1st Brigade (US 1st Infantry Division)
Encyclopedia
The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division ("Devil Brigade") is the oldest permanent brigade in the United States Army and has some of the oldest units in the United States Army. HHC, 1st Brigade has participated in Campaigns of World War I, Vietnam, Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Its most notable campaigns include the Aisne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, Picardy, Tet Counteroffensive and the Liberation and Defense of Kuwait. Since Desert Storm, the "Devil" Brigade participated in numerous rotations to the National Training Center, deployments to Bosnia, Kuwait and a deployment to Korea to participate in a 2nd Infantry Division exercise. On 23 July 2003, US Forces Command alerted the 1st Brigade Combat Team for deployment to the Iraq Theater of Operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
on Staten Island
, New York as part of the 1st Infantry Division until 11 October 1939, when it was inactivated when the Division was converted to a Triangular Table of Organization and Equipment.
Theater of Operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Brigade deployed its main body starting on 2 September, closing in Kuwait
by 11 September. Initially attached to the 82nd Airborne Division, the brigade occupied Area of Operations Topeka and conducted Transition of Authority with the 3rd Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, on 26 September. On 20 March 2004, CJTF-7 attached 1st Brigade to the 1st Marine Division to continue its offensive operations in AO Topeka.
In the following twelve months, the brigade's offensive operations killed 541 insurgents, wounded 101 more, and detained over 2,081 enemy fighters, including the capture of 18 High Value Targets and 20 foreign fighters. The brigade responded to hundreds of small arms and RPG engagements, as well as over 550 IED (improvised explosive device
) attacks. In order to disrupt the enemy's ability to conduct operations, the brigade captured 41 heavy machine gun
s, 175 RPG
launchers, 3,134 mortar
and artillery
rounds, 1,781 rocket
s, and 17 surface-to-air missiles. In addition to combat operations, the brigade formed and trained the 60th Iraqi National Guard Brigade, including the 500th, 501st, and 502nd ING Battalions. 1st Brigade also sponsored over $23.8 million dollars in civil projects in the Al Anbar province. The BCT returned to Fort Riley
in September 2004.
In January 2005 the 1st Brigade was again called upon to prepare for deployment for OIF. The brigade spent the majority of 2005 refitting and training for deployment in fall 2005. This training culminated with the brigade's deployment to the Joint Readiness Training Center in August and September 2005.
In January 2006 the 1st Brigade received a mission change and began restructuring in order to better train Military Transition Teams for their deployment.
Several Security Force Companies, or SECFOR companies, began preparing to deploy to Iraq in the fall of 2006.
On 23 September 2009, the brigade officially moved the Military Transition Team mission to Fort Polk, LA and stood up as a deployable Heavy Brigade Combat Team.
World War I
Headquarters and Headquarters Company was constituted 24 May 1917 into the Regular Army as Headquarters, 1st Brigade, an element of the 1st Expeditionary Division (later redesignated as the 1st Infantry Division).Commanders 1st Infantry Brigade
- 1917
- 9 June COL Omar BundyOmar BundyOmar Bundy was a U.S. Army general who participated in the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War in Cuba, fought in the Philippine Insurrection and the Moro Expedition, and commanded a regiment on the Mexican border...
- 28 June BG Omar BundyOmar BundyOmar Bundy was a U.S. Army general who participated in the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War in Cuba, fought in the Philippine Insurrection and the Moro Expedition, and commanded a regiment on the Mexican border...
- 25 August COL Ulysses G. McAlexander (ad interim)
- 30 August BG Omar BundyOmar BundyOmar Bundy was a U.S. Army general who participated in the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War in Cuba, fought in the Philippine Insurrection and the Moro Expedition, and commanded a regiment on the Mexican border...
- 8 September BG George B. DuncanGeorge B. DuncanGeorge Brand Duncan was a military officer in the United States Army, rising to the rank of Major General.-Military career:...
- 1918
- 16 January COL John L. HinesJohn L. HinesJohn Leonard Hines was an American soldier who served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army from 1924 to 1926.-Biography:...
(ad interim) - 21 January BG George B. DuncanGeorge B. DuncanGeorge Brand Duncan was a military officer in the United States Army, rising to the rank of Major General.-Military career:...
- 5 May BG John L. HinesJohn L. HinesJohn Leonard Hines was an American soldier who served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army from 1924 to 1926.-Biography:...
- 27 August BG Frank ParkerFrank Parker (general)Frank Parker was a Major General in the United States Army.-Early life:Frank Parker was born September 21, 1872 in Georgetown County, South Carolina. He attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1894, after which he served in the Spanish American War in 1898 and Puerto Rico, 1899-1900...
- 18 October COL Hjalmar Erickson (ad interim)
- 21 November BG Frank ParkerFrank Parker (general)Frank Parker was a Major General in the United States Army.-Early life:Frank Parker was born September 21, 1872 in Georgetown County, South Carolina. He attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1894, after which he served in the Spanish American War in 1898 and Puerto Rico, 1899-1900...
- 20 December COL Charles A. Hunt (ad interim)
- 1919
- 5 January BG Frank ParkerFrank Parker (general)Frank Parker was a Major General in the United States Army.-Early life:Frank Parker was born September 21, 1872 in Georgetown County, South Carolina. He attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1894, after which he served in the Spanish American War in 1898 and Puerto Rico, 1899-1900...
