180th Cavalry Regiment ( United States ) The 1st Squadron , 180th Cavalry Regiment is headquartered in Durant , Oklahoma . It is a part of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team , Oklahoma Army National Guard and is the oldest battalion in the brigade . The 180th Infantry Regiment ( redesignated to Cavalry in 2008 ) saw action during World War I as the 142nd Infantry Regiment of the 36th Infantry Division ( Texas and Oklahoma ) and World War II and the Korean War as part of the 45th Infantry Division and again in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of the 45th Infantry Brigade . History . The 1st Infantry Regiment , Oklahoma Volunteer Militia was first formed in 1890 and organized as the Oklahoma National Guard on 21 December 1895 . Three years later with impending hostilities between the United States and Spain , the Oklahoma and Indian Territories Guard and those of the Territories of Arizona and New Mexico would be consolidated to form the 1st Regiment Territorial Volunteer Infantry , United States Volunteers . This regiment was mustered into federal service 4 – 23 July 1898 but too late to join the fighting in Cuba , the regiment would muster out on 11 – 15 February at Albany , GA . On 20 March 1916 Pancho Villa , a Mexican bandit and revolutionary raided the town of Columbus , New Mexico . President Woodrow Wilson ordered Regular Army and Guard units to border patrol duty and expeditions into Mexico to hunt down the bandit . Villa would not be caught , but the former 1st Infantry Regiment , Oklahoma National Guard which had been reorganized in 1899 as the 1st Regiment of Infantry , was ordered to federal service 27 June - 1 July 1916 at Fort Sill , OK , for this duty and mustered out 1 March 1917 at Fort Sill . World War I . It was called back to federal service on 31 March 1917 and assigned on 18 July 1917 to the 36th Division ( Oklahoma and Texas ) . It was drafted into federal service on 5 August 1917 at Fort Sill and was consolidated on 15 October 1917 with 7th Infantry , Texas National Guard , and redesignated as 142nd Infantry . At the same time the 3rd Infantry , Oklahoma National Guard was organized in Eastern Oklahoma for service at home and was federally recognized on 3 September 1918 . The 36th Division was demobilized on 17 June 1919 at Camp Bowie , TX . During WWI , Two Oklahoma members of the 142nd Regiment were presented with the Medal of Honor ; Cpl Samuel M . Sampler and Cpl Harold L . Turner , both credited with eliminating machine gun nests and continuing an advance near St . Etienne , France in October 1918 which would prepare for a major attack along the Aisne River . On 12 – 13 October 1918 , the regiment attacked toward the line of the Aisne ( Ayn ) River on the right of a four regiment / two brigade attack that advanced the American line and eliminated a German salient south of the Aisne . During this campaign the numerous American Indian members of the old Oklahoma National Guard were used as telephone talkers , becoming a legend as the " Choctaw Talkers " , presaging the " Code Talkers " of WWII . Fourteen Choctaw Indian men , trained to use their language , helped the American Expeditionary Force win several key battles in the Meuse - Argonne Campaign in France , the final big German push of the war . The fourteen Choctaw Code Talkers were Albert Billy , Mitchell Bobb , Victor Brown , Ben Caterby , James Edwards , Tobias Frazer , Ben Hampton , Solomon Louis , Pete Maytubby , Jeff Nelson , Joseph Oklahombi , Robert Taylor , Calvin Wilson , and Walter Veach . With at least one Choctaw man placed in each field company headquarters , they handled military communications by field telephone , translated radio messages into the Choctaw language , and wrote field orders to be carried by " runners " between the various companies . The German army , which captured about one out of four messengers , never deciphered the messages written in Choctaw . The Choctaws were recognized as the first to use their native language as an unbreakable code in World War I . The Choctaw language was again used in World War II . In 1919 , the 3rd Infantry Regiment would be called out to protect coal mining operations during threatened strikes and to enforce martial law in 6 southeast Oklahoma counties . The returning Eastern Oklahoma elements of former 142nd Infantry merged during 1920 - 1921 with the 3rd Infantry , and the resulting unit was designated in the Oklahoma National Guard as 3rd Infantry . During this time the regiment responded to a declaration of martial law in Tulsa , Oklahoma in order to restore order following the Tulsa Race Riot . 