3rd Infantry Division ( United States ) The 3rd Infantry Division ( nicknamed the " Rock of the Marne " ) is a United States Army infantry division based at Fort Stewart , Georgia . It is a direct subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and U . S . Army Forces Command The division fought in France in World War I . In World War II , it landed with Gen . Patton ' s task force in a contested amphibious landing on the coast of Morocco , overwhelming Vichy French defenders in November 1942 . North Africa . In 1943 , the division invaded Sicily in July , and invaded Italy at Salerno in September , before fighting in France and finally Germany . The division suffered the highest casualty rate of any American Division in World War II . Its exploits are aptly illustrated by its Medal of Honor recipient Audie Murphy , featured in the Hollywood movie , " To Hell and Back . " The division also deployed to Korea in 1950 during the Korean War and fought in some of the toughest combat of the conflict . From 1957 until 1996 , the division was the " backbone " of the United States Army ' s presence in the NATO alliance in West Germany . The 3rd Infantry Division was the first conventional U . S . unit to cross the border into Iraq and enter Baghdad during the 2003 invasion , and the first division to serve four tours in Iraq . Its current organization includes four brigade combat teams , one aviation brigade , and support elements . History . The 3rd Infantry Division has one of the most successful combat records of any U . S . Army division . It has paid a high price for this distinction , suffering more than 50 , 000 wartime casualties . Fifty - one members of the 3rd Infantry Division have been awarded the Medal of Honor . World War I . The 3rd Infantry Division was activated in November 1917 during World War I at Camp Greene , North Carolina . Eight months later , it saw combat for the first time in France . At midnight on 14 July 1918 , the division earned lasting distinction . Engaged in the Aisne - Marne Offensive as a member of the American Expeditionary Force to Europe , the division was protecting Paris with a position on the banks of the Marne River . The 7th Machine Gun Battalion of the 3rd Division rushed to Château - Thierry amid retreating French troops and held the Germans back at the Marne River . While surrounding units retreated , the 3rd Infantry Division , including the 30th and 38th Infantry Regiments , remained rock solid and earned its reputation in the Second Battle of the Marne as the " Rock of the Marne " . The rest of the division was absorbed under French command until brought back together under the command of General Joseph T . Dickman and by 15 July 1918 they took the brunt of what was to be the last German offensive of the war . General " Black Jack " Pershing said the division ' s performance one of the most brilliant of the United States ' military history . During the war two members of the division were awarded the Medal of Honor . Casualties during the war were 3 , 177 killed in action with 12 , 940 wounded . World War II . The 3rd Division is one of the few American divisions that fought the Axis on all European fronts and was among the first U . S . combat units to engage in offensive ground combat operations during World War II . During World War II , the division fought in North Africa , Sicily , Italy , France , Germany and Austria for 531 consecutive days of combat . The division first saw action as a part of the Western Task Force in the invasion of North African , landing at Fedala on 8 November 1942 , and captured half of French Morocco . Eight months later , on 10 July 1943 , the division made an assault landing on Sicily , Licata town on the beach , to west , called Torre di Gaffi and Mollarella and on the beach , to east , called Falconara . Fought its way into Palermo before the armor could get there , and raced on to capture Messina , thus ending the Sicilian campaign . Nine days after the invasion of mainland Italy , on 18 September 1943 , the 3rd landed at Salerno and in intensive action drove to and across the Volturno River and to Cassino . After a brief rest , the division was part of the amphibious landing at Anzio , 22 January 1944 , as part of VI Corps of British and American units . It would remain there for four months in a toe - hold against furious German counterattacks . On 29 February 1944 , the 3rd fought off an attack by three German divisions . In a single day of combat at Anzio , the 3rd Infantry Division suffered more than 900 casualties , the most of any U . S . division on one day in World War II . The division ' s former commander , John P . Lucas , was replaced as head of VI Corps by the 3rd Division ' s then - commander Lucian Truscott . In late - May , VI Corps broke out of the beachhead with the 3rd Division in the main thrust . Instead of defeating the Germans , Clark sent the division on to Rome . This had the misfortune of allowing the enemy forces , which