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| 25th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:25th_Infantry_Division_shoulder_sleeve_insignia.png) Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 25th Infantry Division; the overall shape represents a taro leaf, indicating the division's Hawaiian origin. | |
| Founded | 1941 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Type | Light infantry |
| Role | Jungle warfare |
| Size | Division |
| Part of |  I Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | Schofield Barracks, Wahiawa, Hawaii |
| Nickname(s) | "Tropic Lightning" (Special Designation) |
| Motto(s) | "America’s Pacific Division" |
| Colors | Scarlet and yellow (the traditional colors of Hawaiian royalty) |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding General | MG Marcus S. Evans |
| Command Sergeant Major | CSM Shaun D. Curry |
| Notable commanders | General J. Lawton Collins, 1942–1943 Lieutenant General William B. Kean, 1948–1951 Lieutenant General Samuel Tankersley Williams, 1952–1953 Lieutenant General Jonathan O. Seaman, 1960 General Frederick C. Weyand, 1964–1967 General James T. Hill, 1997–1999 Lieutenant General William E. Ward, 1999–2000 Lieutenant General Robert L. Caslen, 2008–2009 |
| Insignia | |
| Flag | &sq=&lang=&file=File:Flag_of_the_United_States_Army_25th_Infantry_Division.svg) |
| Distinctive unit insignia 25th Infantry Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion | &sq=&lang=&file=File:25th_Infantry_Division_DUI.png) |
| Combat service identification badge | &sq=&lang=&file=File:25thIDCSIB.jpg) |
The 25th Infantry Division (nicknamed "Tropic Lightning")[1] is a United States Army division based at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. The division, which was activated on 1 October 1941 in Hawaii, conducts military operations primarily in the Asia-Pacific region. Its present deployment is composed of light infantry and aviation units. Tropic Lightning soldiers regularly train with other U.S. military branches to practice and maintain joint operations capabilities. The climate and terrain of the Pacific region demands Tropic Lightning soldiers be able to operate in physically demanding and harsh environments. In 2014, the division opened the Jungle Operations Training Center—the first such school in the Army since the closing of the old Jungle Warfare School at Fort Sherman, Panama Canal Zone. Joint operations and training with partner states herald a new chapter in the history of Tropic Lightning—America's Pacific Division.
The division was originally activated from Hawaii garrison units during World War II, slightly more than two months before the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor began the Pacific War. After spending almost a year training, it fought in the Allied counteroffensive during the Guadalcanal Campaign from December 1942, helping to end organized Japanese resistance on that island by early February 1943. The 25th spent a period garrisoning the island, then moved on to fight in the New Georgia Campaign in July. After the Japanese defeat in the latter, it was sent to New Zealand later that year for rest and training, before moving to New Caledonia for further training. The division returned to combat in the January 1945 invasion of Luzon, reducing Japanese resistance on the island until late June, after which it was pulled out of the line for training. The division then served in the occupation of Japan after the surrender of the latter from September 1945.
When the Korean War began in June 1950, the division was deployed to South Korea, where it fought in the defense of and the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter in mid-1950, with elements advancing as far as the Amnok River in November. After being thrown back by the Chinese Communist intervention in the war, the division eventually took up positions south of Osan. It participated in a series of United Nations counteroffensives in early 1951, then fought in a stalemate close to the 38th parallel from the middle of the year. The division defended Seoul against Chinese Communist attack from May 1953 to the July armistice, returning to Hawaii in late 1954.
After undergoing major reorganizations in 1957 and 1963 to adapt to changing tactics, the division deployed to South Vietnam to fight in the Vietnam War between late 1965 and early 1966. The 25th served in Vietnam until its withdrawal back to Hawaii in 1970–1971, participating in Operation Attleboro, Operation Cedar Falls, Operation Junction City, the Battle of Saigon during the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive, and the Cambodian Incursion. It was reorganized as a light infantry division in 1985, and elements have participated in the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan.
- ^ "Special Unit Designations". United States Army Center of Military History. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 24 June 2010.