I Corps (United States)

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U.S. I Corps

U.S. I Corps organizational flag
Active January 15, 1918 - Present
Country USA
Allegiance Federal
Branch Regular Army
Type Army Corps
Garrison/HQ Fort Lewis
Nickname America's Corps
Engagements World War I
World War II
Korean War
Iraq War.
Note units assigned to I Corps have the following battle honors:
Civil War
Indian Wars
Spanish American War
Philippine-American War
Vietnam War
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 MG Hunter Liggett

Lieutenant General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.
Insignia
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Image:USICorpsSSI.PNG

The I Corps (First Corps) aka ("eye core"), nicknamed America's Corps, is a corps of the United States Army with headquarters in Fort Lewis, Washington. The I Corps serves under the U.S. Army Pacific Command (USARPAC). The current I Corps is a different organization from the I Corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Civil War

For more details on this topic, see I Corps (ACW).

In the American Civil War, the I Corps was one of the most accomplished and veteran corps in the Union Army, commanded by distinguished officers. It was created in March of 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln ordered the creation of a four-corps army under Major General George B. McClellan. The first commander of the I Corps was Major General Irvin McDowell. The three divisions of the I Corps were held in defense of Washington, D.C., while the rest of the Army of the Potomac advanced to the Peninsula Campaign.

The corps was consolidated in the Army of Virginia under Major General John Pope, and fought in the Second Battle of Bull Run, as the Third Corps, Army of Virginia. Afterwards, its designation as I Corps was restored. Iit rejoined the Army of the Potomac and crossed the Potomac River into Maryland to fight in the Battle of Antietam, under Major General Joseph Hooker. There, the division of Pennsylvania Reserves, under Brigadier General George G. Meade, took heavy casualties through its hard fighting, and was withdrawn to replenish.

The command of the Army of the Potomac then changed to Major General Ambrose E. Burnside, and they moved southward to fight General Robert E. Lee's army at the Battle of Fredericksburg, where the corps was commanded by Major General John F. Reynolds, arguably the best Union corps commander in the Eastern Theater. He superbly led the corps through this battle, then through the Battle of Chancellorsville, with the army being led by General Hooker, who left the I Corps in reserve.

In its last major battle, the Battle of Gettysburg, General Reynolds was killed just as the first troops arrived on the field, and command was inherited by Major General Abner Doubleday. Although putting up a ferocious fight, the I Corps was overwhelmed by the Confederate Third Corps (A.P. Hill) and forced to retreat through the town of Gettysburg, taking up defensive positions on Cemetery Hill. The next day (July 2, 1863), the command was given to Major General John Newton, a division commander from the VI Corps, who led it through this battle, including the defense against Pickett's Charge, and through the Mine Run Campaign that fall. Afterwards, the I Corps was disbanded and its units were reorganized and absorbed into the rest of the army, now led by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. The Civil War career of the I Corps was ended.

U.S. I Corps Distinctive Unit Insignia
U.S. I Corps Distinctive Unit Insignia

[edit] Spanish-American War

The corps was reactivated in 1898 for the Spanish-American War, under the leadership of Major General John R. Brooke, and elements landed on July 31, 1898, to take part in the Puerto Rico Campaign. It advanced to Guayama, where it fought a battle on August 5, but the armistice was signed before they could partake in a slated major attack. Both the I Corps from the 19th Century are unrelated to the current I Corps even though they carry the same name.

[edit] World War I

Following the American declaration of war on the country of Germany, on April 6, 1917, the I Corps was organized and activated on January 15–20, 1918, in the National Army in Neufchâteau, France, as Headquarters & Headquarters Company, I Army Corps. Assisted by the French XXXII Corps, the headquarters was organized and trained; on January 20, Major General Hunter Liggett took command.

In February, the corps consisted of the 1st, 2d, 26th, 32d, 41st, and 42d Infantry Divisions. From February to July, 1918, the German Army launched four major offensives, attempting to secure victory before the full American force could be brought to bear. The final offensive, started in July 1918, was an attempt to cross the Marne, in the area of Chateau-Thierry, but the American lines (including I Corps) held, and the offensive was fought back.

Joseph T. Dickman, who had commanded 3rd Infantry Division during their famous stand at the Second Battle of the Marne, took command in October 1918, leading the unit during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

Thereafter, the I Corps, along with other U.S. and Allied units, moved forward, breaking the German will to fight, until the armistice, signed on November 11, 1918.

The I Corps shoulder sleeve insignia was approved by the Adjutant General, American Expeditionary Forces on December 3, 1918.

The I Corps continued to train in France, until it was demobilized on March 25, 1919. I Army Corps was immediately returned to the inactivated list.

[edit] Sub-units

1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, 26th, 28th, 32d, 35th, 36th, 41st, 43d, 77th, 78th, 80th, 82d, 90th, 91st, and 92d Divisions (United States).

62d, 167th, and 5th Cavalry Divisions (French).

[edit] Interwar period

[edit] World War II

  • The original Distinctive Unit Insignia for I Corps was approved on June 8, 1942.
  • Redesignated August 19, 1942 as Headquarters, I Corps, and moved to Australia.
  • Deployed to the Pacific Theater September 11, 1942.
  • Reconstituted June 27, 1944. In the Regular Army as Headquarters, I Corps; concurrently consolidated with Headquarters, I Corps (active) (see Australian information), and Consolidated unit designated as Headquarters, I Corps.

During World War II, the corps fought in the South West Pacific Area. Its initial operations were in Papua, reinforcing Australian forces, which had turned back Japanese attacks along the Kokoda Track. The Allied forces then took the offensive, against the Japanese beachheads at Buna and Gona.

