28th Infantry Division (United States) - Post World War II Service

Post World War II Service

The 28th Infantry Division has continued to serve the nation as part of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

After being inactivated as part of the Army in December 1945, it was reorganized in 1946 and returned to the Pennsylvania National Guard. Following the outbreak of the Korean War, it was recalled to active duty. The Division re-opened the mothballed Camp Atterbury, Indiana and remained there from 13 September 1950 to 23 November 1951. It was sent to Germany to augment NATO forces in Germany and returned to National Guard status in 1954.

The Division was not mobilized during the Vietnam War, although in 1965 it was selected as one of three divisions in the Army Selective Reserve Force. Nor was it mobilized in force for Operation Desert Storm in 1991; however, the 121st Transportation Company, one of its constituent units, served in Saudi Arabia and volunteers from the Division were deployed overseas, some in the Middle East.

In 1996, after the signing of the Dayton Agreement, some units of the divisional artillery were called up to serve as peacekeeping forces in Bosnia; elements of the 28th served in Bosnia as peacekeepers for several years following this. In 2002, the 28th Division took command of the Northern Brigade Task Force (Task Force Eagle), as part of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Bosnia as part of SFOR 12. The leading combat arms units under the 28th while in Bosnia were the 109th Infantry and the 104th Cavalry. The division was the third reserve component division headquarters to take on this role in Bosnia (previously the Army National Guard's 49th and 29th Divisions had commanded Task Force Eagle).

In 2003, the 28th Division again led the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo as part of KFOR 5A for a 9-month rotation. The 28th was the first reserve component division headquarters to take on this role in Kosovo. Later in 2005, elements of the 28th Division would again return to Kosovo as part of KFOR 6B, the first year-long rotation by U.S. troops to the region.

During the "Global War on Terror" following the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US the Keystone Division has provided troops for Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Noble Eagle and – most significantly – several thousand troops for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Company A, 28th Signal Battalion deployed to Iraq in February 2004. The 1st Battalion, 103rd Armor and 1st Battalion, 107th Field Artillery deployed to Iraq in January 2004. The division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq for a year-long rotation in July 2005. Elements of the division would again return in 2006 and revolving deployments to Iraq seem likely in the future. The 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) deployed in 2008 to Iraq. The Combat Aviation Brigade, 28th Infantry Division deployed to Iraq in May 2009.