48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Macon Volunteers") is a modular infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

 brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

 of the Georgia Army National Guard
Georgia Army National Guard
The Georgia Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Georgia National Guard, administratively part of the Georgia Department of Defense. It consists of more than 11,100 Citizen-Soldiers training in more than 79 hometown armories and regional facilities across the state...

.

One of the oldest units in US Army history, the lineage of the 48th Infantry Brigade can be traced back to 1825. It is one of few units in the US Military that also saw service as a unit of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

 during the US Civil War.

Background

The 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was originally organized on 23 April 1825, at Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...

 as the "Macon Volunteers, Georgia Volunteer Militia". It mustered into Federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...

 service on 18 February 1836, at Picolata, Florida, as "Captain Seymor's Company, 1st Battalion Georgia Volunteers".

The unit was brought into Confederate service on 20 April 1861 at Macon, and was reorganized and redesignated on 22 April 1861 as Company D, 2nd Battalion, Georgia Infantry. Surrendered 9 April 1865 at Appomattox, Virginia.

It reorganized on 11 April 1872 as the Macon Volunteers, and reorganized and redesignated 15 June 1874 as Company B, 2nd Battalion. It reorganized and redesignated on 23 January 1891 as Company B, 2nd Infantry Regiment. Mustered into federal service 11–14 May 1898 at Griffin, Georgia as Company F, 1st Georgia Volunteer Infantry; and mustered out of service on 18 November 1898 at Macon, Georgia and resumed state status as Company B, 2nd Infantry Regiment. The unit was redesignated on 21 December 1899, as Georgia State Troopers; and on 1 October 1905 as the Georgia National Guard
Georgia National Guard
The Georgia National Guard is the National Guard of the U.S state of Georgia consists of the Georgia Army National Guard and the Georgia Air National Guard...

. The unit was drafted into federal service in August 1917 as Company B, 151st Machine Gun Battalion, an element of the 42nd Division. It demobilized in May 1919 at Camp Gordon, Georgia.

The unit was reorganized and federally recognized 29 November 1920 in the Georgia National Guard at Macon, Georgia as Company H, 1st Infantry. Redesignated 8 March 1921 as Company B, 1st Infantry. Redesignated 1 July 1922 as Company B, 122nd Infantry.

It was reorganized and redesignated on 28 November 1922 as Headquarters Company, 59th Infantry Brigade, an element of the 30th Division. It was inducted into federal service on 16 September 1940 at Macon, and was and redesignated on 16 February 1942 as the 30th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop while remaining assigned to the 30th Infantry Division. It was redesignated 11 August 1943 as the 30th Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized. It was deactivated on 17 November 1945 at Fort Jackson
Fort Jackson
Fort Jackson can refer to several places or things:*Fort Jackson , also called Fort Toulouse, a War of 1812 fort*Fort Jackson , a frontier trading post located near present-day Ione, Colorado...

, South Carolina.

From 1945 to 1973, the Brigade underwent a series of redesignations culminating in its current form, the 48th Infantry Brigade. It reorganized and was federally recognized 12 December 1946 as Headquarters Company, 121st Infantry, an element of the 48th Infantry Division. Converted and redesignated 1 November 1955 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Combat Command B, 48th Armored Division. Reorganized and redesignated 16 April 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 48th Armored Division. Converted and redesignated 1 January 1968 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Brigade, 30th Infantry Division. It consolidated on 1 December 1973 with the 182nd Military Police Company and the consolidated unit was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 48th Infantry Brigade.

The unit was inducted into Federal service on 30 November 1990 at Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily in Liberty County and Bryan County, but also extending into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties in Georgia, USA. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census...

, GA. That year, more than 4,500 members of the unit were mobilized to participate in Operation Desert Storm. The unit successfully completed training conducted at the Army's National Training Center in California, and was first and only National Guard combat brigade validated as combat ready for the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

. The conflict ended before the brigade was employed in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

. It subsequently demobilized on 10 April 1991 at Fort Stewart.

