First appearance during World War I

Even though the armor branch of the U.S. Army was established during World War I to restore mobility to the battlefield, its roots can be seen in the first cavalry regiments. General Pershing authorized the creation of the United States Tank Corps in 1917. Led by Brigadier General Samuel D Rockenbach, American armored warfare began in 1918. Following the end of the War, the Tank Corps was deactivated in 1920 and its soldiers reassigned to  the  67^th Infantry  Regiment.

The First Battalion and the Armored Force

In 1940, the U.S. Army made a pivotal move on July 10th by reestablishing the Armored Force to oversee all its tank units. in infantry and armored divisions. Major General Adna R. Chaffee Jr. was instrumental in its formation, and drove  the progress and deployment of tanks within the U.S. Army.

During this period, the first American armored division was formed using the WW I U.S. Tank Corps as a blueprint in which  Captain George S. Patton played  an essential role. He continued this role in its evolution as the famous General Patton  throughout World War II.

World War II and Later Years

During World War II, the U.S. Army’s tank regiments saw action on multiple fronts. Notably, on December 22, 1941, the 192nd Tank Battalion came into contact with Japanese tanks from the Imperial Japanese Army’s 4th Tank Regiment, making them the first American unit to engage in tank-to-tank battle with enemy armor. This marked a significant milestone in the evolution of armored warfare.

The armor branch of the U.S. Army kept developing in response to shifting combat situations. The Armored Center eventually replaced the Armored Command, which had its headquarters at Fort Knox, Kentucky. In 2010, the Armor Center transferred to Fort Benning (Fort Moore), Georgia where it remains today. The US Army Armor School  provides armor officers, warrant officers, noncommissioned officers, and enlisted specialists with training and education.

Historical and Current Units

Despite the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in July 1991, one battalion from the original 77^th Armor Regiment remains an active unit. This legacy also demonstrates the continuing need for armored forces in modern warfare. The  US Army’s Armor Branch was originally designated as a combat arms branch, but it is now integrated into a mechanized combined arms team delivering the shock effect of overwhelming firepower and maneuver  to an enemy.

Therefore, remember that long heritage stretching back from the U.S. Tank Corps of the Great War to today’s armed forces the next time you glimpse a hulking behemoth rolling along a training area or hear a tank’s thundering engine engines as it passes. Military history was forever changed by the birth of the armored warrior, and now you know how it happened.

Recall that the legacy of the armored soldiers of yesterday and today endures because they contribute whenever and wherever they are needed.