39th Infantry Division ( United States ) The 39th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Army National Guard , originally formed as the 18th Division in 1917 . The division consisted of troops from Arkansas , Louisiana , and Mississippi . After training at Camp Beauregard , Louisiana , the division was deployed to France but did not see combat before the end of World War I . The division was reorganized after World War II with troops from Louisiana and Arkansas and its headquarters in Louisiana . In 1967 , the 39th Infantry Division was reorganized to become the 39th Infantry Brigade ( Separate ) . Its headquarters was in Little Rock , Arkansas and the unit consisted entirely of troops from the Arkansas Army National Guard . World War I . In July 1917 , it was announced that National Guard units from Arkansas , Mississippi , and Louisiana would be assigned to Alexandria , Louisiana , for training as the 18th Division . Alexandria is the location of Camp Beauregard , named after General P . G . T . Beauregard , C . S . A . Re - numbering and loss of state designations . Upon transfer to Camp Beauregard , all National Guard units were stripped of their state designations and re - numbered under a new federal system . At this time the division of troops from Arkansas , Louisiana , and Mississippi was re - designated the 39th Division . The 39th " Delta " Division was composed of : Sickness was a problem for the National Guard troops while at Camp Beauregard . In the later part of October 1917 , measles kept the men from drilling . In January 1918 , the National Guard Reserve was transferred to the active list . In the same month , the town of Alexandria was placed off limits , and soldiers could not visit other regiments because of an outbreak of meningitis . The off - limits order lasted until 6 March 1918 . The soldiers were instructed in the use of deadly gases and then exposed to tear gas , which complicated the health concerns . The soldiers complained about the bugs and were anxious to go to France . By March 1918 , the soldiers had received new Enfield rifles . Camp Beauregard was struck with Spanish influenza in early October 1918 , which led to lobar pneumonia in many patients . All available facilities were used when the hospitals became overcrowded . The 39th Division was brought up to strength with the addition of soldiers from Ohio , Illinois , and Kentucky . The entire 39th Division passed in review for the governors of Mississippi and Louisiana in April . Deployed to France . The army units already engaged in theater were suffering from a personnel shortage . The army had no system for providing replacement soldiers for unit losses . In May 1918 , the army offered privates the opportunity to volunteer for duty overseas by agreeing to transfer out of the 39th Division . In the rush to help end the war , officers resigned their commissions so they would qualify for duty overseas before the war was over . Shortly thereafter , Private Robert Springer was the first state guardsman to lose his life in France . Approximately 20 percent of the soldiers of the 39th Division were allowed to volunteer to deploy as individual replacements . In June 1918 the individual replacements arrived in France . The officers remained at Camp Beauregard with the other 80 per cent that were still in training . At Camp Beauregard the division was brought to full strength by the arrival of troops from Camp Zachary Taylor ( men from the states of Ohio , Illinois , and Kentucky ) . It took 12 months for the entire 39th Division organization to reach France , where it remained for three months , before the war ended . At the time of its departure from the United States , the 39th Division was composed of 22 percent Arkansas National Guard , 40 per cent National Army draftees , and 10 per cent shortage from authorized strength . The 39th Division , less its artillery units , left Camp Beauregard on 1 August , and sailed for overseas service on 6 August 1918 . The first unit of the 39th Division arrived in France on 12 August , and the last unit arrived on 12 September . Designation as a depot division . The 39th Division was designated as the Fifth Depot Division on 14 August 1918 , and moved to Charost and Mehun - sur - Yeure Area southwest of Bourges . The greatest American involvement in World War I , the Meuse - Argonne campaign , began on 26 September . The divisions were so depleted after one week of combat that Pershing ordered personnel from the 84th and 86th Divisions , which had just arrived in France , to be used as replacements . The arrangement was supposed to be temporary , and at first only men from infantry and machine gun units served as replacements . Eventually all divisional personnel were taken , except for one enlisted man per company and one officer per regiment who maintained unit records . The manpower shortage persisted . The 31st , 34th , and 38th Divisions were stripped of their personnel and their men used as replacements . The high casualty rate took a toll on all combat units , and Pershing slashed the authorized strength of infantry and machine gun companies from 250 to 175 enlisted men , thereby temporarily reducing each division by 4 , 000 men . The units of the division , for the most part , were training cadres whose duties were to receive , train , equip , and forward replacements of both officers and men for the infantry units and machine gun units , and for ammunition and supply trains . On 29 October 1918 , the division received orders that they were to be attached to the 1st Depot Division at St - Aignan - Noyers and Loir - et - Cher . While scrambling for personnel , Pershing reorganized the replacement system , and tried to improve its responsiveness to the flexible army corps and army organizations . Pershing ordered the 40th and 85th Divisions to serve as regional replacement depots for the First and Second Armies , respectively , and the 41st and 83d as depot divisions in the Services of Supply . Eventually , the 39th Division and the 76th Division were stripped of their personnel . The replacement