Active 1817–1919
1941–present Branch United States Army Size Regiment | Country United States Type Infantry Garrison/HQ Indianapolis, Indiana | |
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The 151st Infantry Regiment is an infantry unit in the Indiana National Guard, under the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Separate)
"The 151st Infantry Regiment has had a long and prided existence within the United States Military going back to the 1800's , reinstated in the 1940's this Elite Regiment has held the Highest standards of qualifications for its Troops.Fighting in Vietnam to present. It is by some accounts one of the least known yet has one of the longest history's and Highest level of Airborne Ranger certified Regiments of Army Reserve Company's". Sgt. Matthew
History
The 151st Infantry Regiment traces its roots to the Indiana Territory Indiana Rangers militia. It was in the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe that it earned its motto "Wide Awake! Wide Awake!" In 1846, the 2d Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, Indiana Brigade was mustered into Federal Service for the Mexican–American War, and was again federalized in 1861 during the American Civil War. It was reorganized in 1882 into the Indiana Legion, which was renamed the Indiana National Guard 5 March 1895. The 151st Infantry Regiment is credited with 24 campaigns from the Civil War due to lineage traced to the 7th, 10th, and 11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiments.
The Regiment was again federalized in 1898 for service in the Spanish–American War. In 1900, it was reorganized as the First Infantry, Indiana National Guard. The First Infantry was mustered into federal service at Fort Benjamin Harrison in 1916 for service in the Mexican Border Campaign.
With the outbreak of World War I, the First Infantry was reorganized into the 151st Infantry Regiment, and assigned to the 76th Infantry Brigade, 38th Infantry Division. The division was mobilized for Federal service in 1917 and demobilized in 1919. The division was again activated in 1941 in preparation for World War II. In the South Pacific, the 151st Regiment earned three battle streamers (New Guinea, Leyte and Luzon) helping the 38th Division win the nickname "Avengers of Bataan."
Elements of the 151st Regiment served in the Vietnam War. Company D (Ranger), "Delta Company," was the only National Guard unit to serve intact, and earned more medals in 1969 than any other Army infantry company during a 1-year period, and has been credited with reintegrating National Guard units with the United States Army after they were intentionally separated during the Vietnam War. The company was eventually assigned to II Field Force Vietnam with the mission of conducting long range patrols in War Zone D, in the III Corps Tactical Zone. After the company's arrival, the 199th Infantry Brigade (Light) oversaw its initial administration and support.
In 1977, the regiment was organized into two battalions, elements of the 38th Infantry Division. Both the 1st Battalion (1-151 IN) and 2nd Battalion (2-151 IN) are elements of the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Separate), Elements of the 151st have deployed to Bosnia (NATO SFOR), Iraq Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan Operation Enduring Freedom. The two battalions reunited in 2011 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Tippecanoe.