III Corps is a formation of the United States Army Forces Command headquartered in Texas at Fort Hood. The corps was originally activated at the beginning of World War 1 and was deployed to France as part of the American Expeditionary Force. They were charged with overseeing US forces training with the French Seventh Army as the divisions defended against several German offensives and conducted operations in Germany. Like many Corps activated for the first World War, III Corps was deactivated at the end of the war.
Between the two World Wars, III Corps was reactivated and began training US Army units for combat. They continued their training responsibilities after World War 2 began and were eventually deployed to the European Theater. The corps participated in numerous major engagements including campaigns in Northern France, Rhineland, and throughout Central Europe. In addition to their action in Normandy and along the German-Austrian border, they were responsible for relieving the surrounded 101st Airborne Division at the Battle of the Bulge. III Corps would go on to be an important training unit for the Army over the next five decades, sending troops overseas for the Korean and Vietnam Wars and providing support during the Cold War.
After the Cold War, III Corps took on the primary role of a counteroffensive force and units would go on to serve in Grenada, Honduras, Kuwait, and Iraq. Two Cavalry Brigades were deployed to Iraq during Operation Desert Shield while other units provided support for humanitarian efforts in Somalia and Bosnia. By 2001, the corps was comprised of the 1st Cavalry Division, 4th Infantry Division, and the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. As part of the US Army realignment initiative, the corps would also take command of the 1st Infantry Division and the 1st Armored Division. But it wouldn’t be until 2004 that the III Corps itself would see combat since World War 2.
In 2004 III Corps was deployed to Iraq under the Operation Iraqi Freedom campaign. The corps took over command of the Multi-National Corps headquarters overseeing around 2,500 troops and remained until 2005. In 2007, the corps would return to Iraq to again take command of the Multi-National Corps headquarters for the next 15 months. They would end up taking command of the largest force to date during the Iraq War Troop Surge while continuing to provide training and support under the Multi-National Force Iraq initiative.
Over the next few years, III Corps would participate in training initiatives with the Republic of Korea Army as part of Operation Key Resolve in 2009 and return to Iraq in 2010 for its final mission there. The corps would be deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 to assume the position of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command. They remained in Afghanistan in charge of the daily operations throughout the country until they headed up the decrease in U.S. Forces in 2014. The corps returned to Fort Hood and wouldn’t be deployed again until mid 2017 when part of the corps was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.