World War I, THE BEGINNING.
The 99th's original roots began on July 23, 1918, with the establishment of the Headquarters 99th Division at Camp Wheeler, Ga. Reconstituted on June 24, 1921, as the Headquarters Command 99th (Checkerboard) Division, it became part of the Organized Reserve in Pittsburgh. The 99th assumed a Military Police mission in January 1942.

World War II, HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Reorganized as the 99th Infantry Division in April 1942, the division went to Camp Van Dorn, Miss., in November 1942 for combat training. Moving overseas on troop ships, the 99th arrived in England on October 10, 1944, then proceeded to Aubel, Belgium. Its soldiers first saw action on November 9, 1944, while defending the Rhur River northern sector. The thinly dispersed 99th encountered heavier enemy resistance while probing along their 22 mile sector of the Siegfried Line in mid-December, 1944.

Three days later, at the onset of what would become known as the Battle of the Bulge, the 99th repelled the fierce Von Runstedt Attack. Although cut in two and partially surrounded, the stubborn 99th soldiers defended the crucial Elsenborn Ridge on the north shoulder of the Bulge against repeated, violent Germany attacks.

Now battle-seasoned, the 99th attacked toward the Monschau Forest. In March 1945, they crossed the Erft Canal to become the first infantry division to cross the famed Bridge at Remagen. After taking Gissen, it assaulted the final remnants of Nazi resistance in the Rhur Pocket.

With the fall of Iserlohn, the pocket collapsed, and the 99th continued forward, crossing both the Aithmuhl and Danube rivers before halting in Giessenhausen on VE Day. With the war in Europe over, the 99th conducted occupational duties until returning to America and inactivation on September 27, 1945.

Army Reserve Command, A NEW BEGINNING
Reactivated as the 99th U.S. Army Reserve Command on Dec 22, 1967, the 99th has since remained in the Army Reserve. While this reorganization of the entire Army Reserve was occurring, American involvement in Vietnam was escalating. There was no significant call-up of Reserve soldiers during Vietnam; however, units and individual soldiers of the 99th ARCOM served with distinction during the war. The 630th Transportation Company was activated on May 13, 1968, served 11 months in South Vietnam and returned home to Washington, Pa., in August 1969. While in Vietnam soldiers of the 630th earned two Purple Hearts and 14 Bronze Stars.

Units and members of the 99th were deployed to Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury in 1983 and in 1989 they were sent to Panama for Operation Just Cause.

Test Again, THE GULF
After Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, 22 99th RSC units with more than 2,000 soldiers deployed to Saudi Arabia, Europe and other locations. On February 25, 1991, during the last few hours of the Gulf War, a SCUD missile destroyed a barracks that housed members of the 99th Regional Support Command's 14th Quartermaster Detachment. In the single, most devastating attack on U.S. forces during that war, 29 soldiers died and 99 wounded. The 14th Quartermaster Detachment, from Greensburg, Pa., lost 13 soldiers and suffered 43 wounded.

The 99th's involvement in operations Desert Shield and Storm ended with the demobilization of the last unit on Sept. 21, 1991.

Since 1995, nearly 1,200 99th Regional Support Command soldiers have deployed in support of operations in Bosnia. In addition to units, individual soldiers have volunteered to fill shortfalls in the active Army.