California State Military Department
The California State Military Museum
Preserving California's Military Heritage
Lineages and Honors of the California National Guard
185th Armor Regiment

Constituted 22 July 1885 in the California National Guard as the 7th Infantry Battalion and organized from existing companies at Los Angeles and San Diego
 
Expanded, reorganized, and redesignated 5 May 1888 as the 7th Infantry Regiment
 
Consolidated 7 November 1895 with the 9th Infantry Regiment (organized 8 February 1890 in the California National Guard) and consolidated unit designated as the 7th Infantry Regiment
 
Mustered into Federal service 9 May 1898 at the Presidio of San Francisco,
 
California, as the 7th California Volunteer Infantry; mustered out of Federal service 2 December 1898 at Los Angeles
 
Mustered into Federal service 29 June 1916 at Sacramento; mustered out of Federal service 11 November 1916 at Los Angeles
 
Drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917
 
Consolidated 25 September-1 November 1917 with the 2d Battalion, Companies L and M, and Sanitary Detachment, 2d Infantry Regiment; consolidated unit reorganized and redesignated as the 160th Infantry and assigned to the 40th Division
 
Demobilized 7 May 1919 at Camp Kearny, California
 
Former southern California elements reconstituted and reorganized 23 August - 6 October 1921 in the California National Guard as the 160th Infantry and assigned to the 40th Division; Headquarters Federally recognized 31 January 1922 at Los Angeles
 
2d Battalion, 160th Infantry, withdrawn, reorganized, and redesignated 1 April 1929 as the 2d Battalion, 185th Infantry, an element of the 40th Division (later redesignated as the 40th Infantry Division); 160th Infantry concurrently reorganized with a new 2d Battalion
 
After 1 April 1929 the above units underwent changes as follows:
 
2d Battalion, 185th Infantry, expanded and reorganized March-April 1930 as the 2d and 3d Battalions, 185th Infantry

Inducted into Federal service 3 March 1941 at home stations

Inactivated 7 April 1946 at Camp Stoneman, California

Expanded and reorganized 5 August 1946 as the 223d and 224th Infantry and assigned to the 40th Infantry Division (185th Infantry later reorganized with new 2d and 3d Battalions - hereafter separate lineage)

After 5 August 1946 the 223d and 224th Infantry underwent changes as follows:
 
223d Infantry organized and Federally recognized 15 October 1946 with Headquarters at Pasadena

Ordered into active Federal service 1 September 1950 at home stations

(223d Infantry [NGUS] organized and Federally recognized 2 September 1952 with Headquarters at Pasadena)

Released 30 June 1954 from active Federal service and reverted to state control; Federal recognition concurrently withdrawn from the 223d Infantry (NGUS)

2d Battalion withdrawn 1 July 1954 and consolidated with the 3d Battalion, 111th Armored Cavalry (organized and Federally recognized 26 January 1951 with Headquarters at Van Nuys); consolidated unit reorganized and redesignated as the 139th Tank Battalion, an element of the 40th Armored Division, with Headquarters at Burbank (remainder of 223d Infantry - hereafter separate lineage)
 
224th Infantry organized and Federally recognized 15 October 1946 with Headquarters at Ontario

Ordered into active Federal service 1 September 1950 at home stations (223d Infantry [NGUS] organized and Federally recognized 2 September 1952 with Headquarters at Ontario)

Released 30 June 1954 from active Federal service and reverted to state control; Federal recognition concurrently withdrawn from the 223d Infantry (NGUS)

2d Battalion withdrawn 1 July 1954, reorganized, and redesignated as the 133d Tank Battalion, an element of the 40th Armored Division, with Headquarters at Riverside (remainder of 224th Infantry - hereafter separate lineage)
 
160th Infantry inducted into Federal service 3 March 1941 at Los Angeles

Relieved 1 September 1942 from assignment to the 40th Infantry Division and assigned to the 27th Infantry Division

Relieved 30 October 1942 from assignment to the 27th Infantry Division and assigned to the 40th Infantry Division

Inactivated 7 April 1946 at Camp Stoneman, California

Reorganized and Federally recognized 14 October 1946 with Headquarters at Los Angeles

Ordered into active Federal service 1 September 1950 at home stations

(160th Infantry [NGUS] organized and Federally recognized 2 September 1952 with Headquarters at Los Angeles)

