64th Armor Regiment ( United States ) The 64th Armor Regiment is an armor regiment of the United States Army , organized under the United States Army Regimental System . It is descended from the 758th Tank Battalion ( Light ) that served in the Italian Campaign during World War II . Redesignated as the 64th Tank Battalion , it was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division during the Korean War and it spent most of the Cold War stationed in West Germany before elements were transferred to Ft . Stewart , Georgia in the late 1980s . The regiment participated in Desert Storm , Desert Fox and Operation Iraqi Freedom . History . The regiment traces its lineage to the 78th Tank Battalion , which was activated on 13 January 1941 at Fort Knox Kentucky . The unit was redesignated the 758th Tank Battalion ( Light ) on 8 May 1941 . The 758th was the first tank battalion in history to be organized with black soldiers . A 758th soldier designed the regimental crest , the rampant head of a black African elephant symbolizing the soldier ' s pride in their heritage and their unit ' s mission of mobile armored warfare . Today , every 1 - 64th Armor soldier wears that same crest , which is prominently displayed on the unit colors with the motto " We Pierce . " The 758th Tank Battalion served with the 92nd Infantry Division in World War II , and was inactivated on 22 September 1945 at Viareggio , Italy . The 758th served with distinction in the Italian campaign of World War II , where it earned the first of the many campaign streamers on the Battalion colors . In 1949 , the 758th Tank Battalion was redesignated the 64th Heavy Tank Battalion and assigned to the 2nd Armored Division . In 1950 , the 64th Tank Battalion was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division , and deployed overseas for combat operations during the Korean War . The Battalion participated in a total of 8 separate campaigns and fought from the intervention of the Chinese Communist Forces in November 1950 until the Cease - Fire in 1953 . In 1957 , the 64th Tank Battalion was inactivated at Ft . Benning , Georgia . In 1963 , the 64th Armor Regiment was activated as a parent regiment under the Combined Arms Regimental System . All 4 battalions of the 64th Armor were in Germany for over 20 years of distinguished service . In 1987 , the 1st and the 4th Battalions , 64th Armor , redeployed from Germany to Fort Stewart , Georgia . 5th Battalion , 32nd Armor was inactivated and its personnel reflagged as 1st Battalion , 64th Armor . Two Battalions of the 64th , the 2nd and 3rd , remained in Germany . The 1st Battalion was also the 64th Regimental Headquarters and Fort Stewart was the home base . 1st Battalion " Desert Rogues " . The mission of the 1st Battalion , 64th Armor is to , on order , deploy by air , sea , and land to any contingency area , project a strong forward presence and conduct combat operations to defeat an armored heavy force in order to preserve regional stability . Following the transformation of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team to the modular force structure , 1st Battalion , 64th Armor is the " Iron Fist " of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team , 3rd Infantry Division ( Mechanized ) . In 1990 , the battalion deployed with the 24th Infantry Division ( Mechanized ) as part of Operation Desert Shield . During combat operations in Iraq as part of Operation Desert Storm , the battalion spearheaded the division attack against the forces of the Iraqi Republican Guard and advanced over 350 miles in four days . During this action , the unit earned its two campaign streamers : the Defense of Saudi Arabia and the Liberation of Kuwait . Following the successful conclusion of the war , the battalion redeployed to Fort Stewart . In October 1993 , elements of the Battalion deployed as part of Task Force 1 - 64th Armor to protect the United Nations Operation Somalia ( UNOSOM ) forces deployed to Africa for Operation Continue Hope . The Task Force conducted force security missions in a hostile theater for six months before safely returning all soldiers home in March 1994 . In reaction to the shooting - down of US Army Black Hawks in Mogadishu , Somalia in October 1993 , 1 - 64th Armor deployed an immediate reaction force in support of 2 - 22nd Infantry , part of the 10th Mountain Division , to help suppress further attacks on US personnel . Elements of 1 - 64th Armor deployed during the mid - 1990s to Bosnia as part of Stabilization Force 8 ( SFOR 8 ) . In September 2002 , 1 - 64th Armor deployed to Kuwait in order to prepare for offensive operations . In March 2003 , Task Force 1 - 64th Armor attacked across the border to liberate Iraq and force a regime change as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom . Task Force 1 - 64th Armor led the Division into the heart of Baghdad in order to demonstrate American resolve , presence , and destroy the Hussein regime . In January 2005 , 1 - 64th Armor deployed again to Baghdad , Iraq , where the battalion immediately began combat Operation Tissa Nissan . The actions of the Rogue Soldiers secured the most dangerous routes in Baghdad on a daily basis . The Battalion enabled the Iraqis to vote in two elections including the national referendum which provided Iraq with its first democratic government in the country ' s history . In 2006 , the 2nd Brigade , 3rd Infantry Division Mechanized began transformation to the US Army ' s new modular force structure . As part of this