7th Infantry Regiment ( United States ) 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 76 campaign streamers , and 14 unit decorations . The regiment has served in more campaigns than any other infantry unit in the United States Army . It is known as " The Cottonbalers " from an incident that occurred 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 bales of cotton during the British attack . Lineage . The regiment ' s official lineage is as follows : ANNEX History . Origins ; War of 1812 . The 7th Infantry Regiment , was originally constituted on 11 January 1812 in the Regular Army as a company of the 8th Infantry . 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 . American Civil War . The regiment won 14 campaign streamers for actions during the Civil War . Spanish American War . The Seventh Infantry regiment fought at El Caney and San Juan Hill . World War I . 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 St . Mihiel . World War II . 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 In July 1943 , the regiment made an amphibious assault on 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 . Under the command of Colonel John A . Heintges elements of the regiment serving under the 3rd Infantry Division had the honor of capturing Hitler ' s retreat at Berchtesgaden . According to an article written by the staff at HistoryNet it is quite probably no other regiment in the U . S . Army in World War II exceeded the 7th in combat time . Korean War . After World War II the 7th Infantry Regiment remained a part of the 3rd Infantry Division . 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 , 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 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 evacuation of Hungnam during the Chinese Communist Forces ( CCF ) Intervention . 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 Chinese Communist Forces ( CCF ) 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 Jackson Heights and Arrowhead outposts , and blocked a CCF 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 . Vietnam era . During the Vietnam War , elements of the regiment were assigned to the 199th Infantry Brigade . Modern era . Presently the regiment consists of mechanized infantry units equipped with the M - 2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle , and a Light Infantry Battalion . 1st Battalion , 7th Infantry Regiment , 2nd Battalion , 7th Infantry , Fort Stewart , Georgia , 1st Brigade Combat Team , 3rd Infantry Division 3rd Battalion , 7th Infantry , Fort Stewart , Georgia , 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team , 3rd Infantry Division . ( Light Infantry Battalion ) The battalions were assigned to the 24th Infantry Division 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 1st Battalion 7th Infantry Regiment and the 4th Battalion 7th Infantry Regiment ( from Aschaffenburg , Germany ) patrolled the Czechoslovakia border with Germany for years in preparation for war with The Soviet Union ( USSR ) . They served during Operation ( s ) Desert Shield and Desert Storm , and both battalions of the regiment were to serve in the theater of operations . The battalions belonged to 3rd ( Phantom ) Brigade , 3rd Infantry Division . The brigade itself was a round - out brigade for the 1st Armored Division and served as " Old Ironsides " lead element 1st brigade . The 4th battalion consisted of 4 companies of the new M2 - A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles , of which three companies had some augmented mix of M1 Abrams tanks attached from the brigade ' s 4th Battalion - 66th Armor Regiment . Only Bravo company 4 / 7 " Blackhawks " remained wholly infantry . It was the mission of Bravo Company to conduct urban and trench warfare for the battalion . Several regiment personnel received Silver and Bronze Stars with " V " devices for their actions during the ground war phase . Both 1 / 7 and 4 / 7 participated in the largest tank battle in US history during Desert Storm : The Battle of Medina Ridge . 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 as part of the new armed forces reduction strategy at the end of the Cold War . During the summer of 1992 , 4 / 7 Infantry regiment closed its doors at Fiori Kaserne for the last time . During the Gulf War , 2 units of the 7th Infantry Regiment fell in the ranks of VII Corps . Corps normally command three divisions at full strength ( other units such as artillery , corps - level engineers , and support units are attached as well ) . However , VII Corps had far more firepower under its command . 2 / 7 and 3 / 7 served with the 24th Infantry Division during the first gulf war , deploying from Fort Stewart Georgia , as part of the XVIII Airborne Corps . 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 . Both the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 7th Infantry Regiment assigned to 1st Brigade , 3rd Infantry Division participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 . During Operation Iraqi Freedom , the regiment ' s most notable achievements included seizing crossing sites over the Euphrates River and seizing the Iraqi regime ' s most prized possessions , Baghdad International Airport . They returned to Fort Stewart in September 2003 . SFC Paul Ray Smith was the first soldier awarded the Medal of Honor in the Global War on Terror for his actions in Iraq . 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 2005 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 Anbar Province , 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 Ar 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 . 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 . Other units called " 7th Infantry Regiment " . 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 .