[1] The War Department established the 76th Division on 5 August 1917, to be organized at Camp Devens, Ayer, Massachusetts; drafts anticipated for 1917, from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, furnished the division's first enlisted personnel.

On 25 August, Major General Harry F. Hodges assumes command of the division, and the program for the movement of Selective Service men to camps is announced.

On 14 July 1918, the 76th Division, less the 151st Field Artillery Brigade, 301st Engineers and Train, and 301st Field Signal Battalion, was designated as a depot division, reduced to a cadre strength and used to receive, equip, train, and forward replacements and hospital returnees to combat units of the American Expeditionary Forces.

The headquarters was subsequently relocated on 18 January 1928 to Room 411, Donaghue Building at 535 Main Street in Hartford, and finally to the Federal Building at Church and High Streets on 28 February 1933, and remained there until activated for World War II.

This slow progression was due, in part, to the small number of ROTC programs located in the First Corps Area from which the division could draw its officers.

After a period of service as a replacement division that held and processed men for assignment to other units or overseas from October 1942 to March 1943, intensive training began on 12 April 1943.

Four exercises were conducted during which the 385th Infantry Regiment (headquartered in Pori, Michigan, opposed the division as an enemy force.

In November 1944, trains headed to Camp Myles Standish in Taunton, Massachusetts for staging before transport to Europe.

The remainder of the division sailed from Boston on 10 December 1944 aboard the Coast Guard operated transport SS Richardson.

It landed at Le Havre, France, 12 January 1945, and proceeded to the Limesy concentration area.

The Division moved to Beine east of Reims and then to Champlon, Belgium, 23 January, to prepare for combat.

Katzenkopf fortress and Irrel fell on 28 February and the attack pushed on toward Trier, reaching the Moselle, 3 March.

The attack continued in conjunction with the 6th Armored Division; Langensalza fell and the Gera River was crossed, 11 April.

Medal of Honor: Distinguished Service Cross: Legion of Merit: The 76th Division was reconstituted in October 1946 and reactivated in November of that year as a part of the Organized Reserve, and was headquartered in West Hartford, Connecticut.

In Operation Onaway Eagle, elements of the division successfully conducted Basic Combat Training for hundreds of new soldiers.

As part of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the 1205th Transportation Railway Services Unit (later 1205th Transportation Railway Operating Battalion), based in Middletown, CT, was mobilized to augment civilian railway employees at Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, a U.S. Army munitions outport located just south of Wilmington, NC, bringing in tons of explosives by rail to the secure port for shipment to the war zone.

The commander at the time was BG John G Pappas, who served in this position from 1 Oct 1994 until 9 Sept 1996.

In February 2013, Major General Daniel York sought a historical designation for a new command being stood up in the Army Reserve.

The 76th Division was reactivated as the 76th USAR Operational Response Command (ORC) and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Their mission is to provide operational engagement packages and joint enabling capabilities for homeland response, cyber defense, legal support, information operations, and global force space enhancement requirements to combatant, unified, Joint and Department of Defense Agency Commanders.

The command is made up of over 6,000 soldiers with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and select locations in Europe.