3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division
"Dukes of Diyala"
On order, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, deploys to designated contingency areas to conduct combat operations and /or stability and support operations.
The Brigade has evolved through a myriad of changes since its history began on 24 May 1917 as the 1st Expeditionary Division. The unit was quickly pressed into action upon its arrival to France and was baptized by fire in the battles of Montdidier-Noyon, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Muese-Argonne, Lorraine 1918 and Picardy 1918.
After WWI the unit was designated as Headquarters Company, 1st Infantry Division.
In August of 1942 the unit was once again called to defend its nations interests overseas. During WWII the unit fought battles in Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, the invasion of Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardenne-Alsace, and other locations across Central Europe.
On 20 April 1960 the unit was deactivated at Ft. Riley, Kansas.
On 23 October 1963 the unit was reconstituted as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Infantry Division(Forward) and activated into the Regular Army in January 1964. After its activation the unit proceeded to The Republic of Vietnam where it saw six long years of action earning thirteen streamers and citations for its actions.
After Vietnam the unit moved to it's new home station at Goeppingen, GE where it remained until it was deployed to Saudi Arabia where it participated in the Defense of Saudi Arabia and Liberation and Defense of Kuwait Campaigns. The unit was involved in the VII CORPS spear head operation into Iraq. Upon completion of Desert Storm the unit returned to Germany and was inactivated on 15 August 1991.
The unit was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Brigade, 1st Infantry Division and activated in Vilseck, GE in March 1996.
From March 1996 to March 1997 1-63 AR & 2-63 AR of the 3D Brigade, deployed to The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, as Task Force Able Sentry to stabilize the peace process in the war-torn country.
In October 1996 HHC 3d Brigade deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of Operation Joint Endeavor to support national elections. In March of 1997 HHC 3d Brigade and 2-2 IN deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina for Operation Joint Guard, where it saw action during the Brcko riots , seizure of Hl 562, and municipal elections. In October 1997 the 3d Brigade redeployed to its home station of Vilseck, GE.
In February 1999, 3rd Brigade again received the call to deploy to the Balkins, this time to Kosovo. The 3rd Brigade began 10 long months of training and finally deployed in November 1999, assuming its mission on 12 December 1999. The Brigade brought peace to this war-torn country and provided a safe and secure environment for all Kosovars regardless of their ethnicity. In June 2000 the 3rd Brigade redeployed to its home station of Vilseck, GE where it continues to train for the next call to arms.
In April 2002, 3rd Brigade again received the call to deploy to the Balkans, a second deployment to Kosovo. The train-up time took eight months. In October/November 2002, the Brigade deployed to Kosovo and assumed the mission on 21 November 2002. Originally, the mission was to be a six month rotation, but was then extended to 8 plus months. The Brigade sustained peace again in this war-torn country, and provided a safe and secure environment for all Kosovars regardless of their ethnicity. In July 2003, the 3rd Brigade returned home Vilseck, GE.and begun training again.
Only five months after returning from Kosovo, 3rd Brigade helped to bring peace to the people of Iraq. 3 BCT, in full partnership with Iraqi Civil and Military Authorities, secures the Area of Operations (AO) and improves conditions for continued progress towards Iraqi self-reliance; simultaneously neutralizes Anti-Iraqi Forces (AIF) and set the condition for successful elect ion. On order, conduct a deliberate relief in place and redeploy. They plan to return to Vilseck, once again, early 2005.
In the week leading up to the Easter holiday, violence erupted throughout Iraq as coalition forces battled insurgents spurred on by 30-year-old Shi'ite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr. The young cleric laid siege to this holy city, taking over government and police buildings and warning coalition forces to stay out.
In response, the U.S.-led Combined Joint Task Force-7 quickly assembled Task Force Duke, and on the eve of Easter Sunday, began a large-scale move, taking the brigade-size force south to a new forward operating base 20 kilometers outside the holy city -- a feat that hadn't been attempted since the Vietnam War.
The task force comprised about 2,800 soldiers from units throughout the country, the majority coming from the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry and 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry. They moved from bases as far north as Mosul to a new Forward Operating Base just south of the holy city with as little as 36 hours notice, and with the expectation that they could be there for 30 to 60 days.
At one point, they were told they could stay up to six months, said Task Force Duke Commander Col. Dana J.H. Pittard of V Corps' 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. While a number of Soldiers from 1-14 Infantry were flown in on CH-47 "Chinook" helicopters, the majority rolled in on convoys lasting up to 36 hours.
About 325 vehicles, including eight tanks, 25 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and 77 Stryker armored wheeled vehicles transported the troops, who faced detours from blown bridges and attacks from insurgents using rocket-propelled grenades, small arms and improvised explosive devices.
Members of the Iraqi National Guard and U.S. soldiers of the 82nd Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, scan for improvised explosive devices during a joint day patrol outside the city of Baqubah, Iraq, Aug. 23, 2004.
In January 2005 members of the Baqubah Iraqi Police Force arrive at a gas station in Buhriz, Iraq, to take over security, transport men detained for questioning, and impound the cars of suspected criminals after a raid of the premises for known anti-coalition insurgents by Soldiers with Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
