The 184th Infantry Regiment (Second California) is an infantry regiment of the United States Army consisting of soldiers from the California Army National Guard. Only the regiment's 1st Battalion remains an active military unit. The battalion supports state and federal missions in the State of California, United States of America and at overseas locations. The 184th Infantry Regiment can trace its lineage to the mid-19th century.
Current status
The regiment's 1st Battalion is currently one of two infantry battalions in the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The battalion is currently conducting training and maintenance in order to prepare for future state and federal missions. In May 2012, the battalion conducted training in the National Training Center at Fort Irwin as part of the first Army National Guard brigade to rotate through the center's new training environment, designed to refocus the Army's training efforts as a result of the end of the Iraq War and the planned drawdown for the Afghanistan War.
History The 184th Infantry Regiment is a descendant of a number of unofficial militias that were formed in California in the mid-to-late-19th century. Bravo Company is the direct descendant of the Sarsfield Grenadier Guards. Charlie Company is the direct descendant of the Auburn Greys. In its dual role in service to both the United States of America and the State of California, the regiment can be mobilized to serve under state control.
The 184th Infantry Regiment was formed on 20 October 1924 from what had been known as the 2d Infantry Regiment (California).
1864–95 Precursors to 2d Infantry (California) On 9 December 1895, the 2d Infantry Regiment (California) was formed by consolidating the 1st Artillery Regiment (California) with the 8th Infantry Regiment (California). The headquarters of the 2d Infantry Regiment (California) was in Sacramento and the unit was part of the California National Guard. The lineage of these two units is described below. 1st Artillery Regiment (California). On 19 March 1880, the 1st Artillery Regiment (California) was formed from the consolidation of the Sacramento Light Artillery (California) and the 1st Infantry Battalion (California). The headquarters of the 1st Artillery Regiment (California) was in Sacramento and the unit was part of the California National Guard. Sacramento Light Artillery (California). In 1864, the Sacramento Light Artillery (California) was formed from precursor militia elements in Sacramento as part of the California Militia. (Note: On 2 April 1866, the California Militia was redesignated as the California National Guard.) 1st Infantry Battalion (California). On 15 March 1872, the 4th Infantry Regiment (California) was formed from precursor militia elements, including the Sarsfield Grenadier Guards as G company, as part of the California National Guard. From 1875 through 1877, the 1st Infantry Battalion (California) was formed through the reduction, reorganization, and redesignation of the 4th Infantry Regiment (California). The headquarters of the 4th Infantry Regiment (California) was in Sacramento and the unit was part of the California National Guard. 8th Infantry Regiment (California). On 15 February 1890, the 8th Infantry Battalion (California) was formed from precursor militia elements with headquarters in Chico, as part of the California National Guard. On 31 October 1891, the 8th Infantry Regiment (California) was formed through the expansion, reorganization, and redesignation of the 8th Infantry Battalion (California). The headquarters of the 8th Infantry Regiment (California) was in Chico and the unit was part of the California National Guard.
1895–1924 2d Infantry (California) Spanish–American War From 6–9 July 1898, three of the companies from the 2d Infantry Regiment (California) were mustered into federal service in Fruitvale as part of the 8th California Volunteer Infantry for service during the Spanish–American War. Although the units were mobilized for federal service, they never left the United States. From 28 January 1899 through 6 February 1899, the three companies were demobilized in Washington and California and returned to the 2d Infantry Regiment (California).
On 11 May 1907, the 2d Infantry Regiment (California) was reduced and consolidated with the 6th Infantry Regiment (California) (which had originally been organized on 22 July 1885 as the 6th Infantry Battalion (California)) to form the 2d Infantry Regiment (California), with headquarters in Sacramento, as part of the California National Guard.
1916 Mexican Border Crisis On 18 June 1916, the 2d Infantry Regiment (California) was mobilized for border security duty during the Mexican Border Crisis. On 15 November 1916, the unit was demobilized.
World War I Mobilization, restructuring and training On 26 March 1917, the 2d Infantry Regiment (California) was mobilized into federal service for World War I. Many of the units were well prepared for the mobilization because of the recent experience of mobilizing in support of the Mexican Border Crisis. In response to the consolidation of so many state militias, the United States Army created a new division system, and needed to fit the various state militias into the system. Originally, the 2d Infantry Regiment (California) was organized as part of the 19th Division, which consisted of various elements of state militias from Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. On 16 September 1917, the 19th Division was redesignated as the 40th Division at Camp Kearny near San Diego, California. At that time, the division was referred to simply as the 40th Division because there were no armored or cavalry divisions.
