History:
Division East traces its lineage through First Army, America’s first numbered Army, activated in 1918 with service in World Wars I and II; mobilized and deployed Soldiers for the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and post-9/11 Global War on Terror; and supported relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
On January 16, 2006, First Army’s mission expanded to include training, readiness oversight, and mobilization of all Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve units within the Continental United States and two U.S. Territories. First Army reorganized into two subordinate multi-component Headquarters, Division East and Division West.
Department of the Army Permanent Order 156-7 established Division East to provide training and readiness oversight for an area of responsibility spanning 27 States and Territories. On March 7th, 2007, Division East was activated and headquartered at Fort Meade, MD, consisting of ten Brigades: 4th CAV, Fort Knox, KY; 205th IN, Camp Atterbury, IN; 181st IN, Fort McCoy, WI; 174th IN, Fort Drum, NY; 72nd FA, Fort Meade, MD; 189th IN, Fort Bragg, NC; 157th IN, Fort Jackson, SC; 158th IN, Patrick Air Force Base, FL; 188th IN, Fort Stewart, GA; and 177th AR, Camp Shelby, MS.
In 2015, First Army reorganized under Operation Bold Shift and transitioned Division East from a Brigade Combat Team-centric organization to a Combined Arms Training Brigade (CATB) and Multi-Functional Training Brigade (MFTB) composite formation. The ten Brigades consolidated into the five current Brigades: 4th CAV (MFTB), Fort Knox, KY; 157th IN (CATB), re-stationed to Camp Atterbury, IN; 174th IN (CATB), re-stationed to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ; 188th IN (CATB), Fort Stewart, GA; and 177th AR (CATB), Camp Shelby, MS. Reorganization enhanced Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve partnerships enabling the enduring task of increasing pre-mobilization readiness to reduce post-mobilization training time prior to deployment. The reorganization concluded in June 2016 with the relocation of Division East Headquarters to Fort Knox, KY.
The Division East mission is to advise and assist our Reserve Component partners to generate Total Army Readiness. On order, Division East initiates and executes Mobilization Force Generation Installation (MFGI) expansion to meet National mobilization requirements. Division East Observer, Coach/Trainer (OC/T) teams have enabled increased readiness in Reserve Component partners for deployments to Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel, and Inherent Resolve; and missions to the Horn of Africa, Guantanamo Bay, the Southern U.S. border, and air defense of the National Capitol Region.
Today, Division East is a multi-component Division comprised of 3,762 Active Duty, U.S. Army Reserve, and Army National Guard Soldiers and DA Civilians organized into five geographically dispersed Brigades with a total of 53 Active Component, U.S. Army Reserve, and Army National Guard Battalions.