1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment
"Leader Battalion"
1st Battalion, 187th Infantry deploys rapidly worldwide by air, land, or sea, occupies an ISB, and on order, conducts air assault or ground operations to destroy enemy forces, seize key terrain or facilities and control specific land areas including populations and resources.
1st Battalion, 187th Infantry, was originally constituted on 12 November 1942 in the Army of the United States as Company A, 187th Glider Infantry. It activated on 25 February 1943 at Camp Mackall, NC, as an element of the 11th Airborne Division.
It was allotted on 15 November 1948 to the Regular Army. The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 30 June 1949 as Company A, 187th Airborne Infantry. Thereafter, the 187th Airborne Infantry was relieved on 1 February 1951 from assignment to the 11th Airborne Division and reassigned on 1 July 1956 to the 101st Airborne Division.
The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 1 March 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Airborne Battle Group, 187th Infantry, relieved from assignment to the 101st Airborne Division, and assigned to the 11th Airborne Division (its organic elements were concurrently constituted and activated. It was relieved on 1 July 1958 from assignment to the 11th Airborne Division and reassigned to the 24th Infantry Division. It was relieved on 8 February 1959 from assignment to the 24th Infantry Division and assigned to the 82d Airborne Division.
It inactivated on 25 May 1964 at Fort Bragg, NC, and was concurrently consolidated with the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry (which was constituted and activated on 1 February 1964 at Fort Benning, GA, as an element of the 11th Air Assault Division), and the consolidated unit was designated as the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry, an element of the 11th Air Assault Division (later redesignated as the 11th Airborne Division). It inactivated on 30 June 1965 at Fort Benning, GA.
The unit was relieved on 1 October 1983 from assignment to the 11th Airborne Division, assigned to the 193d Infantry Brigade, and activated in Panama. It inactivated on 1 May 1987 in Panama and was relieved from assignment to the 193d Infantry Brigade.
It was reassigned on 16 September 1987 to the 101st Airborne Division and activated at Fort Campbell, KY.
