25th Infantry Division (United States)

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25th Infantry Division
Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 25th Infantry Division; the overall shape represents a taro leaf, indicating the division's Hawaiian origin.
Founded	1941 (1941)
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Light infantry
Role	Jungle warfare
Size	Division
Part of	I Corps
Garrison/HQ	Schofield Barracks, Wahiawa, Hawaii
Nickname(s)	"Tropic Lightning" (Special Designation)
Motto(s)	"America’s Pacific Division"
Colors	Scarlet and yellow (the traditional colors of Hawaiian royalty)
Engagements	World War II Pacific War Pearl Harbor Guadalcanal New Georgia Luzon (1945) Korean War Pusan Perimeter Vietnam War Tet Offensive Global War on Terrorism Iraq War War in Afghanistan Operation Freedom's Sentinel Syrian Civil War Operation Inherent Resolve
Commanders
Commanding General	MG Marcus S. Evans
Command Sergeant Major	CSM Robert Haynie
Notable commanders	General J. Lawton Collins, 1942–1943 Lieutenant General William B. Kean, 1948–1951 Lieutenant General Samuel Tankersley Williams, 1952–1953 Lieutenant General Jonathan O. Seaman, 1960 General Frederick C. Weyand, 1964–1967 General James T. Hill, 1997–1999 Lieutenant General William E. Ward, 1999–2000 Lieutenant General Robert L. Caslen, 2008–2009
Insignia
Flag
Distinctive unit insignia 25th Infantry Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion
Combat service identification badge

The 25th Infantry Division (nicknamed "Tropic Lightning")^[1] is a United States Army division based at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. The division, which was activated on 1 October 1941 in Hawaii, conducts military operations primarily in the Asia-Pacific region. Its present deployment is composed of light infantry and aviation units. Tropic Lightning soldiers regularly train with other U.S. military branches to practice and maintain joint operations capabilities. The climate and terrain of the Pacific region demands Tropic Lightning soldiers be able to operate in physically demanding and harsh environments. In 2014, the division opened the Jungle Operations Training Center—the first such school in the Army since the closing of the old Jungle Warfare School at Fort Sherman, Panama Canal Zone. Joint operations and training with partner states herald a new chapter in the history of Tropic Lightning—America's Pacific Division.

The division was originally activated from Hawaii garrison units during World War II, slightly more than a month before the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor began the Pacific War. After spending almost a year training, it fought in the Allied counteroffensive during the Guadalcanal Campaign from December 1942, helping to end organized Japanese resistance on that island by early February 1943. The 25th spent a period garrisoning the island, then moved on to fight in the New Georgia Campaign in July. After the Japanese defeat in the latter, it was sent to New Zealand later that year for rest and training, before moving to New Caledonia for further training. The division returned to combat in the January 1945 invasion of Luzon, reducing Japanese resistance on the island until late June, after which it was pulled out of the line for training. The division then served in the occupation of Japan after the surrender of the latter from September 1945.

When the Korean War began in June 1950, the division was deployed to South Korea, where it fought in the defense of and the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter in mid-1950, with elements advancing as far as the Amnok River in November. After being thrown back by the Chinese Communist intervention in the war, the division eventually took up positions south of Osan. It participated in a series of United Nations counteroffensives in early 1951, then fought in a stalemate close to the 38th parallel from the middle of the year. The division defended Seoul against Chinese Communist attack from May 1953 to the July armistice, returning to Hawaii in late 1954.

After undergoing major reorganizations in 1957 and 1963 to adapt to changing tactics, the division deployed to South Vietnam to fight in the Vietnam War between late 1965 and early 1966. The 25th served in Vietnam until its withdrawal back to Hawaii in 1970–1971, participating in Operation Attleboro, Operation Cedar Falls, Operation Junction City, the Battle of Saigon during the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive, and the Cambodian Incursion. It was reorganized as a light infantry division in 1985, and elements have participated in the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan.