3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division
"Bulldogs"
The 3rd Brigade Combat Team deploys with or without equipment, builds combat power, conducts military operations in support of the 1AD or other headquarters and redeploys.
Two U.S. Army Europe brigades, known as round out brigades, are not located in Europe. The 3rd Brigades of the First Armor Division and the 1st Brigade First Infantry Division are required to bring the two U.S. Army Europe divisions to full strength. Each brigade consists of a 1x2 brigade set (one armor battalion and two mechanized infantry battalions) and are considered round out brigades for U.S. Army Europe. However, the actual authorization and equipment configuration for the pre-positioned brigade sets in central region is two-2x1 brigade sets (two brigades each consisting of two armor battalions and one mechanized infantry battalion).
On 27 June 1944, the brigade was constituted as Headquarters, Reserve Command, 1st Armored Division, and was activated on 20 July 1944. During World War II, the brigade was awarded three campaign streamers: Po-Valley, Rome-Arno, and North Appenines. Returning to the United States at the end of the war, the brigade was deactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, on 25 April 1946.
On 27 February 1951, the brigade was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Reserve Command, 1st Armored Division, and activated once more at Fort Hood, Texas. It was deactivated again on 23 December 1957, at Fort Polk, Louisiana. In February 1962, the brigade was again activated at Fort Hood, as 3d Brigade 1st Armored Division. On 10 May 1971, the 3d Brigade transferred its colors with the rest of 1st Armored Division to the Federal Republic of Germany. At that time, Bamberg became the home of the brigade.
The brigade deployed to Southwest Asia in December 1990 to participate in Operation Desert Shield. As the right flank of the 1st Armored Division wedge, and often times operating independently, the brigade fought four major battles against Iraqi forces during the ground campaign of Operation Desert Storm.
On 17 December 1991, the brigade colors relocated to Mannheim, Federal Republic of Germany as part of the USAREUR force realignment. On 17 September 1994, the 3d Brigade colors were transferred to Fort Lewis, Washington and assigned to I Corps. On 29 March 1995, the brigade was deactivated and on 16 February 1996, activated again here at Fort Riley as 3d Brigade, 1st Armored Division.
Approximately 1,300 Fort Riley soldiers with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division and 937th Engineer Group received orders in early 2003 to prepare to deploy in support of Central Command operations. Additionally, 400 more reservists received orders to mobilize through Fort Riley to deploy to the region.
Approximately 100 active duty soldiers, who helped to lead the ground war in Iraq, returned to Fort Riley on July 17, 2003. Under the command of the 3rd Infantry Division and the 101st Airborne Division, the units occupied and secured the Tallil Air Base and helped to liberate As Samawah.
The 3rd Brigade deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from February 20, 2003 to April 15, 2004.
By late 2005 the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division was being dismantled and its soldiers reassigned, the equipment and vehicles left behind would go to the hands of other units training for combat. The 21st Theater Support Command's 200th Materiel Management Center, in an operation dubbed Task Force Vilseck, took equipment from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team and distributing it to fill the needs of U.S. Army, Europe units, particularly those preparing for deployment. The Army is transitioning this brigade from a heavy brigade to a Stryker brigade, which has a very different mix of equipment. These changes are part of the Defense Department's overall transformation plan that calls for stationing a Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Vilseck, Germany, after 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, stationed there, completed its drawdown in Fiscal 2006.
