2nd Brigade - 4th Infantry Division (Mech)
Warhorse
As of January 1st, 2006, the 2nd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division completed the transfer of authority at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, located in Iskandariyah Iraq, from the 155th Brigade Combat Team, Mississippi National Guard. This was the unit's second tour of Iraq. The brigade’s mission was to train Iraqi security forces to conduct operations independent of coalition assistance. The brigade supported Iraqi security forces in Najaf, Karbala and the northern Babil province.
2nd Brigade, 4th Infrantry Division is the most technically advanced brigade in the United States Army. The Second "Warhorse" Brigade Combat Team stands ready today at Fort Hood, maintaining its ability to deploy as a lethal combat ready force to any contingency location in the world. Since its creation in 1917, 2nd Brigade Combat Team has fought and won battle streamers in World War I and the Vietnam War. With its new equipment and added security from 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry, the brigade stands ready for its future missions.
The "Warhorse" Brigade, Fourth Infantry Division (Mechanized) was constituted on 19 November, 1917, in the Regular Army as Headquarters, Seventh Infantry Brigade, an element of the Fourth Division. It was then organized in December 1917 at Camp Greene, North Carolina.
The Brigade served valiantly during World War I and earned battlefield streamers for its participation in the Aisne-Marne, Saint Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Champagne-1918, and Lorraine-1918 Campaigns.
After its service in World War I, the Brigade was reorganized and redesignated in March 1921 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Seventh Infantry Brigade. The unit was inactivated on 21 September, 1921, at Camp Lewis, Washington; redesignated on 23 March, 1925, as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Seventh Brigade; relieved on 15 August, 1927, from assignment to the Fourth Division and assigned to the Seventh Division; relieved on 1 October, 1933, from assignment to the Seventh Division and assigned to the Fourth Division; redesignated on 24 August, 1936, as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Seventh Infantry Brigade; and disbanded on 16 October, 1939.
With tensions rising in the Republic of Vietnam, the Brigade was reconstituted on 21 August, 1963, in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Second Brigade, Fourth Infantry Division and activated on 1 October, 1963, at Fort Lewis, Washington. During the Vietnam War, the Second Brigade received battlefield streamers for participation in eleven combat campaigns, including Counteroffensive, Phase Two; Counteroffensive, Phase Three; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase Four, Counteroffensive, Phase Five; Counteroffensive, Phase Six; Tet 69 / Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; and Counteroffensive, Phase Eight.
After the Vietnam War, the Brigade fought the rest of the Cold War while stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, until it was inactivated in 1989. Subsequently reactivated on 15 December, 1995, at Fort Hood, Texas, the brigade led the Army's Force XXI experimentation and validation, shaping the force of the Twenty-First Century.
In March 2003, the 2nd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The units of the brigade crossed the border into Iraq in the early dawn hours of 14 April, 2004, leading the 4th Infantry Division north from Kuwait; in it’s first combat operations since the Vietnam War. The brigade moved up Highway 1 thru Baghdad, Taji, and on to Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, destroying resistance from Iraqi forces. The 2nd Brigade secured and held multiple airfields, and military complexes for later use by follow-on forces as far north as K2 Airfield near Bayji.
Modular Transformation
Soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division overcame what could be perceived as a daunting task of resetting and balancing several standing missions while transforming into a modular brigade unit of action. While working toward the division's effective reorganization date of 16 December, 2004, 2nd Brigade Combat Team soldiers remained deployable as the division-ready brigade, in addition to keeping a quick reaction force on call for homeland defense.
During this transition, the brigade also bid farewell to 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor and welcomed the arrival of a reconfigured 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry. Now having reached the effective date, 2nd Brigade Combat Team would be able to deploy, if needed, as a unit of action. It was one of the Army's 43 self-sufficient brigades that would be developed overall during the modularity process.
The purpose of the units of action was to enhance unit cohesion and enable brigades to deploy more quickly. There had been a fundamental change in fighting. Instead of taking part in division or multi-corps sized battles, the Army would fight smaller battles, and therefore send smaller combat packages. It allowed the brigade to be more independent, and it allowed the brigade and the Army overall to spread more combat power.
As part of modularity, 2nd Brigade Combat Team had organic assets normally found at the division level, such as public affairs, civil military operations and military intelligence. The brigade also gained new software, including the Army Battlefield Command System, the Maneuver Control System and the All Sources Analysis System.
Along with the move toward modularization, 2nd Brigade Combat Team assumed Division Ready Brigade responsibility in October 2004 and remained on DRB status until spring 2005. During this time, the brigade could be called upon to support operations in Iraq or Korea, said Oliver.
Reorganization had a big impact on the brigade's Prepare to Deploy Order which could result in a possible mission to Korea while the brigade is still resetting equipment used in Iraq. Preparing for contingency missions, it took a lot of coordination with US-based forces in South Korea to ensure the necessary equipment would be available if the brigade was called upon. It required additional planning. Units in the division and on post came up with a plan to where they would have what they need.
While the brigade gained new technology and capabilities, it lost 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor, which transferred to the new 4th Brigade Combat Team. However, 2nd Brigade Combat Team gained 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry, 4th Infantry Division's cavalry squadron.
In late June 2005 PR 2nd Brigade Combat Team prepared for rotation at the National Training Center. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conducted rail load operations in preparation for the unit’s rotation to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. The rail load is the first step in the BCT’s journey to NTC, which ran from July 9 – Aug. 11. Months of coordination at all levels in the brigade, as well as with external agencies, go into a rail operation of this magnitude. It requires constant teamwork, a working knowledge of unit movement operations and a lot of patience. All mission essential equipment and vehicles are prepared, inspected, loaded and secured to railroad cars for transport to Fort Irwin. Each maneuver battalion loaded more than 300 pieces of equipment onto the train during rail load operations.
