United States Army 86th Infantry Division (Blackhawk)

U. S. ARMY 86TH INFANTRY (BLACKHAWK DIVISION) - The 86th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II.  Currently called the 86th Training Division, based at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, members of the division now work with Active Army, Reserve, and National Guard units to provide them with a Decisive Action Training Environment on a yearly basis.

The division was nicknamed the "Black Hawk Division," named after the Sauk Leader Chief Black Hawk.  Frederic McLaughlin, was a commander with the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division during World War I.   In 1926, McLaughlin would be granted a franchise by the National Hockey League, which he would put in his home town of Chicago.  He named the team the Chicago Black Hawks after the unit.

World War I

The division saw no combat in World War I. It was activated August  25, 1917 at Camp Grant in Rockford, Illinois, went overseas in August 1918, returned to the United States in November 1918, and was deactivated in January 1919.

World War II

• Activated:  December 15, 1942
• Overseas:  February 19, 1945, for the ETO; August 24, 1945, for the Pacific
• Campaigns: Central Europe
• Days of combat: 34
• Awards: DSC-2 ; DSM-1 ; SS-12 ; LM-1; SM-1 ; BSM282 ; AM-2
• Deactivated:  December 30, 1946 on Leyte, Philippine Islands

WWII Casualties

• Total battle casualties: 785
• Killed in action: 136
• Wounded in action: 615
• Missing in action: 12
• Prisoner of war: 19

The 86th was redesignated as the HQ's 86th Training Brigade on Feb 11, 2009 and activated at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin on September 16, 2010. Shortly after its reactivation, on September 18, 2010, it was redesignated as Headquarters 86th Training Division.