would otherwise have been trapped , to escape . The division was then removed from the front line and went into training for the invasion of Southern France . On 15 August 1944 , another D - Day , the division landed at St . Tropez , advanced up the Rhone Valley , through the Vosges Mountains , and reached the Rhine at Strasbourg , 26 – 27 November 1944 . After maintaining defensive positions it took part in clearing the Colmar Pocket on 23 January , and on 15 March struck against Siegfried Line positions south of Zweibrücken . The division advanced through the defenses and crossed the Rhine , 26 March 1945 ; then drove on to take Nuremberg in a fierce battle , capturing the city in block - by - block fighting , 17 – 20 April . The 3rd pushed on to take Augsburg and Munich , 27 – 30 April , and was in the vicinity of Salzburg when the war in Europe ended . Elements of the 7th Infantry Regiment serving under the 3rd Infantry Division had the honor of capturing Hitler ' s retreat at Berchtesgaden . During the war , 4 , 922 were killed in action , and 18 , 766 wounded with a further 636 who died of wounds . Korean War . Commanders : During the Korean War , the division was known as the " Fire Brigade " for its rapid response to crisis . 3rd Infantry Division had been headquartered at Fort Benning along with its 15th Infantry Regiment . The 7th Infantry Regiment was located at Fort Devens . 3rd Infantry Division initially arrived in Japan where , as the Far East Command Reserve , it planned post conflict occupation missions in northern Korea . In Japan their strength was increased by augmentation from South Korean soldiers . They landed at Wonsan and received the 65th Infantry Regiment as their third maneuver element before moving north to Hungnam and Majon - dong . At Majon - dong they established a defensive position with the 65th Infantry and began their baptism of fire . 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 7th Infantry were on the left flank . The 15th Infantry was between the 7th and 65th Regiments . 3rd Battalion , 7th Infantry was set as the nucleus for Task Force Dog which was commanded by Brigadier General Armistead D . Mead , assistant 3rd Division commander and sent north to conduct a relief in place with 1st Battalion , 1st Marine Regiment at Chinhung - ni ; the south end of the 1st Marine Division and support the withdrawal of 1st Marine Division and Regimental Combat Team 31 from the Chosin Reservoir . 3rd Infantry Division ' s TF Dog was the rearguard keeping the pressure off of the Marine column . The division established , along with the 7th Infantry Division a collapsing perimeter around the port of Hungnam until the last of X Corps was off the beach . The port of Hungnam was blown up to deprive the enemy the use of those facilities as the last of the 7th , 15th , and 65th Infantry units boarded ships . The division went on to support combat missions of the Eighth Army until 1953 when it was withdrawn . Notably , the division fought valiantly , besides its extremely essential and able contribution during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir , at the Chorwon - Kumwha area , Jackson Heights and Arrowhead outposts , and blocked a CCF push in the Kumsong Area in July 1953 . 3rd Infantry Division received ten Battle Stars . Eleven more MOH recipients were added to the division ' s list of heroes during the Korean War . Eight were from the 7th Infantry Regiment : Jerry K . Crump ( 6 and 7 September 1951 ) , John Essebagger , Jr . ( 25 April 1951 ) , Charles L . Gilliland ( 25 April 1951 ) , Clair Goodblood ( 24 and 25 April 1951 ) , Noah O . Knight ( 23 and 24 November 1951 ) , Darwin K . Kyle ( 16 February 1951 ) , Leroy A . Mendonca ( 4 July 1951 ) , and Hiroshi H . Miyamura , whose award was classified Top Secret until his repatriation ( 24 and 25 April 1951 ) . Three more recipients were with the 15th Infantry Regiment : Emory L . Bennett ( 24 June 1951 ) , Ola L . Mize ( 10 and 11 June 1953 ) and Charles F . Pendleton ( 16 and 17 July 1953 ) . During the Korean War , the division had 2 , 160 killed in action and 7 , 939 wounded . 1953 through 2000 . Commanders : From April 1958 to April 1996 , the Marne Division was stationed with the VII Corps in West Germany from near the Czech border westward throughout various towns including Wūrzburg ( Div . Hq . & Support Command ) , Schweinfurt ( 1st Brigade ) , Kitzingen ( 2nd Brigade ) , and Aschaffenburg ( 3rd Brigade ) . In August 1961 , a few days after the Berlin Wall was erected , a reinforced company from the 7th Infantry Regiment ( a unit of the 3rd Infantry Division ) in full battle gear , was ordered to travel along the Autobahn ( a major highway ) from Aschaffenburg in Bavaria to West Berlin . This was to assert the right of US forces to travel unhindered from West Germany across the western part of East Germany to West Berlin . After the Berlin Wall was built , it was not known if the East German forces would attempt to impede