Thereafter, I Corps engaged in the western part of Operation Cartwheel, the encircling and neutralization of the Japanese base at Rabaul in New Britain. After this operation was completed, I Corps took part in prolonged Allied mopping-up operations along the northern shores of New Guinea.

In by far the largest series of operations in the theater during the war, I Corps took part in the invasion of Luzon. It was still engaged on mopping up operations there at the end of the war.

After the end of hostilities, I Corps was assigned to Occupation Force Duty in Japan.

Headquarters & Headquarters Company, I Corps was demobilized on March 28, 1950, in Japan, and returned to the Inactive list.

[edit] Modern period

  • HHC, I Corps was reactivated August 2, 1950, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and was assigned to take control of the UN Forces in the Korean War.
  • Reassigned to Fort Jay, New York, as its Home Post on May 21, 1951, concurrent with the reactivation of XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg.
  • Reorganized and redesignated December 1, 1967, as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, I Corps.
  • A second Distinctive Unit Insignia was authorized on May 21, 1970.
  • A third DUI design was approved on September 14, 1982 and cancelled on October 31, 1988.
  • The current Distinctive Unit Insignia was approved on October 31, 1988.
  • I CORPS (FORWARD) Served in Mosul, Iraq from January 2004 - January 2005. Led by Brigadier General Carter F. Ham based from Fort Lewis.

[edit] Lineage

Organized 15-20 January 1918 in the Regular Army in France as Headquarters, I Army Corps

Demobilized 25 March 1919 in France

Reconstituted 27 June 1944 in the Regular Army as Headquarters, I Corps; concurrently consolidated with Headquarters, I Corps (active) (see ANNEX), and consolidated unit designated as Headquarters, I Corps

Inactivated 28 March 1950 in Japan

Activated 2 August 1950 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Reorganized and redesignated 1 December 1967 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, I Corps

ANNEX

Constituted 15 August 1927 in the Regular Army as Headquarters, XX Corps

Redesignated 13 October 1927 as Headquarters, I Corps

Activated 1 November 1940 at Columbia, South Carolina

Redesignated 1 January 1941 as Headquarters, I Army Corps

Redesignated 19 August 1942 as Headquarters, I Corps

[edit] Honors

[edit] Campaign participation credits

  • World War I Campaigns:
  1. Champagne-Marne
  2. Aisne-Marne
  3. St. Mihiel
  4. Meuse-Argonne
  5. Ile de France 1918
  6. Champagne 1918
  7. Lorraine 1918
  1. Papua
  2. New Guinea
  3. Luzon
  • Korean War Campaigns:
  1. UN Defensive
  2. UN Offensive
  3. CCF Intervention
  4. First UN Counteroffensive
  5. CCF Spring Offensive
  6. UN Summer-Fall Offensive
  7. Second Korean Winter
  8. Korea, Summer-Fall 1952
  9. Third Korean Winter
  10. Korea, Summer 1953
  • War on Terrorism:
  1. War in Iraq

[edit] Decorations

  1. Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Papua
  2. Army Superior Unit Award - for 1999-2000
  3. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for October 17, 1944 TO July 4, 1945
  4. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for Korea 1950-1953
  5. Meritorious Unit Citation for Iraq 2004-2005

[edit] Current order of battle

The current order of battle of I Corps is:

1st Air Support Operations Group, USAF
1st Weather Squadron
5th Air Support Operations Squadron
42d Military Police Brigade
504th Military Police Battalion
508th Military Police Battalion
142d Signal Brigade
29th Signal Battalion
62d Medical Brigade
201st Military Intelligence Brigade
502d Military Intelligence Battalion
304th Support Center (Rear)
130th Engineer Brigade
555th Engineer Brigade
14th Engineer Battalion
864th Engineer Battalion
94th Engineer Battalion
5th Engineer Battalion
4th Engineer Battalion
1st Engineer Battalion
5-5 Air Defense Artillery Battalion
23rd Chemical Battalion
593d Sustainment Brigade
44th Corps Support Battalion
57th Transportation Battalion
80th Ordnance Battalion
9th Finance Battalion
22d Personnel Services Battalion

Likely Subordinate Units

3d Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division "Arrowhead Brigade"
2d Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) "Patriots"
1st Battalion, 23d Infantry Regiment "Tomahawks"
5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment
1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment
1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery* "On the Minute"
296th Brigade Support Battalion*
C Battery, 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery
334th Signal Company
18th Engineer Company
209th Military Intelligence Company
C Company, 52d Anti-Tank Company

[edit] Likely subordinate National Guard/Reserve units

40th Infantry Division (Mechanized) (California Army National Guard)
I Corps Artillery (Utah National Guard)
29th Infantry Brigade (Separate) (Hawaii National Guard)
81st Armor Brigade (Separate) (Washington National Guard)
116th Armored Cavalry Brigade (Idaho National Guard)
207th Infantry Group (Scout) (Alaska National Guard)
278th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Tennessee National Guard)
66th Aviation Brigade (CBT) (Corps) (Washington National Guard)
111th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (New Mexico National Guard)
35th Engineer Brigade (Missouri National Guard)
177th Military Police Brigade (Michigan National Guard)
142d Signal Brigade "Voice of America's Corps" (Alabama National Guard)
364th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne) (Reserve)
464th Chemical Brigade (Reserve located in Pennsylvania)
326th Corps Finance Group (Reserve)
82d Rear Operations Company (Oregon National Guard)

[edit] References

  • Seon, SSG Cornelius, NYARNG (Retired), US Army Center for Military History; Lineage and Honors Information as of 7 September 2001.

[edit] External links & Further Reading