The 311th Military Intelligence Battalion is an active duty Military Intelligence (MI) Battalion of the United States Army stationed at Camp Zama, Japan and assigned to the 500th MI Brigade. The 311th MI Battalion is equipped to continue to provide support and train alongside U.S. Army Japan partner units, and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force coalition partners. The 311th conducts continuous multi-discipline Intelligence operations in support of U.S. Army Pacific operations and national level requirements in the U.S. Indo-Pacific area of operations.
Lineage
Constituted 1 June 1954 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 311th Communication Reconnaissance Battalion Activated 14 June 1954 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts Reorganized and redesignated 16 May 1955 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 311th Communication Reconnaissance Battalion (336th Communication Reconnaissance Company [activated 6 August 1952] and 359th Communication Reconnaissance Company [activated 15 August 1944] concurrently reorganized and redesignated as Companies A and B) Redesignated 1 July 1956 as the 311th Army Security Agency Battalion Inactivated 18 December 1957 at Camp Wolters, Texas Headquarters and Headquarters Company activated 15 February 1966 at Fort Wolters, Texas (Companies A and B concurrently disbanded) Inactivated 30 June 1971 at Fort Hood, Texas (Companies A and B reconstituted 21 September 1978 in the Regular Army as the 336th and 359th Army Security Agency Companies - hereafter separate lineages) Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 311th Army Security Agency Battalion, reorganized and redesignated 1 June 1982 as Headquarters, Headquarters and Operations Company, 311th Military Intelligence Battalion, assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, and activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky (265th Army Security Agency Company [see ANNEX 1] and 101st Military Intelligence Company [see ANNEX 2] concurrently reorganized and redesignated as Companies A and B)
Annex 1 Constituted 2 March 1967 in the Regular Army as the 265th Army Security Agency Company
Activated 21 April 1967 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Inactivated 1 April 1972 in Vietnam
Activated 21 June 1976 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Annex 2 Constituted 12 July 1944 in the Army of the United States as the 101st Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment
Activated 20 August 1944 in England with personnel from provisional Counter Intelligence Corps detachment attached to the 101st Airborne Division
Inactivated 30 November 1945 in France
Allotted 7 February 1956 to the Regular Army
Activated 25 March 1956 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Reorganized and redesignated 25 January 1958 as the 101st Military Intelligence Detachment
Reorganized and redesignated 26 December 1969 as the 101st Military Intelligence Company
Assigned 21 September 1978 to the 101st Airborne Division
Honors
Unit Awards Meritorious Unit Commendation Southwest Asia
Company A additionally entitled to Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1967-1968
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1969-1970
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1971-1972
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1968
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1968-1969
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1970-1971
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1971
Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for VIETNAM 1968-1970
Company B additionally entitled to Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for BASTOGNE
French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II for NORMANDY
Netherlands Orange Lanyard
Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palm for BASTOGNE; cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at BASTOGNE
Belgian Fourragere 1940
Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in FRANCE AND BELGIUM
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1968-1969
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1971
Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for VIETNAM 1968-1970
Campaign Streamers
Southwest Asia Defense of Saudi Arabia Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
Company A additionally entitled to Vietnam Counteroffensive, Phase III Tet Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase IV Counteroffensive, Phase V Counteroffensive, Phase VI Tet 69/Counteroffensive Summer-Fall 1969 Winter-Spring 1970 Sanctuary Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase VII Consolidation I Consolidation II Cease-Fire
Company B additionally entitled to World War II Normandy (with arrowhead) Rhineland (with arrowhead) Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
Vietnam Counteroffensive, Phase III Tet Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase IV Counteroffensive, Phase V Counteroffensive, Phase VI Tet 69/Counteroffensive Summer-Fall 1969 Winter-Spring 1970 Sanctuary Counteroffensive Counteroffensive, Phase VII Consolidation I Consolidation II
Heraldry
Coat of arms Blazon The shield is Azure, a cross quarter-pierced Argent and overall two lightning bolts in saltire Or between in each quarter as many fleurs-de-lis of the second; overall a dragon passant Gules.
Symbolism The checkered field in the colors used for Military Intelligence units, silver gray (white) and oriental blue, suggests the gathering of data to aid in the formulation of military strategy; the lightning bolts refer to the use of electronics in the gathering operation. The dragon is a reference to service in Vietnam and its scarlet color alludes to the award of three Meritorious Unit Commendations to elements of the Battalion. The fleurs-de-lis denote service in Europe during World War II.
Distinctive unit insignia Blazon A Gold color metal and enamel device in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Azure, a cross quarter-pierced Argent and overall two lightning bolts in saltire Or between in each quarter as many fleurs-de-lis of the second; overall a dragon passant Gules. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Gold scroll inscribed "EYES OF THE EAGLE" in Black letters.
References