34th Infantry Division

34th Infantry Division
Unit name	34th Infantry Division
Caption	Shoulder sleeve insignia ("Red Bull")
Dates	1917–1919; 1924–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Ground combat formation
Size	Division
Garrison	St Paul, Minnesota
Nickname	"Red Bull"
Motto	"Attack, Attack, Attack!"
Notable commanders	William S. Graves; Bradley; George A. White; Bob Davis

34th Infantry Division is a formation of the United States Army National Guard with origins in the National Guard (United States), tracing lineage to volunteer formations from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Kansas. The division earned a distinguished combat record during World War II in the North African Campaign, Sicily Campaign, and the Italian Campaign, later serving through periods of Cold War reorganization and participating in post‑Cold War operations including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. The division's shoulder sleeve insignia—an abstract red bull's head—has become a widely recognized symbol within the United States Army and among allied forces.

History

The division originated during World War I when state National Guard elements from the Midwest United States were consolidated and federalized under the American Expeditionary Forces for service on the Western Front. Following demobilization after Armistice of 11 November 1918 the division was reconstituted in the interwar period amid reforms influenced by leaders associated with the Militia Act of 1903 and the National Defense Act of 1920. During the pre‑World War II period the division conducted training at sites including Camp Funston, Camp Dodge, and statewide training centers while interacting with institutions such as Citizens' Military Training Camp programs and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau oversight.

World War II

Activated for federal service in 1941, the division deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations participating in amphibious and land campaigns that included the Allied invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch), follow‑on operations in Tunisia, and the invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky). In Italy the division fought through battles at Salerno, the Rapido River, the Gothic Line, and alongside units from British Eighth Army and U.S. Fifth Army. Elements engaged German formations such as the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe counterunits, and faced Combat with formations influenced by commanders linked to Erwin Rommel’s North African operations. The division's wartime commanders and staff coordinated with corps and army headquarters including II Corps (United States), VI Corps (United States), and Allied command echelons under leaders like General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery.

Cold War and Postwar Reorganizations

In the immediate postwar era the division was inactivated then reorganized within the National Guard Bureau's framework as part of the broader reshaping of Army force structure during the Cold War, influenced by policies of the Department of Defense and strategic concepts such as containment (political doctrine). The unit underwent transitions from a standard infantry division to various modular and brigade configurations during force reductions and the Pentomic period, with affected formations reassigned across state National Guards including Minnesota National Guard, Iowa National Guard, and Wisconsin National Guard. Reorganizations aligned the division with CONUS domestic readiness missions, Northeast Command liaison activities, and NATO interoperability initiatives tied to exercises with SHAPE and allied militaries. During this era the division adapted to advances in armor and air mobility doctrine, integrating combined arms elements and aviation assets.

Modern Deployments and Operations

Since the end of the Cold War the division and its brigades have deployed in support of operations including Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and multinational stability missions in the Balkans. Taskings have included combat advisory rotations with Iraqi Security Forces, counterinsurgency and provincial reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, and homeland security missions in response to domestic contingencies involving agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state governors. Elements participated in multinational exercises with partners such as NATO Partnership for Peace members, coordinated with commands like United States Central Command and United States Northern Command, and contributed to force generation cycles under the Total Force Policy.

Organization and Structure

The division headquarters oversees multiple brigade combat teams and support brigades drawn from National Guard units across several states, integrating infantry, artillery, engineer, aviation, reconnaissance, signal, sustainment, and military police elements. Organizational changes followed the Army's conversion to a modular brigade combat team model, organizing subordinate units as Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and support formations aligned with Division Sustainment Brigades and Combat Aviation Brigades. The division maintains liaison relationships with state adjutants general, the National Guard Bureau, and active component units for training, mobilization, and joint operations.

Insignia, Traditions, and Honors

The division shoulder sleeve insignia features a stylized red bull's head on a yellow and blue field, a symbol recognized across units like 101st Airborne Division and 1st Infantry Division as part of heraldic traditions within the United States Army Institute of Heraldry. Traditions include unit ceremonies tied to state anniversaries, battle streamers painted from campaigns such as Rome-Arno Campaign and Po Valley Campaign, and decorations awarded by U.S. and Allied authorities including campaign streamers, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and foreign awards. The division's lineage is preserved in unit histories, museums, and archives maintained by institutions like the Army Historical Foundation, state historical societies, and the National Archives and Records Administration.

Category:Infantry divisions of the United States Army Category:Military units and formations established in 1917