On 22 July 1885, the 7th Infantry Battalion was constituted in the California National Guard by consolidating existing companies in Los Angeles and San Diego.

The three regiments consisted of the three maneuver units of the 40th Infantry Division, which saw significant action in the Korean War in 1952.

On 1 October 2001, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry was ordered to active federal service in support of Operation Nobel Eagle, and deployed to Fort Huachucca Arizona to guard the Military Intelligence Training Center (which was also the alternate Pentagon following the attacks on 11 September 2001).

In early 2004, the 1st Battalion was mobilized for a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 01-02 as part of the 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team.

[8] The first battalion's Bravo Company (along with other attached battalion elements to specified active duty units) received a Valorous Unit Award for actions as part of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division in early 2005 as part of operations in support of Iraq's first elections after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

[9] In September 2005, the 2nd Battalion's Bravo Company was mobilized for a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In Iraq, Bravo Company was responsible for the security of more than 2,200 detainees at Baghdad Central Prison (formerly known as Abu Ghraib) until June 2006 when the camp was closed.

Upon the closure of the prison, it was then the responsibility of the unit to transport approximately 5,000 detainees to various holding facilities throughout Iraq.

In December 2006, Bravo Company demobilized at Fort Lewis, Washington before returning to San Diego, California.

[10][11][12] The second battalion's Bravo Company received one Iraq Campaign streamer with the following inscription: NATIONAL RESOLUTION.

Bravo Company also received a Meritorious Unit Commendation as part of the 43rd Military Police Brigade, Rhode Island Army National Guard.

[14] In August 2008, the first battalion was mobilized for a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 08-09 as part of the 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team.

After mobilization, the first battalion completed training in Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, and arrived in Iraq in October 2008.

The remainder of the first battalion performed a security force mission throughout Multi-National Division-North at COB Speicher near Tikrit, Iraq.

With the battalion's headquarters and headquarters company providing command and control, the three companies provided convoy security support to corps assets, which included coalition force operational moves, Kellogg, Brown and Root, and third country national logistical convoys.

In November 2009, the company departed Kosovo to conduct demobilization operations at Fort Lewis near Seattle, Washington and returned to California a few weeks later.