1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment
"Thundering Herd"

In 2007, the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment was reactivated as part of the 5th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington. Previously, it had been assigned to the 172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. There its mission had been to, on order, be prepared to deploy worldwide, secure a lodgment, and conduct combat operations in support of US national interests.

The 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, was originally constituted on 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry. It was organized on 6 July 1861 at Fort Preble, Maine.

It was consolidated on 1 June 1869 with Company A, 44th Infantry, Veteran Reserve Corps (which had been first constituted on 21 September 1866), and the consolidated unit was designated as Company A, 17th Infantry. The 17th Infantry was assigned on 5 July 1918 to the 11th Division. It was relieved on 24 March 1923 from assignment to the 11th Division and assigned to the 7th Division. It was relieved on 15 August 1927 from assignment to the 7th Division and assigned to the 6th Division before being relieved on 1 October 1933 from assignment to the 6th Division and assigned to the 7th Division (which was later redesignated as the 7th Infantry Division).

The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 1 July 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battle Group, 17th Infantry, and remained assigned to the 7th Infantry Division, with its organic elements were concurrently constituted and activated.

It was reorganized and redesignated on 1 July 1963 as the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry. It was relieved on 31 March 1971 from assignment to the 7th Infantry Division and assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division. It inactivated on 16 August 1986 in Korea and was relieved from assigment to the 2nd Infantry Division.

It was reassigned on 16 November 1986 to the 6th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Richardson, Alaska. It was inactivated there on 7 January 1994 and reactivated at Fort Wainwright, Alaska on 17 February 1994. The Battalion was relieved on 16 April 1998 from assignment to the 6th Infantry Division and assigned to the 172nd Infantry Brigade.

The unit was redesignated on 1 October 2005 as the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment. It was inactivated on 16 December 2006 at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and relieved from assignment to the 172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The Battalion was assigned on 17 April 2007 to the 5th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and activated at Fort Lewis, Washington.