| 28th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:28th_Infantry_Division_CSIB.png) The 28th Infantry Division's combat service identification badge | |
| Active | 1879–1919 1921–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Type | Light infantry Stryker infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Harrisburg Military Post |
| Nickname(s) | "Keystone" (special designation);[1] "Iron Division" |
| Motto(s) | "Fire and Movement", "Roll On" |
| Engagements | American Civil War Spanish–American War Kosovo Force (2003)
|
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | MG Michael E. Wegscheider |
| Notable commanders | MG John F. Hartranft MG Omar N. Bradley MG Norman D. Cota |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia | &sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:28th_Infantry_Division_DUI.png) |
| Flag | &sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Flag_of_the_United_States_Army_28th_Infantry_Division.svg) |
| Shoulder sleeve insignia (1918–current) | &sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:28th_Infantry_Division_SSI_(1918-2015).svg) |
The 28th Infantry Division ("Keystone")[1] is a unit of the United States Army National Guard, and is the oldest division-sized unit in the Army.[2] Some of the units of the division can trace their lineage to Benjamin Franklin's battalion, The Pennsylvania Associators (1747–1777).[3] The division was officially established in 1879 and was later redesignated as the 28th Division in 1917, after the entry of America into the First World War. It is today part of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Maryland Army National Guard, Ohio Army National Guard, and New Jersey Army National Guard.
It was originally nicknamed the "Keystone Division,"[4] as it was formed from units of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard; Pennsylvania being known as the "Keystone State." During World War II, it was given the nickname the "Bloody Bucket" division by German forces due to the shape and color of its red keystone insignia.[5] Today the 28th Infantry Division goes by the name given to it by General Pershing during World War I: "Iron Division." The 28th is the first Army National Guard division to field the Stryker infantry fighting vehicle, as part of the Army's reorganization in the first decade of the 2000s.
The 28th is also one of the most decorated infantry divisions in the United States Army.[6]
- ^ a b "Special Unit Designations". United States Army Center of Military History. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
- ^ "History of the 28th Division". Pennsylvania Army National Guard. 2006. Archived from the original on 7 February 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2007.
- ^ Pennsylvania National Guard (published 19 September 2012), "28th Infantry Division Change-of-Command Ceremony", minute 1:10/3:53
- ^ "Connecticut Servicemen in the "Bloody Bucket" Division - Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project". Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project - Stories about the people, traditions, innovations, and events that make up Connecticut's rich history. 19 August 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ Weaver, Michael E. (2010). Guard Wars: The 28th Infantry Division in World War II. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-253-35521-8.
- ^ "28th ID Change-of-Command Ceremony". PA National Guard. 16 September 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2013.