transformation , 1 - 64th Armor was reorganized , but remained a part of the reorganized and redesignated 2nd Brigade Combat Team . The 1 - 64th Armor deployed in mid - 2007 for another tour of duty in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom . The unit remained in that country into 2008 . In March 2012 , the 1 - 64th Armor deployed to Kandahar Province , Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom XII . The unit was a part of Task Force Arrowhead and remained in Afghanistan until December 2012 . While in Afghanistan , the battalion was given the mission to reduce rocket fire on Kandahar Air Field , commonly referred to as KAF , and through coordination with the Air Force , Romanian military , intelligence gathering units , and fixed and rotary - wing aviation personnel , they were able to address the problem and decrease rocket attacks by 70 percent . 2nd Battalion ( Rogue ) . Following the Korean War , the 64th Heavy Tank Battalion was reorganized as the 64th Armor Regiment , a parent regiment under the Combined Arms Regimental System . The 2nd Battalion , 64th Armor was born at this time , and with its three sister battalions , helped to preserve freedom ’ s frontier in the Federal Republic of Germany . Stationed in Schweinfurt , it remained there 33 years until the inactivation ceremony of 5 April 1996 . It was the second armored unit to receive the M - 1 Abrams tank . During its tenure in Germany , companies of the Rogue Battalion performed numerous REFORGERs ( Return of Forces to Germany ) , Winter Warriors , border missions , were selected as the United States ' representatives for NATO ’ s Armor Competition , the Canadian Army Trophy ( CAT ) in 1989 and participated in Peace Keeper 95 . 3rd Battalion ( Rampage ) . Following the Korean War , the 64th Heavy Tank Battalion was reorganized as the 64th Armor Regiment , a parent regiment under the Combined Arms Regimental System . The 3d Battalion , 64th Armor was born at this time , and with its three sister battalions , helped to preserve freedom ’ s frontier in the Federal Republic of Germany . Stationed in Schweinfurt , it remained there 30 years until the inactivation ceremony of 17 December 1993 . It was the first armored unit to receive the M - 1 Abrams tank . During its tenure in Germany , companies of the Rampage Battalion performed numerous REFORGERs ( Return of Forces to Germany ) , Winter Warriors , border missions and were selected as the United States ' representatives for NATO ’ s Armor Competition 4th Battalion ( Tuskers ) . The 4th Battalion , commonly written as 4 – 64 Armor , was finally assigned to the 4th Brigade , 3rd Infantry Division . The unit served in Operation Desert Storm , and served three tours in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom . The battalion ' s symbol is the African Elephant , symbolic of the unit ' s history as an all - black unit and symbolic of the modern role of tanks . In reference to this symbolism , the unit and its soldiers are referred to as the " Tuskers " . The battalion was deactivated in March 2009 . In August 1990 * , the battalion deployed to Saudi Arabia * under the 24th Infantry Division ( Mechanized ) , in support of Operation Desert Storm . Through the 1990s , the battalion was deployed to Bosnia , and conducted numerous rotations through the National Training Center at Fort Irwin , CA . In 2002 , the battalion deployed with 2nd Brigade , 3rd Infantry Division to Kuwait for Operation Desert Spring . As one of the most acclimated units to a desert environment , 4 – 64 led the Third Infantry Division into Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003 . The Tuskers were the second unit into the International Zone of Baghdad in April 2003 , following Task Force 1 - 64AR on the second " Thunder Run " ( 7 April 2003 ) . In June 2003 , the unit moved to Habanyiah , Iraq ( between Fallujah and Ramadi in Anbar Governorate ) , and provided security there before redeploying to Fort Stewart in August 2003 . In 2004 , the Tuskers were reassigned to the new 4th Brigade , 3rd Infantry Division . They transitioned from a four - company to a seven - company structure , exchanging the former Bravo Company ( Armor ) to 3 – 7 Infantry , gaining Bravo 3 – 7 Infantry and B - 10 Engineer , redesignating Alpha Company ( Armor ) as Delta Company ( Armor ) , and dividing HHC into an FSC and HHC . In November 2004 , 4 – 64 Armor deployed to the Joint Readiness Training Center for the first time , to prepare for a second deployment to Iraq . The battalion ' s second deployment was to FOB Prosperity in the International Zone of Baghdad . The unit had responsibility for all security within the International Zone , and certain neighborhoods in the vicinity . C Co was cross attached to 1 / 184th IN ( AA ) at FOB Falcon . They were responsible for one of the worst sectors in Iraq at the time . C Co suffered many losses and injured Soldiers but managed to reduce the insurgent threat . The battalion redeployed to the US in January 2006 . In October 2007 the battalion deployed once again to Iraq . During this deployment the battalion was positioned at FOB Falcon , Baghdad , Iraq . The Battalion had the daunting task of clearing and securing the greater portion of West Rashid in southwest Baghdad . In March 2009 , the Battalion was deactivated and re - flagged as 3rd Battalion , 15th Infantry Regiment as the 4th Brigade Combat Team was reorganised from a Heavy Brigade Combat Team ( HBCT ) to an Infantry Brigade Combat Team ( IBCT ) .