Its missions included garrisoning frontier posts, fighting Native Americans, protecting roadways against bandits, guarding the border between the United States and Mexico.

At the climactic Battle of San Juan Hill under the command of Emerson H. Liscum, supported by intensive fire from the Gatling Gun Detachment, units of the 24th Infantry accompanied by elements of the 6th and 13th Infantry Regiments, assaulted and seized the Spanish-held blockhouse and trench system atop San Juan Hill.

Company B arrived on 3 April 1899 at Vancouver Barracks, the first African American regiment to serve as part of the garrison there.

Though the 24th fought a number of battles in the Philippines, one of the most notable occurred on 7 December 1899, when nine soldiers from the regiment routed 100 guerrillas from their trenches.

When it did, the 24th joined the "Punitive Expedition" under General Pershing and entered Mexico to fight Pancho Villa's forces.

In 1919, rebels and troops of the Mexican government fought in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, which borders the U.S. city of El Paso, Texas.

During the nadir of American race relations and just months after America's entry into World War I, the soldiers of this historic all-black unit had been dispatched to guard the construction of Camp Logan, a military facility in Harris County, where they met animosity from local white civilians.

Sergeant Vida Henry of I Company, 3rd Battalion led about 150 black soldiers in a two-hour march on Houston because they had suffered racial discrimination in the city.

When the soldiers killed Captain J. W. Mattes of the Illinois National Guard (after mistaking him for a local policeman), the battalion fell into disarray.

"After a thorough review, the Board has found that these Soldiers were wrongly treated because of their race and were not given fair trials," said Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth.

It was transferred 12 June 1919 to Camp Owen Biernie, Texas, to protect El Paso from a Villista incursion from Juarez, Mexico.

During World War II, the 24th Infantry fought in the South Pacific Theatre as a separate regiment.

Deploying on 4 April 1942 from the San Francisco Port of Embarkation, the regiment arrived on Efate in the New Hebrides Islands on 4 May 1942.

[6] A Company was sent to Espirto Santo to clear jungle with the 3rd Naval Construction Battalion Detachment building an airfield at Turtle Bay.

Despite the desegregation of the U.S. armed forces in 1948 by Executive Order 9981, the 24th Infantry remained predominantly African–American, with an officer corps of both African and European Americans.

The regiment also had three posthumous Medal of Honor recipients: Cornelius H. Charlton, Ray E. Duke and William Thompson.

[8] The cases of Lieutenant Leon Gilbert, court martialed for refusing an order from the 24th's commanding officer (who was white), and of some other members of the 24th, helped bring greater attention to problems of segregation and discrimination within the U.S. military.

The landing at Inchon by U.S. and ROK forces on 15 September finally compelled the KPA to withdraw from the Pusan Perimeter.

The 25th Division remained in South Korea until ordered north in late November to participate in the Home by Christmas offensive.

[2]: 216 Although the 24th performed well in the attack north of the Han and the subsequent general withdrawal of the Eighth Army after the Chinese Spring Offensive of 1951, its reputation was somewhat tarnished.

In September 1950, the 24th's division commander, Gen. William B. Kean, requested that it be disbanded because it was "untrustworthy and incapable of carrying out missions expected of an infantry regiment."

The battalion HQ was primarily stationed at FOB Lagman in Zabul Province with companies co-located and dispersed north and south.

The 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment deployed once again to Iraq (and some elements later to Syria under U.S. Army Special Forces) under 1/25 SBCT in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in 2019-2020.