On 24 September 1917, the 2d Infantry Regiment (less the 2d Battalion, Companies L and M, and the Sanitary Detachment) was consolidated with the 5th Infantry Regiment (California) and redesignated the 159th Infantry Regiment, 40th Division. On 25 September 1917, the 2d Infantry Regiment's 2d Battalion, companies L and M, and the Sanitary Detachment were consolidated with the 7th Infantry Regiment (California) and redesignated the 160th Infantry Regiment, 40th Division.
In November 1917, the 40th Division moved to continue training at either Camp Lewis near Seattle, Washington, which had finished construction and opened for training purposes only two months earlier, or Fort Funston near San Francisco, California. Although the units had received an infusion of new soldiers and equipment and had begun training for war in earnest, almost immediately the soldiers and equipment were being siphoned off to form new units. This was the start of what the unit would experience for the rest of the war.
Operations in theater In August 1918, the 40th Division arrived in France. At that moment, the Germans had just completed a series of offensives that started on 21 March and ended on 15 July. These offensives were designed to destroy the American Expeditionary Force before it could be fully constituted, and they almost succeeded. Upon the arrival of the 40th Division in France, it was decided that the division would be used as a depot and it was redesignated as the 6th Depot Division, supplying fresh troops to the more experienced combat divisions. By the end of the war, the 40th Division provided more than 27,000 replacements to the 26th, 28th, 32d, 77th, 80th, 81st, 82d, and 89th Divisions. Of those soldiers provided from the 40th Infantry Division, 2,587 members were killed in action and 11,596 were wounded. An additional 103 were to die of their wounds at the Post Hospital in Camp Kearny near San Diego, California.
Demobilization and restructuring On 20 April 1919, the 40th Division was demobilized at Camp Kearny near San Diego, California, where they had been formed just two years before. On 1 May 1919, those elements of the 2d Infantry Regiment (California) that were used to create the 159th Infantry Regiment were released from federal service at the Presidio of San Francisco near San Francisco, California. On 7 May 1919, those elements of the 2d Infantry Regiment (California) that were used to create the 160th Infantry Regiment were returned to the 2d Infantry Regiment (California) at Camp Kearny near San Diego, California.
Decorations The 2d Infantry Regiment (California) received a campaign streamer (without inscription) for service. The 184th Infantry Regiment proudly displays this streamer as a descendant of the 2d Infantry Regiment (California).
1924–present 184th Infantry On 20 October 1924, the 184th Infantry Regiment was formed as a result of the reconstitution and reorganization of the northern and central California elements of the 2nd Infantry Regiment (California). The San Francisco area elements of the 2nd Infantry Regiment (California) were not included. The headquarters of the 184th Infantry Regiment (California) was in Sacramento and the unit was once again a part of the 40th Division of the California National Guard.
1927 Folsom State Prison riots In November 1927, elements of the 184th Infantry Regiment were mobilized to assist with quelling a riot at Folsom State Prison.
From 18 February 1929 through 1 April 1929, the 185th Infantry Regiment was formed as a result of the withdrawal, expansion, reorganization, and redesignation of the central California elements of the 184th Infantry Regiment.
1934 West coast waterfront strike On 9 May 1934, longshoremen and sailors throughout the West Coast of the United States began a strike that would last for 83 days. On 5 July, elements of the 184th Infantry Regiment, along with other members of the California National Guard, were mobilized to restore order in San Francisco's waterfront when hostilities during the strike escalated.
World War II Mobilization, restructuring, and training On 3 March 1941, the entire 184th Infantry Regiment was mobilized as part of a general mobilization of the United States Army National Guard, and mustered at Camp San Luis Obispo. Most of the soldiers believed that they would be mobilized for a year and then sent home, which changed on 7 December 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Within 48 hours of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the regiment moved to the San Diego area and took up defensive positions for the expected attack or invasion of the West Coast of the United States. The regiment was scattered throughout a number of areas including Del Mar, La Mesa, and Lindbergh Field, while Company A was sent to San Clemente Island. If the Japanese attack had occurred, this lone company of Sacramentans would have been decimated since there was no avenue of retreat or reinforcement. The regiment remained in the greater San Diego area until April, when (similar to the mobilization for World War I) they were stationed at Fort Lewis near Seattle, Washington and later to the Presidio of San Francisco near San Francisco, California.
In June 1942, while at the Presidio, the regiment was relieved from the 40th Infantry Division and attached directly to the Western Defense Command. In November 1942, while still officially under the control of the Western Defense Command, the regiment was attached to the 7th Infantry Division at Fort Ord and later Amphibious Training Force Nine. It was during this period that the regiment was reinforced and its title modified to "184th Regimental Combat Team".
Operations in theater Aleutian Islands Campaign