In June 1999, the 48th Infantry Brigade (Enhanced) (Mechanized) became part of the newly re-flagged 24th Infantry Division. In 2006, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated and the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team became part of the 35th Infantry Division, headquartered at Fort Leavenworth, KS.

The unit also has a training associate relationship with the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized).

Bosnia

Elements of the 48th Infantry Brigade deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

 for Stabilization Force (SFOR) Rotation 9 to provide support operations for Task Force Eagle (United States contingent to United Nations Operations in support of Dayton Peace Accord). The SFOR9 rotation was scheduled from April to October 2001. The Georgia units were mobilized under a Presidential Selective Reserve Call Up. While other National Guard units have participated in the Bosnia operations in the past, the 48th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) was among the first National Guard combat units of this size and capability to take over such a large and significant portion of the mission.

Iraq

In October 2004 the 48th Infantry Brigade was notified that it would be mobilized into federal service in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Elements of the brigade began mobilizing in December 2004 at Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily in Liberty County and Bryan County, but also extending into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties in Georgia, USA. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census...

, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, with the remainder of the brigade entering federal service in early January 2005. The brigade completed five months of training, including a rotation at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California and was validated as combat-ready.

In May 2005 the unit began deploying to Iraq
Iraq
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....

 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom III (the third major U.S. military rotation of forces into the area of operations) and experienced some of the fiercest combat actions in the campaign. The brigade was assigned to Multi-National Division – Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...

 (MND-B) under the control of the 3rd Infantry Division and was responsible for a sector of southwest Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...

, nicknamed the Triangle of Death. It replaced the 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. The brigade was headquartered at Camp Stryker
Camp Striker
Camp Striker is one of several logistical and life support bases on Victory Base Complex, Iraq .Amenities on Camp Striker include a Burger King, Pizza Hut and Green Beans Coffee cafe, as well as an AAFES PX and several third-party markets. The Dining Facility is purported to be the second largest...

, part of the Victory Base Complex
Victory Base Complex
Victory Base Complex or VBC, as it is most commonly called, is a cluster of U.S. military installations surrounding the Baghdad International Airport...

 (VBC). Elements of the 48th Brigade occupied and maintained forward operating bases (FOBs) in Mahmudiyah, Lutifiyah, Latifiyah, and Yusifiyah; and established a new joint United States/Iraqi Army permanent patrol base, designated PB Lion's Den, located to the west of the Radwaniyah Palace Complex.

The 48th Brigade conducted a unique Brigade-wide change of mission in October 2005, taking over the Iraq Theater of Operations (ITO) security mission from the 56th Brigade Combat Team. The 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division (United States)
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...

 replaced 48th Brigade units in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...

. The brigade's headquarters relocated to Camp Adder
Ali Air Base
Ali Air Base is a military airbase located near Nasiriyah, Iraq. It is also known as Tallil Air Base. At present, the base is being used by United States Armed Forces. It is called Camp Adder by the U.S. Army; the name "Ali Air Base" is used chiefly by the U.S...

 (also known as Ali Air Base or Tallil Air Base
Ali Air Base
Ali Air Base is a military airbase located near Nasiriyah, Iraq. It is also known as Tallil Air Base. At present, the base is being used by United States Armed Forces. It is called Camp Adder by the U.S. Army; the name "Ali Air Base" is used chiefly by the U.S...

) in vicinity of Nasiriyah
Nasiriyah
Nasiriyah is a city in Iraq. It is on the Euphrates about 225 miles southeast of Baghdad, near the ruins of the ancient city of Ur. It is the capital of the province of Dhi Qar...

, Iraq, and the brigade had elements stationed as far south as 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...

 to as far north as Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...

, and as far west as the Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

n border.

On 20 April 2006, at Ft. Stewart, more than 4,000 members of the brigade began to return home after a year of combat operations in Iraq
Iraq
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....

. The 20 April arrival marked the first of nearly a dozen flights over the subsequent weeks that brought the soldiers back to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

.

