167th Infantry Regiment (United States)

On August 15, 1917, the 4th Alabama was federalized as the 167th Infantry Regiment and joined other similar units to form the 42nd "Rainbow" Division. The 167th embarked for Liverpool, England and from there moved to Le Havre, France to fight in World War I. By February 1918, it had completed most of its trainings and began entering the front lines.[3]

During the following nine months, the unit participated in five major operations.[4][3] It helped turn back a last-ditch German offensive during the Second Battle of the Marne and push back German forces near the town of Chateau-Thierry. Its fiercest fighting occurred in July 1918 during the Battle of Soissons against German strong points at the Croix Blanche and Croix Rouge farms in Aisne. The regiment forced a German retreat and secured a crossing over the river Ourcq, which helped Allied troops dislodge entrenched Germans from their positions in France. Due to poor planning and coordination, the victory came at a heavy cost for the 167th, which lost over 160 men. The commander of the supporting 168th Infantry and the commander of 84th Brigade, higher HQ of the 167th, were both relieved of their duty. Soldiers of the 167th were subsequently recognized for their actions and service, and a memorial to the 42nd Division was established there in 2011–12.[3]

World War I Memorial at La Croix Rouge Farm, France honoring the 42nd Division.[5]

The 167th was part of the occupying force after the war ended. By May 1919, it had returned to the United States. Many of the men had been in federal service for almost three years. The regiment temporarily reverted to the "4th Alabama" designation from 1919 until 1921. In 1932 it was tasked with guarding the defendants of the Scottsboro trials.[3]

The 167th Regiment was assigned to the 31st "Dixie" Division during World War II and fought in the western Pacific, notably in New Guinea and the Philippines. It participated in the battles for Morotai, Sansapor, and Mindanao. For its service, the unit received the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation. It remained in the theater until the end of the war in 1945.[3]

During the civil rights movement, the federal government activated the 167th as a National Guard unit, twice in 1963 and once in 1965, to protect demonstrators such as the Freedom Riders.[3]

When the 1-167th Infantry Battalion deployed to Iraq in 2005, Company A of the 167th was selected for mobilization. The infantrymen's mission was focused on finding and fixing insurgents, but also providing security for the population as a whole; particularly, during the Iraqi democratic elections of 2005.[6] Voters took part in the first free elections since the fall of Saddam Hussein and his ruling Baath party.

When the 1-167th Infantry Battalion was deployed to Iraq again in 2007, Company C of the 167th was mobilized for Iraq. The unit's main mission provided critical security escorts from the Kuwaiti border crossing throughout Iraq to all Forward Operating Bases (FOBs). This even included missions to other country's FOBs, such as the South Korean FOB located near the Northern Turkish border.

The largest of all 1144th Joint Logistics Task Force elements, the Alabama Company brought 196 members to OIF, of the 210 members that had been deployed to Iraq. At various times, all members were on missions to and from Iraq at the same time.[7]

The 1-167th Infantry Battalion deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 to conduct security force missions in support of NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan (NTM-A) throughout the Afghanistan theater of operations to provide freedom of maneuver for NTM-A and regional support command assets.[8]

• William P. Screws, during the Mexican Border War and World War I[3][9]
• Col. Laroy S. Graham, May 16, 1945 - [10]

The 1-167th Infantry has been under many different higher commands, including the 31st Infantry Division, the 35th Infantry Division, the 149th Armor Brigade, the 226th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, the 31st Separate Armored Brigade, the 48th Brigade Combat Team, and the 142nd Battlefield Surveillance Brigade. The 1-167th Infantry is the 3rd maneuver battalion assigned to the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.[11]

The five fleurs-de-lis on the unit's coat of arms symbolize the five major operations it participated in during World War I. Its engagement at La Croix Rouge Farm is represented by the embattled red cross. The coat of arms was approved in 1923. In 1971, thirteen stars were added to symbolize the battles the unit fought during the Civil War. The insignia was approved that same year.[4] [4]

The tab was created to honor the 1-167th's Civil War history as the 4th Alabama Regiment,[12] lineage acknowledged by its officially recognized 4th Alabama special designation.