First Army (United States)

First Army
Combat service identification badge of the First United States Army.
Active	August 10, 1918 – April 20, 1919 September 8, 1932 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Security operations
Role	Training support
Size	Field army
Part of	United States Army Forces Command
Garrison/HQ	Rock Island Arsenal Rock Island County, Illinois, U.S.
Nickname(s)	Doughboys
Motto(s)	First In Deed
Anniversaries	10 August 1918
Engagements	World War I World War II
Website	Official website
Commanders
Current commander	Lieutenant General Stephen Twitty
Notable commanders	John J. Pershing Omar Bradley Courtney Hodges
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia
Flag

The First Army is the oldest and longest established field army of the United States Army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, under some of the most famous and distinguished officers of the U.S. Army. It now serves as a mobilization, readiness and training command.

First Army was established on 10 August 1918 as a field army when sufficient American military manpower had arrived in France during World War I. As an element of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in the latter stages of World War I it was the first of three field armies established under the AEF. Serving in its ranks were many figures who later played important roles in World War II. First Army was inactivated in April 1919.

As part of an army reorganization and final realization of the 1920 amendment to the National Defense Act of 1916, Army Chief of Staff, General Douglas MacArthur directed the establishment of four field armies that each commanded three corps areas that were geographically located. The field armies were established to provide organizational structure for large military organizations that might be mobilized in time of national need.

First Army was located in the northeast United States and was activated on 11 September 1933 at Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York. Initially activated as a paper army, it was commanded by General Dennis E. Nolan. Until 1942, First Army's commander was always the senior commander of one of its three corps areas. The First Corps Area was headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Second Corps Area was headquartered at Fort Jay, Governors Island, in New York, New York, and Third Corps Area was located at Fort Howard (Maryland) near Baltimore, Maryland. Since First Army was only a paper organization in its early days, its staff was the existing staff of the corps areas. The overall mission of the First Army was commanding and training regular army, army reserve and national guard units in the three corps areas.