2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment
"Deeds Not Words"
The 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry regiment was reconstituted on 3 May 1861 in the Regular Army as Companies B and K, 2nd Battalion, 13th Infantry. The original 22nd Infantry Regiment was officially constituted on 26 June 1812. It fought against the British in that conflict before being disbanded. The reconstituted 22nd Infantry Regiment was organized in May 1865 at Camp Dennison, Ohio. It was reorganized and redesignated on 21 September 1866 as Companies B and K, 22nd Infantry.
Companies B and K, 22nd Infantry were consolidated on 4 May 1869. The resulting consolidated unit was designated as Company B, 22nd Infantry. It inactivated on 30 June 1927 at Fort McPherson, Georgia.
The unit reactivated on 1 June 1940 at Fort McClellan, Alabama, and following the end of World War II, inactivated on 1 March 1946 at Camp Butner, North Carolina.
The Battalion was reactivated on 15 July 1947 at Fort Ord, California. It inactivated again on 1 April 1957 at Fort Lewis, Washington, and was relieved from assignment to the 4th Infantry Division. The unit was concurrently redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battle Group, 22nd Infantry.
It was redesignated on 21 August 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion (Mechanized), 22nd Infantry and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division, while its organic elements were concurrently constituted. The Battalion activated on 1 October 1963 at Fort Lewis, Washington.
It was relieved on 1 August 1967 from assignment to the 4th Infantry Division and assigned to the 25th Infantry Division. It was relieved on 15 December 1970 from its assignment to the 25th Infantry Division and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division, before being inactivated in September 1972 at Fort Carson, Colorado. During the Vietnam War the Battalion took part in "Operation Attleboro" and went on to take part in one of the most fiercely contested engagements of the Vietnam conflict. The Battalion received the Presidential Unit Citation for the Battle Of Soui Tre, one of the largest single day engagements of the war with over 620 VC/NVA dead left on the battlefield. The Regiment's last mission in Vietnam was an attack on enemy sanctuaries in Cambodia to root out NVA insurgents. During the Vietnam War, the 22nd Infantry earned 11 campaign streamers, one Presidential Unit Citation, and one member of the regiment earned the medal of Honor.
The unit reactivated in September 1976 at Fort Carson and was assigned to Wiesbaden, Germany as part of the 4th Infantry Division (Forward). It inactivated in July 1984 in Wiesbaden Germany and was relieved from assignment to the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized).
The 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry was reactivated on 25 September 1986 as a part of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry). In October 1993, the Battalion was alerted to deploy to Somalia following the deaths of 18 American soldiers in a raid against warlord Mohammed Farrah Aideed. During the 5-month deployment, the Battalion conducted security mission in every major UN compound and supply route. The Battalion's increased presence in Mogadishu dropped the incidence of hostile encounters aimed at US forces to zero.
The Battalion was again called to action in September 1994 when the 10th Mountain Division deployed to Haiti during Operation Restore Democracy. The 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry led the 10th Mountain Division into Haiti with an air-assault off of the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower. The Battalion conducted the first major mission on Haitian soil securing the Port-a-Prince airport. During the three month tour in Haiti, the Battalion secured the Presidential Place and provided a personal escort to President Arastide on numerous occasions. Solders of the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry were awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and Humanitarian Service Medal.
In support of the NATO effort to rebuild the war-torn region of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Battalion deployed two separate companies. The Battalion provided units to the Multi-National Division North sector of Bosnia to fill the role as the Quick Reaction Force and to provide security to a very destabilized region. Operations included the protection of mass grave sites as well as inspection and monitoring of military weapons storage sites to ensure compliance with cease-fire agreements.
The Battalion took part in the Joint Contingency Forces Advanced Warfighter Experiment (JFC AWE). This exercise in digitalization of the battlefield was intended to bring a greater situational awareness to all solders and commanders. The Battalion received laudatory comments from the Army's top leadership for undertaking such a tenuously important event.
In support of the Global war on Terrorism 2-22nd Infantry deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. From August, 2003 through May, 2004, the Battalion distinguished itself participating in a variety of missions throughout the entire country, including vehicle checkpoints, cordon and searches, air assaults, and search and attacks. In the shadows and around walls, the men of the Battalion killed and captured the enemy while providing a stable government for the people of Afghanistan.
Task Force 2-22 completed a combat operation in the high mountain region of northeastern Afghanistan. This operation occurred hundreds of miles from TF 2-22's home base at Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan. During one phase of the operation, TF 2-22 maneuvered by foot over 37 miles of extremely steep terrain in seven days, culminating in a 3,000 foot climb to the final objective. By their deeds, TF Courage added another chapter to the proud history of the 22nd Infantry and truly put the "mountain" in the 10th Mountain Division.
The 2nd Battalion then deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. From August, 2005 through July, 2006, 2nd Battalion was responsible for maintaining stability in the contentious Abu Ghraib District of Western Baghdad. The Battalion conducted numerous air assault operations, cache search/exploitations, raids, tactical checkpoints, trained the Iraqi Security Forces, and conducted numerous humanitarian relief operations which effectively disrupted Anti-Iraq Forces in Baghdad.
After being part of the overall transformation of the 10th Mountain Division to the US Army's new modular force structure, the 2-22nd redeployed to Iraq in 2007, where they continued to serve through 2008.
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