Released 30 June 1954 from active Federal service and reverted to state control; Federal recognition concurrently withdrawn from the 160th Infantry (NGUS)

3d Battalion withdrawn, reorganized, and redesignated as the 111th Reconnaissance Battalion, an element of the 40th Armored Division, with Headquarters at Inglewood (remainder of 160th Infantry - hereafter separate lineage)
 
133d and 139th Tank Battalions, 111th Reconnaissance Battalion, and 140th and 134th Tank Battalions (see ANNEXES 1 and 2) consolidated, reorganized, and redesignated 1 July 1959 as the 185th Armor, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st, 2d, 4th, and 5th Medium Tank Battalions and the 3d Reconnaissance Squadron, elements of the 40th Armored Division
 
Reorganized 1 May 1962 to consist of the 1st, 2d, 4th, and 5th Medium Tank Battalions and the 3d Reconnaissance Squadron, elements of the 40th Armored Division, and the 6th and 7th Medium Tank Battalions
 
Reorganized 1 March 1963 to consist of the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th Battalions, elements of the 40th Armored Division, and the 6th Medium Tank battalion
 
Reorganized 15 March 1964 to consist of the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th Battalions, elements of the 40th Armored Division, and the 6th Battalion
 
Reorganized 29 January 1968 to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions, elements of the 40th Armored Brigade, and the 3d Battalion
 
Reorganized 13 January 1974 to consist of the 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions, elements of the 40th Infantry Division
 
Withdrawn 19 January 1988 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System with Headquarters at San Diego
 
(1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions ordered into active Federal service 1 May 1992 at home stations; released 9 May 1992 from active Federal service and reverted to state control)
Annex 1

Constituted 3 December 1941 in the Army of the United States as Company A, 640th Tank Destroyer Battalion
 
Activated 19 December 1941 at Camp San Luis Obispo, California, with personnel from the 143d Field Artillery, California National Guard
 
Inactivated 13 January 1946 at Camp Anza, California
 
Reorganized and Federally recognized 15 March 1949 in the California Army National Guard as the 140th Heavy Tank Battalion with Headquarters at Barstow and assigned to the 40th Infantry Division (later redesignated as the 40th Armored Division)
 
Ordered into active Federal service 1 September 1950 at home stations
 
(140th Tank Battalion [NGUS] organized and Federally recognized 2 September 1952 with Headquarters at Barstow; location of Headquarters changed 14 April 1953 to Pasadena)
 
Released 30 June 1954 from active Federal service and reverted to state control; Federal recognition concurrently withdrawn from the 140th Tank Battalion (NGUS)
Annex 2

Constituted 13 July 1946 in the California National Guard as the 109th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized
 
Organized and Federally recognized 18 September 1947 as the 109th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron with Headquarters at Imperial
 
Reorganized and redesignated 15 September 1949 as the 1st Battalion, 111th Armored Cavalry
 
(Location of Headquarters changed 15 December 1950 to El Centro)
 
Reorganized and redesignated 1 July 1954 as the 134th Tank Battalion and assigned to the 40th Armored Division
Campaign Participation Credit
 
World War I
Streamer without inscription
World War II
Bismarck Archipelago
Luzon (with arrowhead)
Southern Philippines (with arrowhead)
Korean War
Second Korean Winter
Korea, Summer-Fall 1952
Third Korean Winter
Korea, Summer 1953
 
2d Battalion (Headquarters at National City), 185th Armor, additionally entitled to:
World War I
St. Mihiel
Meuse-Argonne
World War II
Central Pacific
Northern Solomons
Leyte
 
Headquarters Company (San Bernardino), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:
World War II
Normandy
Northern France
Rhineland
Ardennes-Alsace
Central Europe
Decorations
 
Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered NOJONP-YONG
 
1st Battalion (Headquarters at San Bernardino), 185th Armor, additionally entitled to:
 
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered 17 OCTOBER 1944 TO 4 JULY 1945
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1952
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1952-1953
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1952-1954
 
2d Battalion (Headquarters at National City), 185th Armor, additionally entitled to:
 
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered 17 OCTOBER 1944 TO 4 JULY 1945
 
3d Battalion (Headquarters at San Diego), 185th Armor, additionally entitled to:
 
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered KOREA 1952-1954
 
Headquarters Company (San Bernardino), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:
 
Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action along the MEUSE RIVER
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