or restrict the movement of US troops when crossing East Germany while trying to reach West Berlin . The unit arrived in West Berlin without incident confirming the right of free passage . In November 1990 , soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division were once again called into action . Following Iraq ' s invasion of Kuwait , more than 6 , 000 Marne men and women deployed with the 1st Armored Division on Operation Desert Storm as part of the Allied Coalition . Later nearly 1 , 000 soldiers deployed to southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq to provide comfort to Kurdish refugees . In late Spring of 1991 , the division supplied senior ranking officers and non - commissioned officers , along with a military police company to Task Force Victory ( Forward ) . Stationed in Kuwait the Task Force was to provide division level support to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ( which shared the same duty station ) . Those elements of 5th Corps attached to the task force ( including those of Division ) returned to their home units in early September 1991 . As part of the Army ' s reduction to a ten - division force , the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated on 15 February 1996 , and reflagged to become the 3rd Infantry Division . In 1996 the division was redeployed to Fort Stewart , Fort Benning , and Hunter Army Airfield , Georgia . The division repeatedly demonstrated its deployability since then by maintaining a battalion , and later a brigade task force presence in Kuwait . It has also moved sizable forces to Egypt , Bosnia and Kosovo in partnership training and peacekeeping missions . In 1996 – 97 , the 3rd Infantry Division Detachment , Rear Tactical Operations Center ( RTOC ) , which is a unit manned by the Georgia Army National Guard was mobilized and served in Operation Joint Endeavor . During this time , the 3rd ID RTOC served under the 1st Infantry Division and later the 1st Armored Division . Respectively serving in Bosnia , at Camps Dallas and Angela , near Tuzla under the 1ID , and then in Croatia at Slavonski Brod , under the 1AD , serving the Assistant Division Commander for Support , then BG George Casey . Global War on Terror . OIF I . Early in 2003 the entire division deployed in weeks to Kuwait . It was called on subsequently to spearhead Coalition forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom , fighting its way to Baghdad in early April , leading to the end of the Saddam Hussein government . The First Brigade captured the Baghdad International Airport and cleared and secured the airport , which also resulted in the division ' s first Medal of Honor since the Korean War , awarded to SFC Paul Ray Smith . Second Brigade , Third Infantry division made the much - publicized " Thunder Run " into downtown Baghdad . The Second Brigade was redeployed to Fallujah , Iraq during the summer of 2003 . The division returned to the United States in September 2003 . Beginning in 2004 , the 3rd began re - organizing . The division shifted from three maneuver brigades to four " units of action " , which are essentially smaller brigade formations , with one infantry , one armor , one cavalry , and one artillery battalion in each . The former Engineer Brigade became the 4th Brigade at Fort Stewart . Each of these units of action engaged in several mock battles at the National Training Center ( NTC ) and Joint Readiness Training Center ( JRTC ) , and preparation for a second deployment to Iraq . OIF III . In January 2005 , the Third Infantry Division became the first Army division to serve a second tour in Iraq . The division headquarters took control of the Multi - National Division Baghdad , MND - B , headquartered at Camp Liberty and with responsibility for the greater Baghdad area . First and Third Brigades of the Third Infantry Division were placed under control of the 42nd Infantry Division , and later under the 101st Airborne Division , in MND - North . In preparation of this deployment a Fourth Brigade was organized and became the first cohesive brigade combat team sent into a combat zone by the US Army , cohesive in that it fulfilled the Table of Organization requirement of such a unit . The California Army National Guard ' s 1st Battalion 184th Infantry Regiment served as one of the brigade ' s two infantry battalions , as well as the detachment from the Hawaii Army National Guard ' s 29th Brigade Combat Team , the 2 / 299th Infantry , also the 48th Brigade Combat Team from the Georgia Army National Guard and Charlie Company , 1st Battalion , 295th Infantry Battalion from the Puerto Rico Army National Guard served in this Operation . OIF V . The division redeployed to Fort Stewart and Fort Benning in January 2006 . On 17 November 2006 , the Army announced that the Third Infantry Division is scheduled to return to Iraq in 2007 and thus become the first Army division to serve three tours in Iraq . The division headquarters became the leadership