The 338th Infantry Regiment was a National Army Infantry Regiment first organized for service in World War I as part of the 85th Infantry Division in Europe. It later served in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II. Since then it has served as a training regiment, training Army Reserve and Army National Guard soldiers for overseas service after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Service history World War I The regiment was constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army as the 338th Infantry and assigned to the 169th Infantry Brigade of the 85th Division. It was organized at Camp Custer, Michigan, on 30 August 1917. In August 1917, the regiment was organized with 3,755 officers and enlisted men: Headquarters & Headquarters Company- 303 Supply Company- 140 Machine Gun Company- 178 Medical & Chaplain Detachment- 56 Infantry Battalion (x3)- 1,026 Headquarters- 2 Rifle Company (x4)- 256Maneuver and Firepower p56 The Doughboys of the regiment deployed to France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces and were billeted in the cities of Nevers and Cosne. The regiment didn't participate in any named campaigns during the war; its Infantrymen were used as individual replacements to the fighting Divisions.Reports of the Commander-in-Chief, Staff Sections and Services p14-18Maneuver and Firepower p69 After completing its war service in France it was demobilized at Camp Custer on 14 April 1919.Military Map of the United States in 1918
Interwar period
Pursuant to the National Defense Act of 1920, the 338th Infantry was reconstituted in the Organized Reserve on 24 June 1921, assigned to the 85th Division, and allotted to the Sixth Corps Area. It was initiated on 5 November 1921 with the regimental headquarters at Kalamazoo, Michigan. Subordinate battalion headquarters were organized as follows: 1st Battalion at Kalamazoo; 2nd Battalion at Lansing, Michigan; and 3rd Battalion at Ann Arbor, Michigan. The regimental headquarters was relocated on 20 July 1923 to Lansing. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions were relocated by 1929 to Hastings and Jackson, Michigan, respectively. The regimental headquarters was relocated on 26 September 1932 to Kalamazoo. The regiment conducted summer training most years with the 2nd Infantry Regiment at Camp Custer, Michigan. The regiment conducted summer training with the Michigan National Guard's 126th Infantry Regiment at Camp Grayling, Michigan, in 1928 and 1934. The regiment also conducted infantry Citizens' Military Training Camps some years at Camp Custer or Fort Brady, Michigan, as an alternate form of summer training. The primary ROTC "feeder" school was Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science in Lansing.
World War II
The 338th Infantry was ordered into active military service 15 May 1942 and reorganized at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. In July 1943, the regiment was organized with 3,256 officers and enlisted men:Maneuver and Firepower p183 Headquarters & Headquarters Company- 111 Service Company- 114 Anti-Tank Company- 165 Cannon Company- 118 Medical Detachment- 135 Infantry Battalion (x3)- 871 Headquarters & Headquarters Company- 126 Rifle Company (x3)- 193 Weapons Company- 156 The regiment departed Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation in December 1943 aboard the USS General William A. Mannhttp://www.navsource.net/archives/09/22/22112.htm Naval Source Online USS General W. A. Mann (AP-112) (1943 - 1949)army.mil Troopships of WWII with its supporting 329th Field Artillery Battalion.http://www.custermen.com/85CD.htm Custermen Arriving in Italy on March 14, the 339th Regimental Combat Team was attached to the 88th Infantry Division and became the first regiment of the 85th to see combat during World War II on the Minturno-Castelforte front north of Naples, on 28 March. After service in the Mediterranean Theater it was disbanded 25 August 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia.army.mil Rome Arno Commemorative Publication army.mil North Apennines Commemorative Publication army.mil Po Valley Commemorative Publication
Post World War II The 338th Infantry was reconstituted 6 November 1946 in the Organized Reserves and assigned to the 85th Infantry Division with headquarters at Peoria, Illinois. On 9 July 1952, the Organized Reserve was redesignated the Army Reserve. On 1 April 1952, the headquarters was relocated to Danville, Illinois. On 1 June 1959 the 338th Infantry was reorganized as a training unit and was redesignated as the 338th Regiment, an element of the 85th Division (Training), with headquarters at Chicago, Illinois.
Current assignment As part of Operation Bold Shift, the 338th mission is to train Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers for war service before dispatch to the War in Afghanistan, the Iraq War, or elsewhere.army.mil First Army completing 'Bold Shift' transformation All three battalions are elements of the 85th Support Command under the operational control of First Army. , the 1st Battalion is stationed at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, with the 181st Infantry Brigade, while the 2nd and 3rd Battalions are stationed at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, with the 157th Infantry Brigade. Each battalion provides Observer/Controllers to the NTC and JRTC to train units conducting rotations as well as conducting exercises at their home stations.
Campaign streamers Conflict Streamer Year(s) World War I No Inscription World War II Rome-ArnoRome Arno Commemorative Publication 1944 North ApenninesNorth Apennines Commemorative Publication 1944-1945 Po ValleyPo Valley Commemorative Publication 1945
Decorations Ribbon Award Year Subordinate Elements Embroidered NotesPresidential Unit Citation1944Entire RegimentMount AltuzzoGeneral Orders #9, 21 October 1947army.mil General Orders #9, 1947Army Superior Unit Award2003-20041st Battalion2003-2004Permanent Order 232-07, 20 August 2007army.mil Permanent Order 232-07, 20 August 2007 & General Order 2009-23 army.mil Unit Award Index 1987- PresentArmy Superior Unit Award2004-20062nd and 3rd Battalions2004-2006Permanent Order 202-27, 21 July 2009army.mil Permanent Order 202-27, 21 July 2009 & General Order 2013-16 Army Superior Unit Award2008-2011Entire Regiment2008-2011NoneSecretary of the Army Superior Unit Certificate1961-1962Headquarters Company, 3rd BattalionNone
References
338th Regiment Lineage and Honors