1st Brigade - 34th Infantry Division (Heavy)
"Redbulls"
The 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry Division, is located throughout Minnesota with its Headquarters located in Stillwater, MN. The size of the brigade is approximately 3000 soldiers and is, as of early 2002, organized under an Armor Heavy Modified Table of Organizational Equipment or MTOE. Under an Armor Heavy MTOE, the 1st Brigade has two M1A1 equipped Armor Battalions, one BFV equipped Mechanized Infantry Battalion, and a Brigade Recon Troop along with its HHC.
Associated with the Brigade is a direct support Artillery Battalion (1-125 FA), an Engineer Battalion (682d EN) and a Forward Support Battalion (134th FSB). These additional battalions give the Brigade the ability to conduct combat operations on the battlefield.
The 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry Division, was originally organized in the Minnesota Enrolled Militia at Stillwater as the Stillwater Guards and mustered into Federal service on 29 April 1861 at Fort Snelling, MN, as Company B, 1st Regiment, Minnesota Volunteers. (The 1st Regiment, Minnesota Volunteers, was reorganized and redesignated in April 1864 as the 1st Battalion, Minnesota Volunteer Infantry; it expanded, reorganized and was redesignated on 23 February 1865 as the 1st Regiment, Minnesota Volunteer Infantry; it was mustered out of Federal service on 14 July 1865 at Jeffersonville, IN.
It was reorganized in 1883 in the Minnesota National Guard as Company K, 1st Infantry Regiment, and redesignated on 4 May 1898 as Company K, 13th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. It was mustered into Federal service on 7 May 1898 at Camp Ramsey, MN; and mustered out of Federal service on 3 October 1899 at San Francisco, CA. It was reorganized in 1900 in the Minnesota National Guard at Stillwater as Company K, 1st Infantry regiment. It was redesignated between 1912 and 1916 as Company K, 3d Infantry Regiment and mustered into Federal Service30 June 1916 at Fort Snelling, MN, before being mustered out of Federal service on 19 December 1916 at Fort Snelling, MN.
The unit was drafted into Federal Service on 5 August 1917. It was converted and redesignated on 1 October 1917 as Battery F, 125th Field Artillery, an element of the 34th Division. It was demobilized on 22 January 1919 at Camp dodge, IA. It expanded, reorganized, and was Federally recognized on 27 May 1921 in Minnesota National guard at Stillwater as Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, and the Howitzer Company, 1st Infantry. It was redesignated on 21 November 1921 as Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, and the Howitzer Company, 135th Infantry, elements of the 34th Division (later redesignated as the 34th Infantry Division).
Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, reorganized and was redesignated on 2 May 1925 as Company A, 135th Infantry; Howitzer Company reorganized and redesignated on 31 August 1939 as Company D, 135th Infantry.
Companies A and D, 135th Infantry, were inducted into Federal Service on February 1941 at Stillwater, MN. The units inactivated on 3 November 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, VA. (The 135th Infantry was relieved on 19 June 1946 from assignment to the 34th Infantry Division and assigned to the 47th Infantry Division).
Reorganized and Federally recognized on 12 November 1946 at Stillwater, MN, as Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, and the Antitank Company, 135th Infantry. The Antitank Company was redesignated on 1 November 1948 as the Heavy Mortar Company, 135th Infantry. Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, and Heavy Mortar Company, 135th Infantry, were ordered into Active Federal service on 16 January 1951 at Stillwater, MN. (Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 135th Infantry [NGVS], and Heavy Mortar Company, 135th Infantry [NGVS], were organized and federally recognized on 16 January 1953 at Stillwater, MN). They were released on 2 December 1954 from active Federal service and reverted to state control; Federal recognition was concurrently withdrawn from Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 135th Infantry[NGVS], and Heave Mortar Company, 135th Infantry[NGVS].
Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, and Heavy Mortar Company, 135th Infantry, consolidated on 22 February 1959 and the consolidated unit reorganized and was redesignated as Headquarters Company, 1st Battle group, 135th Infantry, an element of the 47th Infantry Division. It again reorganized and was redesignated on 1 April 1963 as Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 135th Infantry; on 1 February 1968 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 47th Infantry Division; and on 10 February 1991 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry Division.