organization of MND - C ( Multi - National Division Central ) , a new command established south of Baghdad as part of the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 . In support of operations in Baghdad , the unit 3rd Squadron , 7th Cavalry was detached from 3ID and assigned by General Petraeus to 3rd BCT , 82nd Airborne who was under the command of the 1st Cavalry Division . In 2008 , 82nd Airborne and 1st CAV redeployed home , and 3 – 7 CAV was handed over to 3rd BCT , 4th Infantry Division under the command of the 25th Infantry Division . They would remain uder this command until 3 – 7 CAV ' s redeployment back to Fort Stewart , being reattached to the 3rd Infantry Division . Reassignment of 1st Brigade . In the fall of 2008 , the 3rd Infantry Division ' s 1st Brigade was assigned to serve as the on - call federal response force under the control of NORTHCOM , the combatant command assigned responsibility for the continental United States . The brigade remained at its home station of Fort Stewart , Georgia , and " is training to deploy domestically in response to terrorist attacks or other national emergencies . " The brigade will be trained in responding to WMD attacks , crowd control , and dealing with civil unrest . The force was renamed " Chemical , biological , radiological , nuclear , or high - yield explosive Consequence Management Response Force " . Its acronym , CCMRF , is pronounced " see - smurf " , and the unit is now under the daily control of United States Northern Command ' s Army North , whose mission is to " protect the United States homeland and support local , state , and federal authorities . " The unit is a multi - branch force with Soldiers , Airmen , Sailors and Marines from the four branches of the United States Department of Defense . Redesignation of 4th Brigade . In March 2009 , 4th Brigade reorganized from a mechanized or heavy brigade to a light infantry brigade . As part of this reorganization , 4th Battalion , 64th Armor was reflagged as 3rd Battalion , 15th Infantry Regiment . OIF VII . The 3rd Infantry Division assumed command of the Multi - National Division - North , now United States Division - North , in October 2009 . This milestone marked the division ’ s fourth tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom ( I , III , V , and VII ) . The Marne Division has elements operating in every area of Iraq , from North , Center and South , as the mission changes from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn on 1 September 2010 . With the advent of Operation New Dawn , the focus will shift from combat operations to stability and Advise & Assist operations throughout all Iraq ’ s provinces . In the course of Operation Iraqi Freedom up 24 September 2010 , 436 members of the division were killed in action Operation Enduring Freedom . The Combat Aviation Brigade , 3rd Infantry Division deployed to Afghanistan for a 13 - month tour . The brigade was the first unit from 3ID to deploy to Afghanistan . During that tour 3rd CAB soldiers flew about 26 , 000 missions , including 800 air assaults , and was responsible for about 2 , 500 enemy casualties . No soldiers from the brigade were killed during the tour . 3rd CAB is slated to deploy to Afghanistan again in January 2013 . The 2500 soldiers will deploy with 3rd Special Troops Battalion for a 9 - month tour . The Marne Air will be operating out of Kandahar Airfield in the RC - South area - of - operations , relieving the 25th CAB . Both the 3rd CAB and 3rd STB will fall under their parent division when the 3ID Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion deploys in August and takes over command of RC - South from 82nd Airborne Division HQ . The 2nd Heavy BCT ' s two combined - arms battalions also deployed individually to Afghanistan . 1st Battalion , 64th Armor Regiment deployed in March 2012 . They are attached to the 3rd Stryker Brigade , 2nd Infantry Division ( United States ) from Joint Base Lewis - McChord , WA , to help train Afghanistan National Security Forces to take over in their country ’ s security operations . 1st Battalion , 30th Infantry Regiment deployed a month earlier . They are tasked with providing security to units conducting contingency operations . Both battalions will serve nine - month tour . Current structure . 3rd Infantry Division : All BCTs are headquartered at Fort Stewart except for 3rd BCT , which is located at Fort Benning . note : 2nd Armored Brigade combat Team will deactivate by the end of the 2017 due to Budget Control . Fires Brigade will be replacing 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team . All other Battalions under 2nd Brigade will be placed in the surviving Brigade Combat Team . Lineage and honors . Combat Aviation Brigade . Constituted 16 March 1985 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company , Aviation Brigade , 3rd Infantry Division , and activated in Germany . Deployed to Afghanistan in November 2009 and returned home in November 2010 .