2d Battalion, 5th Infantry
"Bobcats"
As part of the Army's transformation towards a modular force, the 2-5 IN stood down on November 5, 2005. The former members of the 2-5 IN were stood up with the 3-4 CAV later on that same day.
As of late 2001, the 5th Regiment has two active duty battalions. The 1st Battalion, stationed at Fort Lewis, WA, and the 2nd Battalion, stationed at Schofield Barracks, HI. Both battalions are assigned to the 25th Infantry Division (Light).
Soldiers of 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division and other units from across the United States, successfully completed their combat training exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center 27 May 2001. JRTC allowed the Soldiers to use all their components and train on a realistic battlefield.
The 5th Infantry traces its history back to 12 April 1808 and the 4th Infantry with which it was consolidated in 1815. The regiment had 54 recipients of the Medal of Honor prior to 1869, the most of any infantry regiment during that time period. It is the third oldest regiment in service.
The regiment served with distinction in the war of 1812 in Canada and at Chippewa and Lundy's Lane. The motto originated at Lundy's Lane where Colonel James Miller, the regiment's first commander after the war, spoke those words when asked to take the objective.
The regiment also saw service in the Mexican War from Palo Alto with General Zachary Taylor's Army all the way to Chapultepec and Vera Cruz in 1847 with General Winfield Scott's Army. For the 5th Infantry, the Civil War was a quiet time, as the regiment remained deployed in New Mexico protecting the Union's western flank, participating in minor campaigns.
The regiment participated in a number of campaigns against the Indians both before and after the Civil War from Florida to Montana. It was during Colonel Nelson A. Miles' long tenure as commander after the Civil War that the regiment created some of its most glories history. There were 48 Medals of Honor presented to soldiers of the 5th Infantry who fought against the Sioux, the Nez Perces, and the Bannocks. At this time, the regiment adopted its crest.
The regiment saw limited action during the Philippine Insurrection and Participated as one of the occupation forces after the First World War. During World War II, the 5th Infantry landed in France on 2 February 1945 where it participated in the Rhineland campaign and in Austria with the 71st Infantry Division.
The regiment was deployed to Korea in August 1950. It served throughout the entire conflict and participated in ten campaigns. Battles where the regiment displayed extreme valor include the Punchbowl, Congnae-Dong, and Chinju (where the regiment was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation).
After the Korean War, the regiment was stationed in Hawaii where it remained until the 1/5 Infantry deployed to Vietnam in 1967 as part of the 25th Infantry Division. The battalion participated in 12 campaigns as Mechanized Infantry along the Cambodian border during the Vietnam War. The Bobcats fought at Cu Chi, Ho Bo Woods, War Zone C, and the Tay Ninh District. Awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for defeating the NVA during a three-day battle at Ben Cui Rubber Plantation in August of 1968, the unit broke the third offensive drive of the Tet Offensive and the NVA back into Cambodia. In 1971, the battalion returned to Hawaii where it remained until its deactivation in 1986.