During this period, the 48th Infantry Brigade became the first unit in the Army to receive the new Army Combat Uniform
Army Combat Uniform
The Army Combat Uniform is the current combat uniform worn by the United States Army. It is the successor to the Battle Dress Uniform and Desert Camouflage Uniform worn during the 1980s and 1990s. It features a number of design changes, as well as a different camouflage pattern from its...

 in place of the older Battle Dress Uniform
Battle Dress Uniform
The Battle Dress Uniform were the fatigues that the armed forces of the United States used as their standard uniform for combat situations from September 1981 to April 2005. Since then, it has been replaced in every branch of the U.S. military. Only the U.S. Navy currently authorizes wear of the...

.

Afghanistan

In December 2007, the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was alerted that it will be deployed to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

 in the summer of 2009 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). This rotation reflects the continued U.S. commitment to assisting in the security of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

 and the development of the Afghan National Security Forces
Afghan National Security Forces
The Afghan National Security Forces are the present government forces of Afghanistan:The NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan was activated in November 2009 to bring better cohesion to the efforts supporting the growth and development of the Afghan National Security Force.* Afghan National Army*...

. Afghan forces continue to improve capability and assume responsibility for security. Force levels in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

 continue to be conditions-based, and are determined based on the recommendations of military commanders in Afghanistan and in consultation with the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

The first elements of the 48th Brigade began training in January 2009 in preparation for a year-long deployment to Afghanistan.

The 48th IBCT suffered eight casualties while deployed to Afghanistan: MAJ Kevin M. Jenrette (4 June 2009, 1–108th Cavalry
1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment
The 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment is a Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition squadron of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team , Georgia Army National Guard. 1st Squadron provides the 48th IBCT both mounted and dismounted reconnaissance capabilities...

), SFC John C. Beale (4 June 2009, 1–108th Cavalry
1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment
The 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment is a Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition squadron of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team , Georgia Army National Guard. 1st Squadron provides the 48th IBCT both mounted and dismounted reconnaissance capabilities...

), SGT Jeffrey W. Jordan (4 June 2009, 1–108th Cavalry
1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment
The 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment is a Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition squadron of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team , Georgia Army National Guard. 1st Squadron provides the 48th IBCT both mounted and dismounted reconnaissance capabilities...

), 1SG John D. Blair (20 June 2009, 1–121st Infantry), SGT Isaac Johnson, Jr. (6 July 2009, 1–108th Cavalry
1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment
The 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment is a Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition squadron of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team , Georgia Army National Guard. 1st Squadron provides the 48th IBCT both mounted and dismounted reconnaissance capabilities...

), SGT Brock Chavers (6 July 2009, 2–121st Infantry), SGT Raymundo P. Morales (21 July 2009, 1–108th Cavalry
1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment
The 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment is a Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition squadron of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team , Georgia Army National Guard. 1st Squadron provides the 48th IBCT both mounted and dismounted reconnaissance capabilities...

), and SSG Alex French IV (30 September 2009, 1–121st Infantry).

Current

48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
  • 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry
  • 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry
  • 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry (RSTA)
  • 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery
  • 148th Brigade Support Battalion
  • 48th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (BSTB)

Pre-Modular

48th Infantry Brigade (Enhanced) (Mechanized)
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 48th Infantry Brigade
  • 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry
  • 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry
  • 1st Battalion, 108th Armor
  • 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery (previously 1st Battalion, 230th Field Artillery)
  • 148th Brigade Support Battalion
  • 648th Engineer Battalion
  • Troop E, 108th Cavalry Regiment
    108th Cavalry Regiment (United States)
    The 108th Cavalry Regiment is a Regiment of the Georgia Army National Guard and the Louisiana Army National Guard respectively-Lineage:The 108th Cavalry was constituted June 1, 1921, assigned to the 23rd Cavalry Division, allotted to the National Guard of the States of Georgia and Louisiana, and...

  • 248th Military Intelligence Company
  • E Battery, 179th Air Defense Artillery

External links

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