First Army (United States)

First Army (United States). The First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It has served as a premier warfighting headquarters in both World War I and World War II, most notably during the Normandy landings and the subsequent drive across Western Europe. Since the late 20th century, its mission has shifted to training, readiness, and mobilization of Army National Guard and United States Army Reserve forces across the eastern United States, operating under United States Army Forces Command.

History

First Army was established in August 1918 at Chaumont, France, during World War I, with General John J. Pershing commanding the American Expeditionary Forces serving as its first commander. It played a pivotal role in the final Allied offensives, including the Saint-Mihiel offensive and the massive Meuse-Argonne offensive. After the war, it was inactivated in 1919 before being reconstituted in 1932 with its headquarters at Fort Jay, Governors Island in New York Harbor. During World War II, under commanders like General Omar Bradley and later General Courtney Hodges, First Army was the first American field army to land in Normandy on D-Day, participating in key operations such as the Battle of the Bulge and the crossing of the Rhine River at Remagen. Following the Cold War, its focus transitioned from an active warfighting command to a force generation and training headquarters.

Organization

First Army is currently divided into two subordinate divisions, each responsible for readiness across a specific geographic region of the eastern United States. First Army Division East is headquartered at Fort Knox, Kentucky, while First Army Division West is based at Fort Cavazos, Texas. These divisions oversee multiple training support brigades and exercise coordination teams that partner with Army National Guard and United States Army Reserve units. The army headquarters itself relocated from Fort Gillem, Georgia, to the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois in 2011. Its structure is designed to provide operational training, evaluate unit proficiency, and ensure reserve component forces are prepared for deployment in support of United States Northern Command and United States Indo-Pacific Command requirements.

Commanders

The First Army has been led by many distinguished officers throughout its history. Its first commander was General of the Armies John J. Pershing. Notable World War II commanders included General Omar Bradley, who led it during the Normandy campaign, and General Courtney Hodges, who commanded through the liberation of France and into Germany. Later commanders have included General Roscoe Robinson Jr., the first African American to achieve the rank of four-star general in the Army, and General Thomas G. Rhame. The commander concurrently serves as the senior military advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau on reserve component matters.

Campaigns and operations

In World War I, its campaigns included the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensive. In World War II, it earned campaign participation credit for the Normandy landings, the Northern France Campaign, the Rhineland Campaign, the Ardennes-Alsace Campaign (Battle of the Bulge), and the Central Europe Campaign. First Army units were among the first to link up with Soviet forces at the Elbe River. In the post-9/11 era, while no longer a deployable combat command, First Army has been instrumental in the mobilization, training, and validation of hundreds of thousands of reserve component soldiers for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the Global War on Terrorism.

Legacy and honors

First Army's legacy is enshrined in its World War I and World War II service, symbolized by its motto "First In Deed." It was awarded the Army Superior Unit Award for its mobilization work during the Gulf War. The army is credited with numerous campaign streamers on its organizational colors. Its historical role is commemorated at sites like the First Army Museum on Governors Island and through the continued service of its shoulder sleeve insignia, one of the oldest in the U.S. Army. Today, its enduring mission of ensuring the combat readiness of the Army Reserve and National Guard continues a century-long tradition of foundational support to the total force.

Category:Field armies of the United States Category:Military units and formations established in 1918