3rd Battalion, 81st Armored Regiment Site

3rd Battalion, 81st Armored Regiment

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History

The "Royal Lions" have performed a number of varied and challenging missions over the decades. The battalion was constituted on 28 August, 1941, as Company C, 81st Armor Regiment and activated at Fort Knox, Kentucky, on 1 October of that year. Following America's entry into the Second World War, on 20 September, 1943, the battalion was re-designated as the 707th Tank Battalion, where it saw combat as part of both the 5th and 7th Armored Divisions. As part of the drive through Europe the 707th participated in the campaigns of Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. The 707th was awarded the Luxembourg Croix de Guerre, World War II streamer, for its outstanding wartime service. Following its successful campaigns in Europe the 707th was inactivated at Boston, Massachusetts, on 8 October, 1945.

In the early months of the Korean War the battalion was re-designated as the 94th Medium Tank Battalion, 7th Armored Division and reactivated again on 24 November, 1950, at Camp Roberts, California, where it remained until inactivated on 15 November, 1953.

On 3 February, 1962, the battalion was relieved from assignment to the 7th Armored Division and re-designated as the 3d battalion, 81st Armored Regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System. The battalion was reassigned to the 5th Armored Division. On 25 March, 1987, the battalion was relieved from assignment to the 5th Armored Division and re-designated at Fort Knox, Kentucky as a training battalion. On 1 October, 1991, the battalion was again deactivated.

The current mission of the battalion begins with the creation, on 20 July, 1965, of Committee Group. This unit was activated at Fort Knox with the mission of providing training support to Initial Entry Training soldiers. On 2 March, 1986, Committee Group was re-designated as Training Group, the battalion was placed under the operational control of the 4th Training Brigade. On 30 July, 1993, Training Group was re-designated 3d Battalion, 81st Armored Regiment and attached to the 1st Armor Training Brigade.

On 15 September, 1997, the battalion accepted the attachment of the 233d Transportation Company (FORSCOM) from the 19th Engineer Battalion.

From 1 June 2004 through 30 April 2006 the battalion also had 3 Cavalry OSUT Troops attached: Golf, Hotel and India Troops from 6th Squadron, 15th Cavalry.

On 2 June, 2010, the battalion assumed command and control of Delta Company, Echo Company and the Ordnance Training Detachment thereby assuming the mission of advanced individual training for 91A and 91M and Marine Corps armor instructors.

On 1 OCT 2014 the BN was re-missioned under the 199th INF BDE during the MCOE re-organization to serve as the Army's very first PROVOST BN. A CO departed to 316 CAV, OTD, E CO, and the Marines were moved to 1-81AR, and C CO became a part of 194th AR BDE. The new Battalion formed from THE MCOE Band, B CO 3-81 AR missioned to oversee the Maneuver Captain Career Course, P TRP 316 CAV with the IMSO mission, and HHC MCoE.

In its many forms and under various designations, 3d Battalion, 81st Armored Regiment has a long and proud history of service to our Army in time of peace and war.