85th Infantry Division ( United States ) The 85th Infantry Division also known as Custer Division ( named after the famous cavalry commander George Armstrong Custer ) . The Division was composed of the 337th , 338th , and 339th Infantry Regiments serving in both World Wars , and the 340th Infantry Regiment in World War I . During World War II , the support units included the 328th , 329th , 403rd , and 910th Field Artillery Battalions and the 310th Engineer Battalion , 310th Medical Battalion and the 85th Reconnaissance Troop . World War I . The division was first activated 25 August 1917 at Camp Custer , Michigan , and comprised the 169th and 170th Infantry Brigades . After a year of training the division left the U . S . for England , organized with four Infantry Regiments : 335th Regiment , 337th Regiment , 338th Regiment 340th Regiment . From England the 339th Infantry Regiment sailed to Archangel , Russia to fight along the White Army in the Russian Civil War against Bolshevik forces as part of the Polar Bear Expedition . The remainder of the division was broken up to support other units and was stationed in Lorraine , St . Mihiel , Marbache and in the Meuse - Argonne on the Western Front in France as a depot division and therefore did not participate in any combat operations . After the war the division remained on occupation duty in Germany and by August 1919 , the last elements of the division returned to the United States . World War II . On 15 May 1942 the 85th Infantry Division was reactivated at Camp Shelby , Mississippi . United States Divisions at that time were organized with three combat brigades . The 85th Division was organized so with the 337th Infantry Regiment the 338th Infantry Regiment , and the 339th Infantry Regiment . The 340th Infantry Regiment was redesignated at the 410th Quartermaster Battalion . Basic infantry training was begun in June 1942 at Camp Shelby , Mississippi , under the command of Major General Wade H . Haislip . In April 1943 , it participated in large - scale army training in the Louisiana Maneuvers near Leesville , Louisiana . In August , the Division was moved to Camp Coxcomb , California for desert warfare training . In October , the division was transferred to Fort Dix , New Jersey , for final preparations before shipment overseas . Major - General John B . Coulter was transferred as commander and retained this position throughout the war . The 85th ID left the United States on 24 December 1943 and arrived in Casablanca , French Morocco , 2 January 1944 . It received amphibious training at Port aux Poules near Arzew and Oran , Algeria , 1 February to 23 March , then embarked for Naples , Italy , arriving on 27 March . The 339th Infantry Regimental Combat Team was the first division element to depart Port - Aux - Poules for movement to the Italian Campaign . Arriving in Italy on March 14 , the 339th was attached to the 88th Infantry Division and became the first regiment of the 85th to see combat in WW2 on the Minturno - Castelforte front north of Naples , 28 March . The Division was committed to action as a unit , 10 April 1944 , north of the Garigliano River , facing the Gustav Line , and held defensive positions for a month . On 11 May , it launched its attack , taking Solacciano , Castellonorato , and Formia . Itri fell , 19 May , and the 85th continued to mop up the Gaeta Peninsula . Terracina was taken and the road to the Anzio beachhead was opened . The Division pursued the enemy to the hills near Sezze until pinched out by friendly forces from Anzio . The Gustav Line had been smashed and the 85th started for a rest area , 29 May , but was ordered to the Lariano sector which the Division cleared by the 31st . Driving on Rome , the 85th pushed through Monte Compatri and Frascati , entered Rome , 5 June 1944 , and advanced to Viterbo before being relieved , 10 June . After rehabilitation and training , the 85th took over the defense of the Arno River line , 15 to 26 August . The Division attacked the mountain defenses of the Gothic Line , 13 September , and broke through , taking Firenzuola on the 21st . The 85th advanced slowly through mud and rain against heavy resistance taking La Martina and gaining the Idice River Valley road , 2 October , and reaching Mount Mezzano on the 24th overlooking the Po River Valley . From 27 October to 22 November 1944 , defense areas near Pizzano were held . On the 23d , the Division was relieved for rest and rehabilitation . The 85th relieved the British 1st Infantry Division , 6 January 1945 , and limited its activities to cautious patrols until 13 March . After a brief training period , the 85th thrust southwest of Bologna , 14 April , pushing through Lucca and Pistoia into the Po Valley as enemy resistance collapsed . The Panaro River was crossed on the 23rd and the Po the next day . The Division mopped up fleeing Germans until their mass surrender , 2 May 1945 , in the Belluno - Agordo area . Through the entire campaign , the Division suffered some 7 , 268 casualties with 1 , 717 Killed In Action . Three soldiers from this division earned the Medal of Honor . Cold War to present . The division returned to the United States and was inactivated at Camp Patrick Henry , Virginia on 26 August 1945 . It was then reactivated at Chicago , Illinois on 19 February 1947 in the Army Reserve . On 1 June 1959 , the Division ' s mission was changed to training and it was named the 85th Infantry Division ( Training ) . Unit Organization . Upon reactivation in the Army Reserve , the Division was organized with a Division Headquarters , three training brigades and a Training Group , with Division Headquarters located in Oak Park , Illinois . In 197 - , the Division Headquarters was moved to Arlington Heights , Illinois , with subordinate Brigade headquarters located in Waukegan , Illinois ( 1st Brigade ) ; St . Louis , Missouri ( 2nd Brigade ) ; Rockford , Illinois ( 3rd Brigade ) ; Fort Sheridan , Illinois ( 4th Brigade ) ; and Aurora , Illinois ( Training Group ) . In 1999 the Division was further reorganized as the 85th Division ( Training Support ) . Its four brigades were headquartered as follows : 1st BDE ( TS ) ( 1st SIMEX Group , 2nd SIMEX Group , 3 - 335Bn ( TS ) ) at Fort Sheridan , Illinois ; 2nd BDE ( TS ) ( 1 - 338th BN ( TS ) , 2 - 411 Bn ( LS ) ) at Fort McCoy , WI ; 3rd BDE ( TS ) ( 1 - 335th BN ( TS ) , 2 - 335th BN ( TS ) , 2 - 338th BN ( TS ) , 3 - 411 BN ( LS ) ) at Indianapolis , IN ; 4th BDE ( TS ) ( 1 - 337th BN ( TS ) , 3 - 337th BN ( TS ) , 1 - 409th BN ( TS ) , 1 - 410th BN ( TS ) , 2 - 410th BN ( TS ) , 3 - 410th BN ( TS ) , 1 - 411th BN ( LS ) ) at Fort Knox , Kentucky . Unit inactivation . In September 2007 , the 85th Division ( Training Support ) was formally inactivated and its remaining assets folded into the 75th Division ( Training Support ) and the 88th Regional Readiness Command . In December 2008 , the 85th Division was reactivated as the 85th USAR Support Command . General . Other commanders within the Division who became U . S . Army general officers include BG Ronald S . Mangum , who commanded the 1st and 4th Brigades , the Battle Projection Group , and the 1 - 340th IN BN ( INST ) .