The 138th Infantry Regiment is an infantry battalion in the Missouri National Guard. Of the original regiment, only the 1st Battalion remains an active National Guard unit. As of 2008, the 1st Battalion, 138th Infantry Regiment is a light infantry battalion currently assigned to the 110th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.
The 138th Regiment was first organized in 1832 in the Missouri Militia at St. Louis, then known as the St. Louis Grays.
The 138th Infantry Regiment has not been deployed in the Global War on Terrorism.
Organized in 1832 in the Missouri Militia at St. Louis as the St. Louis Grays
Consolidated in 1843 with existing units in St. Louis to form the Regiment of St. Louis Militia
Mustered into federal service 18 May 1846 at St. Louis as the St. Louis Legion; mustered out of federal service 25 August 1846 at St. Louis
Reorganized as Easton’s Battalion of Infantry and mustered into federal service
10–24 May 1847 at St. Louis
Mustered out of federal service 9–10 October 1848 at St. Louis; battalion (less St. Louis Grays) concurrently disbanded
St. Louis Grays consolidated in 1852 with existing companies in St. Louis to form the 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment
1st Missouri Infantry Regiment captured by Union Forces 10 May 1861 at Camp Jackson, Missouri
Elements of former 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment consolidated 22 June 1861 with elements of former 2d Missouri Infantry Regiment (organized in February 1861 at St. Louis; captured by Union forces 10 May 1861 at Camp Jackson, Missouri) and consolidated elements reorganized in Confederate service at Memphis, Tennessee, as the 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment
Consolidated 1 November 1862 with the 4th Missouri Infantry Regiment (organized
30 April 1862 in Confederate service near Corinth, Mississippi) and consolidated unit designated as the 1st and 4th Consolidated Missouri Infantry Regiment
Surrendered 9 April 1865 at Fort Blakely, Alabama
Disbanded 10 May 1865 at Jackson, Mississippi
Former 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment reconstituted in 1869 in the Missouri Militia at St. Louis as the 1st Regiment
Disbanded 21 April 1874.
(Missouri Militia redesignated 16 March 1877 as the Missouri National Guard)
Reconstituted 16 August 1879 in the Missouri National Guard; concurrently, consolidated with the St. Louis National Guard Battalion (see ANNEX 1) and consolidated unit designated as the 1st Regiment
Consolidated 27 June 1884 with the 3d Regiment (see ANNEX 2) and consolidated unit designated as the 1st Regiment
Disbanded 23 May 1887 at St. Louis
Reconstituted in 1887 in the Missouri National Guard as a battalion
Expanded, reorganized, and redesignated, 8 October 1888 as the 1st Regiment
Mustered into federal service 13 May 1898 at St. Louis as the 1st Missouri Volunteer Infantry;
mustered out of federal service 31 October 1898 at St. Louis
Disbanded 21 August 1899 at St. Louis
Reconstituted 18 September 1899 in the Missouri National Guard at St. Louis as the 1st Infantry
Mustered into federal service 18 June 1916 at St. Louis; mustered out of federal service 25 September 1916 at Nevada
Called into federal service 25 March 1917 at St. Louis; drafted into federal service
5 August 1917
Consolidated 1 October 1917 with the 5th Infantry, Missouri National Guard (organized 21 May 1917 at St. Louis) and consolidated unit designated as the 138th Infantry, an element of the 35th Division
Demobilized 12 May 1919 at Fort Riley, Kansas
Former 1st Infantry reorganized and federally recognized 14 April 1921 with headquarters at St. Louis (former 5th Infantry hereafter separate lineage)
Reorganized and redesignated 1 October 1921 as the 138th Infantry and assigned to the 35th Division
Inducted into federal service 23 December 1940 at St. Louis
Relieved 1 March 1942 from assignment to the 35th Division
Inactivated 20 July 1944 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi
Assigned 20 June 1946 to the 35th Infantry Division
Reorganized and federally recognized 22 October 1946 in the Missouri National Guard as the 138th Infantry with headquarters at St. Louis
Reorganized and redesignated 15 April 1959 as the 138th Infantry, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st Battle Group, an element of the 35th Infantry Division