- 12 January COL Charles A. Hunt (ad interim)
- 17 January BG Frank ParkerFrank Parker (general)Frank Parker was a Major General in the United States Army.-Early life:Frank Parker was born September 21, 1872 in Georgetown County, South Carolina. He attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1894, after which he served in the Spanish American War in 1898 and Puerto Rico, 1899-1900...
- 27 January COL William F. Harrell (ad interim)
- 29 January BG Frank ParkerFrank Parker (general)Frank Parker was a Major General in the United States Army.-Early life:Frank Parker was born September 21, 1872 in Georgetown County, South Carolina. He attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1894, after which he served in the Spanish American War in 1898 and Puerto Rico, 1899-1900...
- 16 February COL Charles A. Hunt (ad interim)
- 29 March BG Frank ParkerFrank Parker (general)Frank Parker was a Major General in the United States Army.-Early life:Frank Parker was born September 21, 1872 in Georgetown County, South Carolina. He attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1894, after which he served in the Spanish American War in 1898 and Puerto Rico, 1899-1900...
- 1 April COL Charles A. Hunt (ad interim)
- 11 April BG Frank ParkerFrank Parker (general)Frank Parker was a Major General in the United States Army.-Early life:Frank Parker was born September 21, 1872 in Georgetown County, South Carolina. He attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1894, after which he served in the Spanish American War in 1898 and Puerto Rico, 1899-1900...
- 25 April COL Charles A. Hunt (ad interim)
- 7 May LTC Edward R. Coppock (ad interim)
- 9 May LTC William F. Hoey (ad interim)
- 13 May BG Frank ParkerFrank Parker (general)Frank Parker was a Major General in the United States Army.-Early life:Frank Parker was born September 21, 1872 in Georgetown County, South Carolina. He attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1894, after which he served in the Spanish American War in 1898 and Puerto Rico, 1899-1900...
- 8 July COL William W. McCammonWilliam W. McCammonWilliam Wallace McCammon was a soldier in the Union Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
(ad Interim) - 18 July BG Frank ParkerFrank Parker (general)Frank Parker was a Major General in the United States Army.-Early life:Frank Parker was born September 21, 1872 in Georgetown County, South Carolina. He attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1894, after which he served in the Spanish American War in 1898 and Puerto Rico, 1899-1900...
- 21 July COL William W. McCammonWilliam W. McCammonWilliam Wallace McCammon was a soldier in the Union Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
(ad interim) - 24 July to 3 September BG Frank ParkerFrank Parker (general)Frank Parker was a Major General in the United States Army.-Early life:Frank Parker was born September 21, 1872 in Georgetown County, South Carolina. He attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1894, after which he served in the Spanish American War in 1898 and Puerto Rico, 1899-1900...
World War II
The 1st Infantry Brigade was stationed at Fort WadsworthFort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth is a former United States military installation on Staten Island in New York City, situated on The Narrows which divide New York Bay into Upper and Lower halves, a natural point for defense of the Upper Bay and Manhattan beyond. Prior to closing in 1994 it claimed to be the longest...
on Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, New York as part of the 1st Infantry Division until 11 October 1939, when it was inactivated when the Division was converted to a Triangular Table of Organization and Equipment.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
On 23 July 2003, US Army Forces Command alerted the 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT) for deployment to the IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
Theater of Operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Brigade deployed its main body starting on 2 September, closing in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
by 11 September. Initially attached to the 82nd Airborne Division, the brigade occupied Area of Operations Topeka and conducted Transition of Authority with the 3rd Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, on 26 September. On 20 March 2004, CJTF-7 attached 1st Brigade to the 1st Marine Division to continue its offensive operations in AO Topeka.
In the following twelve months, the brigade's offensive operations killed 541 insurgents, wounded 101 more, and detained over 2,081 enemy fighters, including the capture of 18 High Value Targets and 20 foreign fighters. The brigade responded to hundreds of small arms and RPG engagements, as well as over 550 IED (improvised explosive device
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
) attacks. In order to disrupt the enemy's ability to conduct operations, the brigade captured 41 heavy machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s, 175 RPG
Rocket propelled grenade
A rocket-propelled grenade is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system which fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable while others are single-use. RPGs, with the exception of...
launchers, 3,134 mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
rounds, 1,781 rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s, and 17 surface-to-air missiles. In addition to combat operations, the brigade formed and trained the 60th Iraqi National Guard Brigade, including the 500th, 501st, and 502nd ING Battalions. 1st Brigade also sponsored over $23.8 million dollars in civil projects in the Al Anbar province. The BCT returned to Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
in September 2004.
In January 2005 the 1st Brigade was again called upon to prepare for deployment for OIF. The brigade spent the majority of 2005 refitting and training for deployment in fall 2005. This training culminated with the brigade's deployment to the Joint Readiness Training Center in August and September 2005.
In January 2006 the 1st Brigade received a mission change and began restructuring in order to better train Military Transition Teams for their deployment.
Several Security Force Companies, or SECFOR companies, began preparing to deploy to Iraq in the fall of 2006.
On 23 September 2009, the brigade officially moved the Military Transition Team mission to Fort Polk, LA and stood up as a deployable Heavy Brigade Combat Team.