3rd Infantry was redesignated on 14 October 1921 as 180th Infantry Regiment , and assigned to the newly organized 45th Division , reuniting Oklahoma ’ s Guardsmen with those from Arizona and New Mexico and adding Colorado as well . World War II . In preparation for possible entry into World War II and in response to obvious changes in military doctrine as practiced in the new conflict , the 180th was inducted into federal service on 16 September 1940 at Muskogee to participate in the experimental Louisiana Maneuvers . The 45th Division itself was reorganized and redesignated on 11 February 1942 as 45th Infantry Division . After 511 days of combat in Europe the unit inactivated 22 – 29 November 1945 at Camp Bowie , TX . WWII produced six recipients of the Medal of Honor from the 180th Infantry : 2nd Lieutenant Ernest Childers , Private First Class William Johnston , 1st Lieutenant Jack Montgomery , all for actions in Italy and Captain Jack Treadwell for actions along the Siegfried Line in Germany . Korea and Cold War . The 180th was again ordered into active federal service on 1 September 1950 , this time to prepare of mobilization to Korea . The 180th Infantry [ NGUS ] was organized and federally recognized on 15 September 1952 with headquarters at Holdenville . After 429 days of combat it was released from active federal service 30 April 1954 and reverted to state control . One of the most significant actions was the assault on Old Baldy and Pork Chop Hills . The 45th Infantry Division was holding the right flank of the I Corps ' line in west - central Korea , facing the 39th Army of the Chinese 13th Field Army . In order to take the high ground in front of the division ' s main line of resistance the division developed a plan to seize a dozen forward hills , stretching from northeast to southwest . The last two in the southwest , Pork Chop and Old Baldy ( Hill 266 ) , were held by the Chinese 116th Division . On 6 and 7 June , the 180th Infantry advanced on the six southern hills . Company I of the 180th took Pork Chop after a one - hour firefight and immediately fortified the position . The Chinese 346th , 347th and 348th regiments counterattacked over the next several days , but I Company , with artillery support , held off the human wave counter assaults . In two further reorganizations , the 180th Regiment was reorganized as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System , to consist of 1st and 2nd Battle Groups , on 1 May 1959 and again on 1 April 1963 to consist of 1st and 2nd Battalions . It was again reorganized on 1 February 1968 to consist of the 1st Battalion , a non - divisional unit of the 45th Infantry Brigade , with the 45th Division being reorganized as the 45th Infantry and Field Artillery Brigades and 90th Troop Command . In 1973 , the 1 - 180th was one of many Guard units activated to quell a major prison riot at McAlister State Prison . In 2001 , following a severe winter storm on 4 January , members of the 1 - 180th rendered humanitarian assistance , delivering water to persons whose water and electricity had been knocked out by heavy ice . 21st century . The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 altered the character of the planned six - month deployment of the 1st Battalion , 180th to Egypt in 2002 as a part of the Multinational Force and Observers . The 1st Battalion , 180th was the 44th battalion to complete an MFO rotation . While deployed to Egypt , the 1st Battalion , 180th was asked to provide volunteers to go with the 45th Infantry Brigade to Afghanistan on a second deployment , Task Force Phoenix II , that would follow their own by only a few months . Many of the soldiers of the 180th volunteered and some were at home as little as 20 days between deployments . The 45th Brigade , with individual members of the 180th in tow , deployed to Afghanistan November 2003 , providing embedded trainers / advisors to the newly formed Afghan National Army and security forces for American bases in Afghanistan . Members of the 1 - 180th saw combat action in Afghanistan and won a number of awards , including citations for valor . Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the US Gulf Coast in September 2005 . Soon after returning from Afghanistan , the 180th sent 200 soldiers to Louisiana in support of relief operations immediately following Katrina . Oklahoma ' s response to Katrina was so rapid and so well prepared that the commander of the Oklahoma contingent was made the commander of the 13 , 000 person multi state and service task force on the ground . In support of relief operations the 180th saved many lives and received numerous awards . In late 2005 the 180th was notified of an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan in support of Task Force Phoenix V , as the security force for the Oregon Army National Guard ' s 41st Infantry Brigade . Companies C , D , and Headquarters Company deployed in March 2006 . Members of other companies accompanied the battalion to provide needed critical skills . While in Afghanistan the 1 - 180th received eight Purple Hearts and several citations for valor . Sadly , the 180th lost its first combat casualty in the conflict in Afghanistan . Sergeant Buddie Hughie of Poteau was killed in action while performing duties as a combat medic on 19 February 2007 . While these elements of the 180th were deployed to Afghanistan , the 180th ' s higher headquarters , the 45th Infantry Brigade , was alerted of an upcoming mission to Iraq . The remaining elements of the 180th Headquarters in Durant , the rifle company in McAlester and remnants of the battalion prepared to mobilize to go to Iraq , even as the 180th still had over 400 soldiers deployed to Afghanistan . The soldiers returning from Afghanistan and the soldiers deploying to Iraq shook hands almost literally on the runway as they passed . The 180th provided over 200 soldiers to support the 45th Brigade deployment to Iraq . The soldiers of Alpha Company served as a detainee operations company , securing and safeguarding criminal and insurgent detainees in Iraq . The members of the 180th provided other services around the country , including convoy escort and management of critical services in the International Zone in downtown Baghdad . The latest deployment ended with the return of the 45th in October 2008 and the reorganization of 1st Battalion , 180th to become a cavalry squadron . The location of the 1st Battalion , 180th units at the onset of the Global War on Terrorism were - Headquarters and Headquarters Company - Durant , OK A Co - McAlester , OK with a detachment in Edmond , OK B Co - Poteau , OK with a detachment in Idabel , OK C Co - Ada , OK with a detachment in Holdenville , OK D Co ( Anti Armor ) - Shawnee , OK Also of note ; at the beginning of the GWOT , E Troop , 145th Cavalry was the separate cavalry troop in the 45th under the legacy infantry brigade composition . Under the infantry brigade combat team composition the 180th Cavalry has absorbed E Troop into the 1 - 180th Cavalry . Through this period of supporting combat operations the 180th also continued to provide support for natural disasters , power outages and other state directed mission in Oklahoma . Current units . Headquarters and Headquarters Troop , 1st Squadron , 180th Cavalry at Durant , OK Additionally , the 1st Battalion , 180th Cavalry is supported by its Forward Support Company ( FSC ) Campaign streamers . World War I World War II Korean War Global War on Terror Battlefield or campaign honors , citations and decorations . 1st Squadron , 180th Cavalry Regiment , formerly 1st Battalion , 180th Infantry Regiment , is entitled to the Presidential Unit Citation . PER GO 64 , dated 16 July 1947 . Additionally , C Troop , 1st Squadron , 180th Cavalry Regiment , formerly C Company , 1st Battalion , 180th Infantry Regiment , is entitiled to the Meritorious Unit Citation . Per DAGO 208 - 11 ( Corrected Copy ) ( 2011 ) Azure three Indian arrows pyramidwise Argent . That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Oklahoma Army National Guard : From a wreath Argent and Azure an Indian ’ s head with war bonnet all Proper . TANAP - NANAIYA KIA ALHTAIYAHA ( Ready In War Or Peace ) . The shield is blue for Infantry , the unit ’ s original designation . The arrows are indicative of the Indian heritage of Oklahoma . The language used in the motto is that of the Choctaw Indian . The crest is that of the Oklahoma Army National Guard . Coat of arms . Background . The coat of arms was originally approved for the 180th Infantry Regiment on 3 May 1923 . It was amended to revise the symbolism on 10 May 1979 . It was redesignated for the 180th Cavalry Regiment with the description and symbolism updated effective 1 December 2008 .