Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team

The mission of the Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division is to, on order, deploy and provide communications, intelligence and mobility and security support to enable the 2nd Brigade Combat Team to accomplish assigned objectives. To this end, it would, on order, deploy to a specified theater of operations, and integrate/execute the intelligence, M/CM/S, and C2 functions for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

The distinctive unit insignia was for the Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team was approved on 6 January 2005. It was a Silver color metal and enamel device 1 and 1/8th inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a blue chevron with its center voided by a narrow silver chevron and a blue triangle abutting it from below; surmounting the device a silver dagger point down throughout with a silver lightning flash to each side of the tip in the form of a "V" and a scarlet fusil on the hilt. Attached below was a tripartite black motto scroll inscribed "FIRST IN" in silver letters.

The chevron, divided into 2 parts, symbolized support, provided by the Battalion. It also alluded to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team's numerical designation. The bayonet suggested the combat and security mission. The lightning flashes denoted communication and intelligence mission. The red fusil referred to the team's deployment and mobility capabilities, wherever needed to accomplish its assigned objectives.

The coat of arms was approved on 6 January 2005. The chevron, divided into 2 parts, symbolized support, provided by the unit; it also alluded to the unit's numerical designation of the unit being supported, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The bayonet suggested the combat and security mission. The lightning flashes denoted communication and intelligence mission. The red fusil referred to the team's deployment and mobility capabilities, wherever needed to accomplish its assigned objectives.

Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, was activated and organized on 16 December, 2004, at Fort Hood, Texas. The unit was reorganized in accordance to the Army's drive towards modular transformation. As part of the modular transformation, assets previously held at division level, but habitually assigned to a division's brigades during operations were made organic to those brigades. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team's Special Troops Battalion included the Brigade's staff, a Headquarters and Headquarters Company (which included a military police platoon and fire support coordination cell), a signal company, and a military intelligence company. Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 588th Engineer Battalion was reflagged as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. A company each from the 124th Signal Battalion and the 104th Military Intelligence Battalion were reflagged to form the Battalion's signal and military intelligence elements. Military police from the 4th Military Police Company were used to form the military police platoon organic to the Battalion's Headquarters and Headquarters Company.

As of late December 2005, 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion was primarily operating out of Forward Operating Base Kalsu, located in Iskanderyah, Iraq. The unit's 2 primary missions were to support 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and to support an Iraqi brigade that was being supervised and trained by the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion's Military Transition Team.

Following its return from Iraq, the Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division moved from Fort Hood, Texas to Fort Carson, Colorado. This was as part of larger realignment of US Army units.