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2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment

The 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment was first organized on 9 September 1861 in the Regular Army at Camp Thomas, Ohio, as Company B, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry. It was reorganized and redesignated on 21 September 1866 as Company B, 18th Infantry.

Company B, 18th Infantry was consolidated in April 1869 with Company F, 25th Infantry. Company F, 25th Infantry was first constituted on 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as Company F, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry and was organized on 10 February 1866 at Madison Barracks, New York. Company F, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry was reorganized and redesignated on 21 September 1866 as Company F, 25th Infantry, before being consolidated with Company B, 18th Infantry. The consolidated unit was designated as Company B, 18th Infantry, and combined the honors of the 2 units. The unit colors subequently carried streamers for participation in 8 campaigns of the American Civil War (Murfreesborough, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Kentucky 1862, Mississippi 1862, Tennessee 1863, and Georgia 1864), and 2 camapigns of the wars with the Native Americans (Dakota 1867 and Wyoming 1867).

The unit subsequently went on to participate in 2 more campaigns of the wars with the Native Americans, Montana 1881 and Montana 1882. It also particiapted in one campaign of the War with Spain, Manila, as well as 3 campaigns during the subsequent insurrection in the Philippines, Iloilo, Panay 1899, and Panay 1900.

The 18th Infantry Regiment as a whole was assigned on 8 June 1917 to the 1st Expeditionary Division (later redesignated as the 1st Infantry Division). The 18th Infantry Regiment traveled to Europe to participate in First World War with the Division. Company B, 18th Infantry participated in 7 campaigns in total during the Great War: Montdidier-Noyon, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1917, Lorraine 1918, and Picardy 1918.

Remaining assigned to what had become the 1st Infantry Division, the 18th Infantry Regiment fought across North Africa and Europe during the Second World War. Company B, 18th Infantry participated in 8 campaigns of the conflict, recieving streamers for: Algeria-French Morocco (streamers with arrowhead indiciating participation in the initial assault), Tunisia, Sicily (streamer with arrowhead), Normandy (streamer with arrowhead), Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe.

Remaining active after the end of the Second World War, the unit was finally inactivated on 15 February 1957 at Fort Riley, Kansas. It was concurrently relieved from assignment to the 1st Infantry Division and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battle Group, 18th Infantry. The Battle Group was assigned on 1 October 1963 to the 1st Infantry Division and activated at Fort Riley, Kansas with its organic elements concurrently constituted and activated.

The Battle Group was reorganized and redesignated on 2 March 1964 as the 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry. Sent to Vietnam in 1965, the Battalion participated in a total of 11 campaigns of the conflict there: Defense, Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phase II, Counteroffensive Phase III, Tet Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phase IV, Counteroffensive Phase V, Counteroffensive Phase VI, Tet 69/Counteroffensive, Summer-Fall 1969, and Winter-Spring 1970. After returning from Vietnam, the Battalion was inactivated on 15 April 1970 at Fort Riley, Kansas, and relieved from assignment to the 1st Infantry Division.

The Battalion was assigned on 16 October 1987 to the 197th Infantry Brigade and activated at Fort Benning, Georgia. It was relieved on 16 August 1991 from assignment to the 197th Infantry Brigade and assigned to the 24th Infantry Division. It was inactivated on 15 February 1996 at Fort Benning, Georgia, and relieved from assignment to the 24th Infantry Division.

While inactive, the unit was redesignated on 1 October 2005 as the 2d Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment. The Battalion was assigned on 16 October 2009 to the 170th Infantry Brigade and activated in Germany.