system remained unsatisfactory to the end of the war . Some units remained intact . In November 1918 , the 39th Division moved to St . Aignan , where several of the units were transferred to combat divisions . The 64th Field Artillery Brigade remained intact and was designated as corps artillery . The 114th Engineers , 39th Division , were transferred to the I Army Corps in France . The 114th Engineers laid railroad tracks and built bridges for the I Army Corps during the Meuse - Argonne drive . Some of the division ' s machine gun battalions began training for a new role when they were re - designated as Anti Aircraft Machine Gun Battalions . They were still in training at the time the armistice was signed . Demobilization . Most former guardsmen began returning to the United States during January and February 1919 . The division returned to the United States for demobilization between 30 November 1919 , and 1 May 1919 . The division demobilized the following month at Camp Beauregard , Louisiana . With the war ended , the 153rd Infantry landed in Hoboken , New Jersey , 27 February 1919 , making the crossing aboard the . On 12 April 1919 , the transport brought the 64th Field Artillery Brigade and the 141st Machine Gun Battalion of the 39th Division to New York . The headquarters , ordnance , and medical detachments , and some companies of the 114th Engineers , 39th Division were transported to Newport News , Virginia , on the battleship . The 142nd stayed in France to conduct tests and exercises to develop techniques for motorized artillery battalions and won a commendation for efficient performance . In March 1919 , the 1st Battalion , 142nd Artillery , 39th Division was acting as a school battalion for the entire artillery forces of the American Expeditionary Forces with their headquarters at Valdahon , France . In May 1919 , word reached Little Rock that the 142nd Field Artillery Battalion ( old 2nd Arkansas ) was doing convoy duty with the Army of Occupation and a segment was still firing for the Artillery School at Camp Valdahon . It was not until early June when the 142nd Field Artillery left France on the transport . They arrived 15 June 1919 , at Newport News , Virginia . On the train trip to Little Rock the 142nd Field Artillery marched in a parade in Atlanta . On 21 June 1919 , the group arrived at Camp Pike . On the following day the 142nd Field Artillery was featured in a big parade in Little Rock and then treated to a big show and picnic in the park . The last group of Guardsmen to return to the United States for discharge was the 114th Sanitary Train ( formerly the 1st Arkansas Ambulance Company and the 1st Arkansas Field Hospital ) , Seventh Army Corps . The 114th Sanitary Train had been stationed for six months at Wittlick , Germany , before being transferred back to the United States . The unauthorized World War I patch . The 39th Division had been organized from National Guard units from Arkansas , Louisiana , and Mississippi , and had adopted the name " Delta Division " since they were from the delta region of the Mississippi River . After being assigned as a depot division and eventually skeletonized , nothing had been done to adopt a shoulder patch until January 1919 , when the 64th Field Artillery Brigade proposed a design for the division ' s insignia . The 64th had remained intact and had been reassigned as a Corps Artillery unit . The brigade commander , Brigadier General Ira A . Haynes , was the senior officer of what remained of the 39th Division . Haynes attempted to consult with the former division commander , Brigadier General H . C . Hodges , but Hodges had been reassigned to Scholfield Barracks in Hawaii . Haynes issued General Order # 1 , 64th Field Artillery Brigade , on 18 January 1819 , which described the insignia and authorized its wear by remaining division personnel . The design was submitted to American Expeditionary Forces ( AEF ) for approval , but was rejected on the grounds than it only applied to the 64th Field Artillery Brigade ( brigades were not authorized to have separate patches ) and that the design was too similar to the 3rd Army patch . Haynes applied for reconsideration and , this time , was able to gain the support of Hodges . In his request for reconsideration , Haynes wrote , " The States of Arkansas , Louisiana and Mississippi have long been known as the Delta States . The 39th Division was known to ourselves at least as the Delta Division and our baggage was marked in that way . We take pride in Honoring the State of our origin . . . " The U . S . Army Adjutant General did not approve the patch , and told Hodges that it would be retained on file , and if the 39th Division were ever activated again , it would be reconsidered . When the 39th Division was reorganized following World War II , a different design was adopted . Nevertheless , many soldiers of the old 39th Division returned home wearing the unauthorized patch . The World War I patch consisted of a dark blue disc bordered red having upon it a steel gray triangle ( the Greek Delta symbol ) . The area within the triangle was divided into four equilateral triangles , with the lower left red , the top white , the lower right blue , and the central triangle the same dark blue as the disk . There are numerous variations of the World War I design , with the colors of the triangles transposed in various combinations . One common variant has three inner triangles instead of the prescribed four . Between the World Wars . After the war , the division was reorganized by Alabama , Florida , Mississippi , North Carolina , and Louisiana . Because of the change of geographic area , the National Guard requested the division to be re - designated as the 31st Infantry Division . The re - designation was approved on 1 July 1923 , and the 39th Division disappeared from the rolls until after World War II . The Cold War . The 39th Infantry Division was reconstituted on 30 September 1946 . It was composed of units from Arkansas ( headquartered in Little Rock , Arkansas ) and Louisiana ( headquartered at Jackson Barracks , New Orleans ) . The division artillery commander , a brigadier general , was assigned to command the Arkansas portion of the division , while the division commander remained in Louisiana . During this period the division included the following combat arms units : Arkansas element stationing Post WWII , 1946 – 1959 . Reorganization of 1959 , the Pentomic Division . In 1959 , the division was reorganized , along with all other National Guard divisions , in accordance with the new Pentomic Division Concept . This concept attempted to provide a new divisional structure to fight on the atomic battlefield . Regiments no longer tactical units . The reorganization resulted in the end of the regiment as a tactical unit . Traditionally , regiments were the basic branch element , especially for the infantry , and their long histories had produced deep traditions considered essential to unit " esprit de corps " . The new divisional structure , replacing infantry regiments with anonymous battle groups , threatened to destroy all of these traditions . Secretary of the Army Wilber M . Brucker settled the question on 24 January 1957 when he approved the Combat Arms Regimental System . Although regiments ( armored cavalry notwithstanding ) would no longer exist as tactical units , certain distinguished regiments were to become " parent " organizations for the combat arms . Under the new concept , the Department of the Army assumed control of regimental headquarters – the repository for a unit ' s lineage , honors , and traditions – and used elements of the regiments to organize battle groups , battalions , squadrons , companies , batteries , and troops , which shared in the history and honors of their parent units . Re - designation of infantry units . In place of the regiment or brigade , the new pentomic infantry division fielded five battle groups , each containing 1 , 356 soldiers . Re - organization and re - designation of artillery units . As a part of the reorganization of 1959 and the shift to the Combat Army Regimental System , the artillery units assigned to the Division were re - designated to their historical artillery regiments : Reorganization of 1963 . By 1963 the army again changed the basic design for a division . The battle groups of the pentomic division had proved to be unwieldy , and it was felt that their span of control was not sufficient to handle all of the various units and troops assigned to their command . The army reverted to the infantry battalion as the basic building block and provided for additional command and control by providing a brigade headquarters . The 1st and 2nd Brigade , 39th Division were allocated to the Louisiana National Guard , while the 3rd Brigade was allocated to the Arkansas National Guard . Reorganization of infantry units . The 153rd Infantry was reorganized to consist of the 1st , 2nd , and 3rd Battalions . The 156th Infantry was reorganized to consist of the 1st , 2nd , 3rd and 4th Battalions . Reorganization of artillery units . The 1st Battalion , 206th Field Artillery was deactivated and the 3rd Battalion , 142nd Field Artillery was added to the 39th Division Artillery . The 3rd Battalion , 142nd Field Artillery had previously been under the command and control of the 142nd Field Artillery Group . The 3rd Battalion , 206th Field Artillery was reduced to one Honest John Rocket Battery , Battery A . Expansion of armor units . The 206th Armor was expanded to consist of the 1st and 2nd Battalion , 206th Armor Regiment . Little Rock Central High School integration crisis . The Arkansas portion of the 39th Infantry Division were ordered into active federal service on 24 September 1957 at home stations , in support of the Little Rock Central High School integration crisis in Little Rock Arkansas . The 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 153rd Infantry Regiment were mobilized at Camp Robinson for duty at Central High School . Task Force 153rd Infantry remained on duty at Central High School for the remainder of the 1957 – 1958 school year . The task force was constantly mentioned in daily situation report for President Eisenhower . The 39th was released on 24 October 1957 from active federal service and reverted to state control . Reorganization and re - designation as the 39th Infantry Brigade . During the 1960s , the Department of Defense continued to scrutinize the reserve forces . It questioned the number of divisions and brigades , as well as the redundancy of maintaining two reserve components , the National Guard and the Army Reserve . In 1967 , Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara decided that 15 combat divisions in the Army National Guard were unnecessary . He cut the number to eight divisions ( one mechanized infantry , two armored , and five infantry ) , but increased the number of brigades from seven to 18 ( one airborne , one armored , two mechanized infantry , and 14 infantry ) . The loss of the divisions did not set well with the states . Their objections included the inadequate maneuver element mix for those that remained and the end to the practice of rotating divisional commands among the states that supported them . Under the proposal , the remaining division commanders were to reside in the state of the division base . No reduction , however , in total Army National Guard strength was to take place , which convinced the governors to accept the plan . The states reorganized their forces accordingly between 1 December 1967 and 1 May 1968 . On 1 December 1967 , the Arkansas portion of the 39th Division was reorganized and redesignated as the 39th Infantry Brigade . The new 39th Infantry Brigade ( Separate ) was composed of elements of the following units : The division ' s units from Louisiana were re - assigned to the newly created 256th Infantry Brigade . The 256th Infantry Brigade ( Separate ) was composed of the following units : Current unit . The 39th Division is currently known as the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ( United States ) , of the Arkansas Army National Guard , headquartered at Ricks Armory , Little Rock , Arkansas .