| 98th Training Division | |
|---|---|
98th Training Division shoulder sleeve insignia |
|
| Active | 1942–1946 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Branch | Army Reserve |
| Role | Training |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Rochester, New York |
| Nickname | Iroquois (Special Designation)[1] |
| Engagements | World War II, Operation Iraqi Freedom |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Bri. Gen. Dwayne Edwards |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive Unit Insignia | |
| US infantry divisions (1939–present) | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 97th Infantry Division | 99th Infantry Division |
The 98th Infantry Division ("Iroquois"[1]) was a unit of the United States Army in World War II, later renamed the 98th Training Division.
For nearly 80 years, the 98th Training Division has given America a well-trained complement of citizen-soldiers ready to meet any mission. The many accomplishments these Soldiers achieved in a historical context is rife with change.
98th Training Division Soldiers have surmounted every obstacle from mobilization and wartime service, including occupational duty during World War II, and through the various reorganizations, restructuring and mission changes during the decades that followed.
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Activated: 15 September 1942 as an infantry division. Overseas: 13 April 1944. Awards: Legion of Merit-1; Soldier's Medal-8; Bronze Star −146. Commanders: Maj. Gen. Paul L. Ransom (September 1942 – November 1943), Maj. Gen. George W. Griner, Jr. (November 1943-26 June 1944), Maj. Gen . Ralph C. Smith (15 July 1944 – 30 August 1944), Maj. Gen. Arthur McK. Harper (November 1944 to deactivation). Deactivated: 16 February 1946 (as active infantry) in Japan.
On 18 April 1947 the Iroquois Division was activated into reserve status and returned to training for combat in the "new" cold war era. 1 May 1959 the 98th Infantry Division was redesignated the 98th Division (Training). The regimental heritage was retained; thus, the 389,390 and 391 Infantry regiments became BCT Regiments and the 392 Infantry regiment was reactivated as an AIT Regiment. A new era started, TRAINING others. 1968 brought two major lasting changes: 1) the 389th became the 1st Brigade (BCT), the 390th became the 2d Brigade (BCT) and the 392d became the 3rd Brigade (AIT-Engineer), the only Engineer Pioneer training unit in the Army Reserve at the time; 2) The designation of Drill Sergeants and the creation of the Drill Sergeant position were a dramatic innovations in the Army and Army Reserve. The 392 regiment was based in Hillcrest, NY (outside Binghamton) and performed Engineer AIT training of recruits at Fort Leonard Wood, MO during the annual two week training deployments throughout the Vietnam War.
On 3 September 2004, the 98th Division received mobilization orders for Operation Iraqi Freedom. This mobilization was the first overseas deployment for the unit since World War II. The mission, known as the Foreign Army Training Assistance Command (FA-TRAC), called for training the new Iraqi Army and Iraqi security forces. An expeditionary force of more than 700 Iroquois warriors were trained and equipped at four sites: Camp Atterbury, Fort Bliss, Fort Hood and Fort Benning.
Looking back to the World War II era, the 98th Division mobilized in September 1942 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky, located 157 miles southwest from Camp Atterbury. For nearly a year, soldiers of the 98th selected to be AST's trained in all aspects of warfighting – from marksmanship to fortification construction – on the expansive 52,000 acres of Camp Breckinridge. It was a trying time for many, but the 98th hardened its warrior soul for the privations of war. Originally shuffled into the mix for the invasion of Japan (Operation Olympic), the 98th Division, 15,000 soldiers strong, stood ready to deploy from the Hawaiian island of Maui in 1945.
The demands of Operation Iraqi Freedom required an accelerated training schedule which crammed war fighting skills into forty-one days. For the first time in its history, the 98th addressed the realities of the asymmetric battlefield, training in counterinsurgency techniques and preparing to face an enemy that knows no fronts. The 98th made full use of the 33,000 acres at Camp Atterbury and marched everywhere. It was at Camp Atterbury that the Advisory Support Teams (later renamed Military Training Teams), the heart of the FA-TRAC mission, formed in days that began in the dark morning hours and ended well after sunset.
In fall 2004, the 98th Division landed in Baghdad and filled the ranks of the Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I), the unit charged with assisting the Iraqi government in developing, training and equipping the new Iraqi security forces. Unlike those who served in World War II, this generation of warriors tapped into its vast pool of drill sergeant and instructor expertise and went about the business of training Iraqi soldiers and officers to prescribed standards under the constant threat of insurgent attack and under the most Spartan of conditions.
In short order, instruction and support teams spread out across all points in Iraq from Al Kasik in the north to as far south as Umm Qasr. They wasted no time in establishing contact with Iraqi security units and connected with these soldiers with the help of interpreters. These dedicated warriors helped build the six divisions of the new Iraqi Army. They also established officer and noncommissioned officer education schools at the Kirkush Military Training Base. They trained Iraqi police, the Highway Patrol, the special Police Commandos and the Iraqi Border Police. As with their forebears of World War II, they built bridges of trust and friendship along the way.
The service of the 98th did not stop with FA-TRAC. The division fielded soldiers to such other diverse locations as Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Horn of Africa, Kuwait, Jordan and Afghanistan. Even in these remote locations, Iroquois warriors worked and contributed to the success of the mission.
The 98th knows the cost of war. Five soldiers from its ranks died in Iraq's struggle for freedom. Their actions exemplified tremendous bravery, courage and selflessness. They have become an inspiration to all Americans. They are the best of what American soldiers should aspire to be.
When freedom reigns once more in these oppressed lands, we will look back and realize the good we did. Yes, the 98th was there in the fight and continues to serve with honor and distinction.
Nickname: Iroquois. Shoulder patch: The 98th Division Patch consists of a shield in the shape of the Great seal of the State of New York, with the head of an Iroquois Indian Chief. The five feathers represent the five original Iroquois nations: the Seneca, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga and Mohawk. The blue and orange-gold colors are those of the Dutch House of Nassau, the earliest settlers of New York State.
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Center of Military History document [http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cbtchron.html "The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950"].
An Encounter With History: The 98th Division and the Global War on Terrorism: 2001–2005: Publisher: Defense Department, Army, Army Reserve Command, 98th Division (Institutional Training)