stewart, Georgia on 16 December 1987. Elements of all three battalions of the 7th Infantry Regiment saw action in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Storm, Kosovo and, more recently, Operation Iraqi Freedom. On 16 February 1996, the battalions were assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division.
The Battle of Medina Ridge was a decisive tank battle fought during the Gulf War on 27 February 1991, between the U.S. 1st Armored Division and the entrenched 2nd Brigade of the Iraqi Republican Guard Medina Luminous Division outside Basra. It is estimated more than 5,000 vehicles (A mix of tanks, armored fighting vehicles, armored transports, heavy & light trucks-shared by both sides) clashed during this particular engagement. The 1st Armored Division, commanded by Major General Ron Griffith, consisted of some 3,000 vehicles including 348 M1A1 Abrams tanks. The brunt of the fighting at Medina Ridge was conducted by the 3rd (Phantom) Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division which was the only brigade from the 3rd Infantry Division in the war. The brigade replaced 1st Armored Division's 1st Brigade and was commanded by Colonel James Riley.
Medina Ridge was one of the few battles during Desert Storm in which American forces encountered significant Iraqi resistance and found it extremely difficult to advance. During the battle, American forces suffered one fatality (An M3 Bradley Scout driver - SPC Cash-from 4th Battalion, 66th Armor) due to friendly fire, while destroying 186 Iraqi tanks (mostly T-72Ms, Asad Babils, and Type 69s), and 127 armored vehicles. Only four Abrams tanks were hit by direct fire and disabled; none were destroyed. Upon returning from Iraq in May 1991, both battalions of the 7th Infantry Regiment and the rest of Phantom Brigade received orders to deactivate and draw down from Aschaffenburg, Germany. During the summer of 1992, 4/7 Infantry regiment closed its doors at Fiori Kaserne for the last time.
VII Corps' principal combat strength consisted of the following units: U.S. 1st & 3rd Armored Divisions, and U.S. 1st Infantry Division. In addition, the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment (scout force), US 1st Cavalry Division, and British 1st Armored Division, as well as the U.S. 11th Aviation Group were attached for the operation.
The 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry, was reassigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division in 2004, upon the creation of that new unit. Prior to that, the 3-7th Infantry had been assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. This was a product of 3rd Infantry Division transforming to the new modular brigade concept after its return from Iraq in late 2003. 2-7th Infantry remained with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, while 3-7th Infantry joined the new 4th Brigade Combat Team. Delta Companies were also established in both 2nd and 3rd Battalions, designated as armor units and its infantry C Companies reorganized under 3-69 AR and 4-64 AR respectively while their C Companies moved under the infantry battalions to form combat arms battalions (CAB). Under transformation, E Companies were added from the 11th Engineer Battalion and forward support companies were added to support the CAB.
After a tough train-up period during 2004, the reorganized 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 7th Infantry Regiment deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom III with their respective brigade combat teams (1st and 4th Brigade Combat Teams). 2-7 Infantry deployed to Iraq for a second tour in December 2004 until January 2006, to Saddam Hussien's hometown of Tikrit. The 3rd Battalion assumed responsibility of Western Rashid in Baghdad, an area encompassing more than 800,000 Iraqis. The 7th Infantry Regiment's most notable achievement was ensuring the security of over 100 polling sites during two Iraqi national elections.
In January 2007, 2-7 Infantry deployed to Iraq for a third, 15-month tour. The unit served in Al Anbar Governorate, the largest province in Iraq, under the command and control of Multi-National Forces West. TF 2-7 deployed to Hīt, with Company C, 2-7 IN attached to TF 3-69 AR (Speed and Power) in south-central Ramadi. Cold Steel was instrumental, with its Iraqi Army and Police partners in bringing peace and stability to Ramadi during the Anbar Awakening. The 2nd Battalion redeployed in April 2008. In 2007 the 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division was alerted for deployment to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in late 2007. 3-7 Infantry became critical to the success of the surge ordered by President Bush. Numerous Operations were conducted, and most notably Operation Marne Avalanche. One AO in particular (Wasit Provence) was controlled by a single armor platoon of 16 men and was the largest AO in Iraq. The 4th Brigade, including the 3-7th Infantry, continued to serve in that country into 2008.
In December 2009, 2-7 Infantry deployed to Iraq for a fourth time as an advise and assist battalion. B-Co. 2-7 was located south of Baghdad in the town of Mahmudiyah.
From July 2010 to July 2011, 3-7 Infantry deployed to Ramadi with the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn, with Attack Company providing Advise and Assist to the Iraqi Army at Al-Taqqaddum Air Base. After the new year, the Cottonbalers moved to al Asad Airbase where they provided training to the Iraqi Army before redeploying to a brand new Light Infantry Brigade facility at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
From September 2012 to May 2013, 2/7 Infantry deployed to numerous locations in some of the most rugged and hostile areas throughout Afghanistan as part of a Combined Joint Special Operations task force. The battalion returned to Fort Stewart at the end of this deployment.
In March 2013, 3/7 Infantry deployed to Logar Province, Afghanistan as division reserve force at Forward Operating Base Shank. They returned to the United States at the end of the year.[14]
There was a 7th Infantry Regiment raised for the 1798 Quasi-War with France. It was mustered out without seeing active service.
Another 7th Infantry Regiment was raised in April 1808, and saw service in the War of 1812. During the 1815 postwar reduction in force it was consolidated into the 1st Infantry Regiment. It was this regiment that fought at New Orleans in 1815. The official lineage followed the 8th Regiment after the war.