48th Chemical Brigade

The mission of the 48th Chemical Battalion is to, on order, deploy and conduct operations in support of combatant commanders or other governmental agencies to counter Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High Yield Explosive (CBRNE) threats.

The 48th Chemical Brigade was first constituted on 12 March 1942 in the Army of the United States as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 81st Chemical Battalion and activated on 25 April 1942 at Fort D. A. Russell, Texas. The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 14 February 1944 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 81st Chemical Battalion, Motorized and was redesignated again on 22 February 1945 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion. The Battalion landed in the Normandy Beaches on 6 June 1944 as part of Operation Overlord and went on to participate in 5 campaigns during the Second World War: Normandy (awarded streamer with arrowhead to indicate participation in the initial assault), Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. After the end of the Second World War the Battalion was inactivated on 7 November 1945 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

The unit was redesignated on 17 April 1951 as Headquarters, 81st Chemical Group, and allotted to the Regular Army and activated on 8 May 1951 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 12 February 1952 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 81st Chemical Group and again on 1 December 1953 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 81st Chemical Group. It was inactivated on 12 September 1962 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

While inactive, the unit was redesignated on 14 January 2000 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 48th Chemical Brigade. The Brigade was activated on 16 September 2007 at Fort Hood, Texas as a subordinate unit to the 20th Support Command (CBRNE). The Brigade worked to partner with Combatant Commanders or other Governmental Agencies to counter CBRNE threats.