Reorganized 1 April 1963 to consist of the 1st Battalion
Converted, reorganized, and redesignated 1 May 1974 as the 1138th Engineer Battalion
Consolidated 1 September 1993 with Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 880th Engineer Battalion (see ANNEX 3) and consolidated unit designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1138th Engineer Battalion
Ordered into active federal service 15 March 2003 at St. Louis; released from active federal service 24 July 2004 and reverted to state control
Converted, reorganized, and redesignated 1 September 2006 as the 135th Support Detachment; concurrently, location changed to St. Louis
Ordered into active federal service 30 April 2008 at St. Louis; released from active federal service 8 May 2009 and reverted to state control
Organized 26 July 1852 in the Missouri Militia at St. Louis as the National Guards
Expanded 28 July 1858 to form two companies
Converted, reorganized, and redesignated in June 1860 as the Engineer Corps of Missouri
Captured by Union forces 10 May 1861 at Camp Jackson, Missouri
Reorganized 14 February 1872 at St. Louis as the Company of National Guards
Mustered into state service 9 April 1878 as the St. Louis National Guard Battalion
Organized 7 November 1877 in the Missouri National Guard at St. Louis as the 1st Regiment of Police Reserves
Mustered into state service 21 November 1881 as the 3d Regiment
Constituted 14 December 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 880th Airborne Engineer Battalion, Aviation
Activated 1 March 1943 at Westover Field, Massachusetts
Redesignated 24 March 1943 as the 880th Airborne Engineer Aviation Battalion
Disbanded 21 December 1944 on New Guinea
Reconstituted 6 March 1952 in the Air National Guard as the 880th Engineer Aviation Battalion, and allotted to Missouri, Louisiana, and Colorado
Organized 1952–1954 with Headquarters federally recognized 26 January 1954 at St. Louis, Missouri
(Federal recognition withdrawn 1 April 1954 from Company C [Colorado Air National Guard]; Company B [Louisiana Air National Guard] redesignated 1 September 1954 as Company B, 225th Engineer Aviation Battalion – hereafter separate lineage)
Redesignated 15 January 1957 as the 880th Engineer Battalion and allotted to the Missouri Army National Guard
Battalion broken up 15 January 1968 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows:
Headquarters and Headquarters Company as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 880th Engineer Battalion
(Company A as the 1135th Military Police Company; Company B as the 202d Engineer Company; Company C as Company B, 110th Engineer Battalion – hereafter separate lineages)
Description
A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 3/32 inches (2.78 cm) in height consisting of a shield blazoned: Azure, the equestrian statue in profile of Louis IX (St. Louis) of France Or, (the statue is in forest Park, St. Louis, by Charles Henry Niehaus).
Symbolism
The shield is blue for Infantry. The statue of Louis IX (St. Louis) alludes to the home area of the organization.
Background
The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 138th Infantry Regiment on 24 May 1926. It was redesignated for the 1138th Engineer Battalion on 3 May 1989.
Blazon
Shield- Azure, the equestrian statue in profile of Louis IX (St. Louis) of France Or, (the statue is in forest Park, St. Louis, by C.H. Niehaus).
Crest- That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Missouri Army National Guard: On a wreath of the colors Or and Azure, a grizzly bear rampant Proper. **Motto: ST. LOUIS’ OWN.
Symbolism
Shield- The shield is blue for Infantry. The statue of Louis IX (St. Louis) alludes to the home area of the organization.
Crest- The crest is that of the Missouri Army National Guard.
Background- The coat of arms was originally approved for the 138th Infantry Regiment on 8 July 1922. It was amended to correct the blazon on 11 October 1923. It was redesignated for 1138th Engineer Battalion on 3 May 1989.
Mexican War
New Mexico 1847
Chihuahua 1848
Civil War (Confederate Service)
Shiloh
Mississippi River
Vicksburg
Atlanta
Nashville
Mississippi 1862
Louisiana 1863
Alabama 1864
Alabama 1865
World War I
Meuse-Argonne
Alsace 1918
Lorraine 1918
World War II
Aleutian Islands 1942/43
New Guinea
War on Terrorism
Campaigns to be determined
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered SOUTHWEST ASIA 2003-2004
