1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment
"Red Falcons"
On 15 January 2006, as part of the Army's transformation towards a modular force, the of the 1st Battalion was changed.
The 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment traces it’s lineage to the 325th Infantry Regiment, activated officially as part of the 82nd Infantry Division on 5 August 1917 at Camp Gordon, as part of the“All American Division.” In April 1918, the Regiment moved to Camp Upton, New York in preparation for embarkation to France. During World War I the Red Falcons participated in St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, and Lorraine campaigns. After the Armistice, 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment performed occupational duties along the Rhine until April of 1919, when the Battalion returned to the United States for demobilization.
The Regiment was activated again on March 25, 1942. Located at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, the Regiment was again to be part of the 82nd Division which soon thereafter was designated an airborne force. As part of the 82dAirborne Division the 325th Infantry Regiment was designated a Glider Infantry Regiment. During World War II the Regiment's first operation was an amphibious assault to reinforce soldiers on the island of Sicily. While moving north to the town of Maiori, the Regiment received its first casualties of the war.
On 7 June 1944, D-Day plus one, the Regiment landed by glider in Normandy and participated in the invasion of France. On 9 June, Private First Class Charles N. Deglopper single-handedly defended his platoon's position and subsequently was awarded the Medal of Honor for this action. For its actions in France the 82d Airborne Division was awarded the red and green braided French Fourregerre.
The next glider assault for Regiment was during Operation Market Garden, the largest airborne operation ever conducted. The 325th landed among German positions that had surrounded other elements of the 82nd Airborne Division and turned the tide of the battle. For this action the Regiment earned the Distinguished Unit Citation. The Regiment returned to the United States and was deactivated on December 15, 1947.
On December 15, 1948 the Regiment was again activated and redesignated the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment. On May 1, 1965, the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment deployed to the Dominican Republic as part of Operation Power Pack. During this operation they neutralized communist-backed rebel forces and participated in civic actions. The battalion redeployed to Fort Bragg on December 2, 1965.
On August 6, 1990, Task Force 1-325 AIR, as the DRF 1, was the first combat unit alerted for immediate deployment to Saudi Arabia for Operation DESERT SHIELD.On February 23, 1991, (G-Day minus 1), the Red Falcons spearheaded the initial XVIII Airborne Corps assault into Iraq. Task Force 1-325 AIR was 150 km inside Iraq awaiting further orders when the cease-fire was declared. The Battalion began redeployment to Fort Bragg on March 15, 1991.
On February 14, 2003, 1-325 AIR deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On 27 March of 2003 the battalion crossed the border and saw ground combat in As Samawah, Fallujah and Baghdad. The Red Falcons contributed to the effort to remove a dictator, Saddam Hussein, from power. They also liberated an oppressed people and restored utilities and a form of government to the people of Iraq. In mid-January of 2004 the Red Falcons re-deployed to Fort Bragg.
