1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment
1st Battalion (Air Assault), 168th Infantry Regiment

The 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment, was originally constituted and organized in May 1861 as an element of the 4th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry and mustered into Federal service between 8 and 31 August 1861. It was mustered out of Federal service on 24 July 1865 at Louisville, Kentucky.

The 4th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry was sent into Federal service on 26 June 1916, for service on the Mexican Border, and was mustered out of federal service on 20 February 1917. Soon thereafter, it was drafted into Federal service on 5 August 1917 before being reorganized and redesignated as the 168th Infantry and assigned to the 42nd Infantry Division on 16 August 1917. The 168th Infantry was demobilized on 17 May 1919 at Camp Dodge, Iowa.

The 168th Infantry was reorganized and Federally recognized between 1920 and 1921, and it was subsequently was assigned to the 34th Division. It was inducted into Federal service on 10 February 1941 at home station. It was inactivated on 3 November 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia. The Regiment was then reorganized and Federally recognized on 23 January 1947 with Headquarters at Council Bluffs, Iowa.

The 168th Infantry was reorganized as the parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System to consist of the 1st Battle Group, 168th Infantry an element of the 34th Infantry Division. This unit traced its lineage and honors to A Company, 168th Infantry. Subsequent assignments included being assigned to the 47th Infantry Division.

It became assigned to the 34th Infantry Division on 10 February 1991, becoming part of the 2nd Brigade (Air Assault), 34th Infantry Division. With the transformation of the 34th Infantry Division to the US Army's modular force structure and the reorganization and redesignation of 2nd Brigade (Air Assault), 34t Infantry Division as 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, the unit became directly assigned to the new modular brigade combat team.