The 84th Division has a history that reaches back to Abraham Lincoln and the Black Hawk Indian War of 1832. The Division patch is a symbol of that legacy and shows an ax splitting a log for a rail fence -- hence the nickname "The Railsplitters."

Officially, the 84th Division was not formed until August 5, 1917, during World War I. At that time it was a combat infantry unit composed of men from the states of Wisconsin, Kentucky and Illinois. The new division trained for 13 months before it was sent to Europe. But instead of entering the fight as a unit, it was split up to provide replacement personnel for other units. Many individual members did become heroes during this period.

The Division was disbanded after World War I. It was not reactivated until, 1942, after the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II.

On November 10, 1944, the Division landed in France and was rushed to the front in Belgium. It was the first unit to smash the northern section of Germany?s dreaded Siegfreid Line.

When the German Army began its last great counter-offensive, the 84th Division again blocked the path. In freezing cold and snow, General Von Rundstedt threw the German Army at the 84th again and again. But the Division held its ground in what became known as "The Battle of the Bulge".

After the war, the 84th Division came home to Wisconsin, as part of the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1947, it was designated as an Airborne Reserve command. Later in 1959, it was redesignated as a Training Division for Infantry and Artillery. Its mission later included Armor and Artillery Training.

On January 21, 1991, a portion of the 84th Division (TNG) was mobilized in support of Operation Desert Storm. More than 500 Railsplitters reported to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, along with equipment and weapons systems to provide refresher training to several thousand reactivated Individual Ready Reservists. On March 22, 1991, after achieving tremendous success, the Railsplitters returned home.

As the result of a reorganization in 1993, the 84th Division (TNG) merged with the 85th Division (TNG) and expanded its area of operation to include Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa.

The 84th Division (Tng) provided refresher training in June 1994 for 41 Army Reservists who were deployed to the Sinai in 1995 as part of the U.S. contribution to the Multinational Force Observer (MFO) Sinai Peacekeeping Operations in Egypt from January through July 1995.

In April 1995 the Division become an Institutional Training division, again expanding its area of operation to include Wisconsin, Illinois Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska.

A subsequent reorganization in August 1995 expanded the traditional missions of the Division (IT) units to include peacetime and mobilization school training of individual soldiers. The reorganization also shifted the command and control of U.S. Army Reserve Forces Schools from the former Army Reserve Commands to the Divisions (IT). The 84th Division assumed responsibility for 14 USARF Schools in Region E, comprised of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

Meanwhile, the training model which matches mission to unit and individual soldier qualification has been implemented. Selected units perform initial entry training missions augmenting active forces at Forts Jackson, Knox and Sill. Others perform skill level 1 and 2 training at Ft. McCoy, WI, while others have participated in counterpart training at Ft. Hood, TX. The quality of the 84th Divisions support has consistently exceeded active components expectations. Last year, 13 Army Achievement Medals by the active component counterparts, and numerous letters of commendation - to a force of only 43 soldiers - was awarded as a result of the 84th Division support to its mobilization station, Ft. Hood, TX.

During the 90?s, the 84th Division has become an integral force at the U.S. Military Academy where soldiers wearing the Railsplitters patch regularly assist in training the best and brightest future officer of the Army. Both NCOs and Junior officers are sent by the 84th Division to train West Point Cadets in a variety of military subjects at the academy.

Today, the 84th Division headquarters is located in Milwaukee. The Division currently has seven brigades. Three brigades conduct initial entry training while the remaining four school brigades train in a wide variety of subject including; combat support MOS training, health services MOS training, and professional development training.