3rd Battalion 41st Infantry Regiment

The U.S. 3rd Battalion 41st Infantry Regiment is a Battalion of the United States Army. It is assigned to the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.
History
Post-Civil War
The 41st Infantry Regiment was one of six segregated regiments created in 1867 following the American Civil War to provide for African American participation in the defense of the United States. It was consolidated in 1869 with the 38th Infantry Regiment to form the 24th Infantry Regiment.
World War I
The 41st Infantry Regiment was re-formed on 20 June 1917 as Company A, 41st Infantry at Fort Snelling, Minnesota from soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment. On 9 July 1918, the Regiment was assigned to the 10th Division at Camp Funston, Kansas, which was commanded by Leonard Wood. In October 1918, the regiment sent an advance party to France to prepare for combat in the First World War, however, World War I came to an end in November and the deployment cancelled. As part of the general demobilization following the war, the regiment was deactivated on 22 September 1921 at Camp Meade, Maryland.
World War II
It was reactivated on 15 July 1940 when the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry was activated as Company A, 41st Infantry (Armored) at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 41st Infantry Regiment constituted the organic infantry of the newly formed 2nd Armored Division. The association between the 41st Infantry and the 2nd Armored Division lasted throughout World War II and continued through Operation Desert Storm.
Gulf War
On 10 Aug 1990, 3-41 Infantry was notified to deploy to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Shield. The unit deployed as part of the Tiger Brigade with the 1st Cavalry Division to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The Main Body Deployed on 09 Oct 1990. Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, 3-41 honed its war-fighting skills and deterred Iraqi aggression from 09 Oct 1990 to 19 Jan 1991. During this time 3-41 led Tiger Brigade in the first brigade size movement in recent history, transitioned to the M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and task organized into a balanced task force. Tiger Brigade linked up with the 2nd Marine Division as the air war began on 15 January 1991. 3-41 Infantry led the Tiger Brigade Attack into Kuwait on 24 Feb 1991. The unit was called the "Straight and Stalwart Battalion Task Force" during the war. During the invasion, 3-41 destroyed a large number of enemy vehicles, captured over 1,000 prisoners and accomplished all missions during the 100 hours of combat. Soldiers from the Battalion participated in the major battles of 73 Easting, and Norfolk. On 27 Feb 1991 the 3-41 scouts linked up with EPAC (Eastern Province Area Command) forces and guided them to Kuwait City through friendly lines to liberate the city. This marked the end of the ground war. 3-41 secured the local area and completed post combat actions once the cease-fire was declared. On 29 Mar 1991, 3-41 Infantry redeployed to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The Battalion returned to Fort Hood, TX on 17 Apr 1991. The soldiers of the Straight and Stalwart Battalion earned more awards for valor than any unit in Kuwait and earned the respect of all Americans by their courage and professional prosecution of the war. The Battalion's unit History is a proud one earned on the battlefield. The regimental Motto "Straight and Stalwart" exemplifies this battalion's fighting tradition of strength, stamina, and the ability to withstand punishment and to deal the enemy a knockout blow. The 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment has a strong tradition of excellence in training, maintenance, discipline and esprit de Corps. A year later, the battalion was inactivated on 15 June 1992 in Germany.
The battalion was reactivated on 16 December 1992 at Fort Polk, Louisiana, after the 5th Infantry Division there had been redesignated as the 2nd Armored Division. It was then inactivated 15 December 1995 at Fort Hood, Texas, and relieved from assignment to the 2nd Armored Division; Assigned 16 February 1996 to the 1st Armored Division, It was activated at Fort Riley, Kansas as the 41st Infantry on 29 March 1996.
War on Terror
In 2002 it deployed to Kuwait for a rotation in Operation Desert Spring with the 3rd Infantry Division where it spent six months in the hot Kuwaiti desert. The 41st then deployed back home for 3 months not knowing they would be call back into action by the 3rd ID to deploy with them for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The 41st regiment followed behind the 3rd ID until coming up on Tallil AFB where they were caught by the big sand storm of 2003. The 41st had also assigned their C Company to 101st Airborne Division to fight in Karbala. Because the 41st Regiment had recently been deployed to Kuwait, then were immediately recalled for service in Iraq, they were sent home right after the ground war phase was declared over.
The battalion was officially redesignated on 1 October 2005 as the 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment; it was relieved on 16 April 2007 and assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. The 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment was subsequently reactivated as part of the reorganized 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division on July 2009 at Fort Bliss, TX.
In December, 2012, 3-41 IN BN deployed to the Arghandab River Valley, Kandahar Province in Southern Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the mission to secure the Zharay District, the original birthplace of the Taliban, and enable the Afghan National Army to control the district upon their departure. In June 2013, 3-41 was additionally tasked with providing assured mobility, enabling LOCs (Lines of Communication) through the Maiwand District to the Helmand Province. The Battalion redeployed to Fort Bliss TX in September 2013 after 9 successful months of fighting.
Within a year of redeployment from Afghanistan, 3-41 was once again called upon, deploying to Fort Knox, KY in support of Cadet Training from March to August 2014.
Decorations
The 41st Infantry Regiment has received four Presidential Unit Citations from the Second World War, including one for leading the initial breakout in the Normandy Campaign and a later citation for actions in the invasion of Germany itself. The regiment also received the Navy Unit Commendation for operations in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in 1990, and the Meritorious Unit Citation for its latest deployment to Afghanistan 2012-3.

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