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2d Battalion, 160th Infantry, withdrawn, reorganized, and redesignated 1 April 1929 as the 2d Battalion, 185th Infantry, an element of the 40th Division (later redesignated as the 40th Infantry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)

 

Reorganized 1 September 1998 to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions, elements of the 40th Infantry Division OA 191-98, 22 October 1998.

(2d Battalion ordered into active Federal service 14 May 2003 at home stations)

(1st Battalion ordered into active Federal service 15 November 2003 at home stations)

2d Battalion released from active Federal service 12 May 2004 and reverted to state control)

(1st Battalion released from active Federal service 12 May 2005 and reverted to state control)

Reorganized 1 September 2005 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 81st Armored Brigade Combat Team, and the 2d Battalion, an element of the 40th Infantry Division


Redesignated 1 October 2005 as the 185th Armored Regiment

Reorganized 1 September 2007 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 81st Armored Brigade Combat Team; OA 39-08, 26 February 2008.

Ordered into active Federal service 16 August 2008 at home stations; released from active Federal service 19 September 2009 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

War on Terrorism
Campaigns to be determined

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

 

Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2008 - 2009

 

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

 

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

 

Updated by US Army Center of Military History 20 February 2013

 

 

 

 

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Updated 8 February 2016