United States First Army

United States First Army. The First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army, first created during World War I. It played a pivotal role in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and was reactivated before World War II, where it planned and executed the Normandy landings on Utah Beach and Omaha Beach. Since 1966, its primary mission has shifted to training and readiness, overseeing the preparation of Army National Guard and United States Army Reserve units for deployment, currently operating under United States Army Forces Command from its headquarters at Rock Island Arsenal.

History

First Army was established in August 1918 at Chaumont, France, under the command of General John J. Pershing, who also led the American Expeditionary Forces. It directed multiple U.S. corps during the final Allied offensives on the Western Front, including the massive Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the decisive Meuse-Argonne Offensive. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, it oversaw occupation duties before inactivation in 1919. Reactivated in 1932 at Fort Jay, Governors Island, its interwar period was marked by training exercises. During World War II, under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley, it became the first American field army deployed to Europe, orchestrating the D-Day invasion and subsequent campaigns across France, Belgium, and into Germany, including the Battle of the Bulge. Post-war, it served as part of U.S. Army Europe before returning to the United States in 1966 to assume its current training mission.

Organization

Headquartered at Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois, First Army is divided into two subordinate divisions that oversee training across the United States. First Army Division East, headquartered at Fort Knox, Kentucky, is responsible for units in the eastern half of the country and Puerto Rico. Its counterpart, First Army Division West, headquartered at Fort Cavazos, Texas, covers the western states, Hawaii, and Alaska. This structure allows First Army to provide operational training, validation, and mobilization support to Army National Guard brigades and United States Army Reserve commands. The army works in close coordination with United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and reports directly to United States Army Forces Command at Fort Liberty.

Commanders

Notable commanders have shaped First Army's legacy across major conflicts. Its first commander, General John J. Pershing, was a towering figure in World War I. In World War II, Lieutenant General Omar Bradley led it through the Normandy campaign before being promoted to command the 12th Army Group; he was succeeded by Lieutenant General Courtney Hodges, who led it through the liberation of Paris, the Hürtgen Forest, and the Rhine crossings. Later commanders include General Roscoe Robinson Jr., the first African-American to achieve the rank of four-star general in the Army. The current commander is a lieutenant general serving a key role in the Army's institutional training enterprise.

Operations and campaigns

In World War I, its major operations were the reduction of the Saint-Mihiel salient and the protracted Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which involved over a million American troops. During World War II, after the success of Operation Neptune, First Army broke out of Normandy in Operation Cobra, liberated Paris, and repelled the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge. It later secured the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen and linked with the Soviet Red Army at the Elbe River. In its modern training capacity, First Army has prepared hundreds of thousands of reserve component soldiers for deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and ongoing global missions, ensuring unit readiness for the United States Central Command and other combatant commands.

Insignia and symbols

The shoulder sleeve insignia, a black 'A' on a green shield, was originally designed in 1918 to represent "Army, First" and was officially approved in 1922. The distinctive insignia, or unit crest, features a sword and a fleur-de-lis, symbolizing the army's combat service in France during both world wars. Its official motto is "First In Deed," reflecting its historic primacy and accomplishments, while a functional motto, "Return to Strength," underscores its modern mission of rebuilding and preparing reserve forces. The army's lineage and honors are maintained by the United States Army Center of Military History and include campaign participation credit for conflicts from World War I to the Global War on Terrorism.

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