327th Infantry Regiment

327th Infantry Regiment
Unit name	327th Infantry Regiment
Dates	1917–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Light infantry, airborne infantry
Size	Regiment

327th Infantry Regiment

The 327th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment with service in World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and post‑Cold War deployments. Originally constituted during the National Army mobilization of 1917, the regiment served with the 82nd Division and later the 101st Airborne Division, seeing combat in campaigns including Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Sicily campaign, and the Normandy landings. Over its history the regiment has been reorganized under the U.S. Army Regimental System, assigned to airborne and conventional infantry roles, and received multiple unit citations and campaign streamers.

History

Constituted in 1917 as part of the National Army for service in World War I, the regiment deployed to the Western Front and participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Saint-Mihiel offensive, and related operations alongside formations such as the 1st Division and 2nd Cavalry Division elements. Between wars the unit experienced demobilization and reconstitution amid the Interwar period reorganization of the United States Army. Reactivated for World War II, the regiment transitioned to airborne operations and trained with units including the 82nd Airborne Division and 1st Airborne Division-affiliated elements prior to overseas operations. During the Cold War the regiment underwent further reorganizations under the Combat Arms Regimental System and later the United States Army Regimental System, aligning battalions with 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) formations and National Guard counterparts. Post‑Cold War missions included deployments in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, tasking the regiment with both airborne insertion and light infantry roles alongside NATO partners such as British Army and French Army units.

Organization and structure

The regiment has historically comprised multiple battalions, typically organized as three rifle battalions and a headquarters element during World War I and II tables of organization, later reorganized into battalion‑centric structures under the Pentomic and ROAD frameworks. Under the Combat Arms Regimental System the regiment's lineage was maintained through separate battalions assigned to divisions such as the 82nd Airborne Division and later the 101st Airborne Division. Companies and platoons within the regiment have been designated A, B, and C Companies (1st Battalion), D, E, F (2nd Battalion), and G, H, I (3rd Battalion) following traditional infantry nomenclature used by formations including the 1st Infantry Division and 10th Mountain Division. The regiment has also integrated support elements drawn from organizations such as the Field Artillery Branch, Ordnance Corps, and Signal Corps during combined arms operations.

World War II

Reorganized and designated for airborne operations prior to Operation Husky and the subsequent Mediterranean campaigns, the regiment trained for parachute and glider assaults alongside formations like the 82nd Airborne Division and 1st Airborne Division. Elements participated in airborne operations in Sicily and supported amphibious operations in the Italian campaign in coordination with the U.S. Seventh Army and U.S. Fifth Army. During the Normandy landings and Operation Market Garden period the regiment executed airborne assaults and sustained combat against units of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS, coordinating with British airborne formations such as the 1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) and the 6th Airborne Division. The regiment's actions contributed to allied advances in the Western Front and culminated in occupation duties post‑conflict, alongside service members from the U.S. Constabulary and European Theater of Operations United States Army.

Postwar and Cold War service

During the early Cold War the regiment experienced inactivation and reactivation cycles tied to National Guard and Regular Army force structure changes, participating in training exercises with NATO partners including the Bundeswehr and Italian Army in Europe. Under the United States Army Reserve and later active duty configurations, battalions maintained readiness through exercises such as Operation REFORGER and joint maneuvers with the U.S. Marine Corps and Royal Air Force. Elements were allocated to air assault missions after adoption of rotorcraft doctrine by the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and supported contingency deployments during crises such as the 1958 Lebanon crisis and Cold War alerts. Reassignments under the U.S. Army Regimental System preserved lineage while aligning battalions to modern operational concepts including counterinsurgency applied in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Campaigns and decorations

The regiment earned campaign streamers for operations including Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Saint-Mihiel offensive, Sicily campaign, Normandy landings, the Rhineland campaign, and the Central Europe Campaign. Decorations awarded to the regiment and subordinate battalions include the Presidential Unit Citation, French Croix de Guerre, and foreign decorations granted by allied governments such as the Belgian Fourragere and unit citations from the Netherlands for actions during airborne operations. Individual soldiers received awards ranging from the Medal of Honor and Distinguished Service Cross to the Silver Star for valor in major engagements.

Notable personnel and commanders

Commanders and personnel associated with the regiment have included senior leaders who went on to higher commands within formations such as the U.S. Army Forces Command, V Corps, and airborne leadership at the 18th Airborne Corps. Notable officers and enlisted leaders received recognition across allied theaters, serving alongside figures such as Omar Bradley, George S. Patton, and airborne contemporaries including James M. Gavin and Matthew Ridgway during coalition operations. Distinguished noncommissioned officers and company commanders from the regiment have been cited in unit histories and veteran accounts preserved by organizations like the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Category:Infantry regiments of the United States Army