1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (United States)

1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division
1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division's Insignia
Active	24 May 1917 – 11 October 1939
Branch	Regular Army
Type	Brigade Combat Team
Role	Infantry
Garrison/HQ	Fort Riley
Nickname	Devil Brigade[1]
Motto	"Duty First"
Colors	Red and Blue
Mascot	Devil
Engagements	World War I Vietnam Operation Desert Shield Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Michael Pappal [2]

The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division ("Devil Brigade")^[1] is the oldest permanent brigade in the United States Army and has some of the oldest units in the United States Army. HHC, 1st Brigade has participated in Campaigns of World War I, Vietnam, Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Its most notable campaigns include the Aisne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, Picardy, Tet Counteroffensive and the Liberation and Defense of Kuwait. Since Desert Storm, the "Devil" Brigade participated in numerous rotations to the National Training Center, deployments to Bosnia, Kuwait and a deployment to Korea to participate in a 2nd Infantry Division exercise. On 23 July 2003, US Forces Command alerted the 1st Brigade Combat Team for deployment to the Iraq Theater of Operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

History

World War I

Headquarters and Headquarters Company was constituted 24 May 1917 into the Regular Army as Headquarters, 1st Brigade, an element of the 1st Expeditionary Division (later redesignated as the 1st Infantry Division).

Commanders 1st Infantry Brigade

• 1917

1. 9 June COL Omar Bundy
2. 28 June BG Omar Bundy
3. 25 August COL Ulysses G. McAlexander (ad interim)
4. 30 August BG Omar Bundy
5. 8 September BG George B. Duncan

• 1918

1. 16 January COL John L. Hines (ad interim)
2. 21 January BG George B. Duncan
3. 5 May BG John L. Hines
4. 27 August BG Frank Parker
5. 18 October COL Hjalmar Erickson (ad interim)
6. 21 November BG Frank Parker
7. 20 December COL Charles A. Hunt (ad interim)

• 1919

1. 5 January BG Frank Parker
2. 12 January COL Charles A. Hunt (ad interim)
3. 17 January BG Frank Parker
4. 27 January COL William F. Harrell (ad interim)
5. 29 January BG Frank Parker
6. 16 February COL Charles A. Hunt (ad interim)
7. 29 March BG Frank Parker
8. 1 April COL Charles A. Hunt (ad interim)
9. 11 April BG Frank Parker
10. 25 April COL Charles A. Hunt (ad interim)
11. 7 May LTC Edward R. Coppock (ad interim)
12. 9 May LTC William F. Hoey (ad interim)
13. 13 May BG Frank Parker
14. 8 July COL William W. McCammon (ad Interim)
15. 18 July BG Frank Parker
16. 21 July COL William W. McCammon (ad interim)
17. 24 July to 3 September BG Frank Parker

World War II

The 1st Infantry Brigade was stationed at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, New York as part of the 1st Infantry Division until 11 October 1939, when it was inactivated when the Division was converted to a Triangular Table of Organization and Equipment.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

On 23 July 2003, US Army Forces Command alerted the 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT) for deployment to the Iraq Theater of Operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Brigade deployed its main body starting on 2 September, closing in Kuwait by 11 September. Initially attached to the 82nd Airborne Division, the brigade occupied Area of Operations Topeka and conducted Transition of Authority with the 3rd Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, on 26 September. On 20 March 2004, CJTF-7 attached 1st Brigade to the 1st Marine Division to continue its offensive operations in AO Topeka.

In the following twelve months, the brigade's offensive operations killed 541 insurgents, wounded 101 more, and detained over 2,081 enemy fighters, including the capture of 18 High Value Targets and 20 foreign fighters. The brigade responded to hundreds of small arms and RPG engagements, as well as over 550 IED (improvised explosive device) attacks. In order to disrupt the enemy's ability to conduct operations, the brigade captured 41 heavy machine guns, 175 RPG launchers, 3,134 mortar and artillery rounds, 1,781 rockets, and 17 surface-to-air missiles. In addition to combat operations, the brigade formed and trained the 60th Iraqi National Guard Brigade, including the 500th, 501st, and 502nd ING Battalions. 1st Brigade also sponsored over $23.8 million dollars in civil projects in the Al Anbar province. The BCT returned to Fort Riley in September 2004.

In January 2005 the 1st Brigade was again called upon to prepare for deployment for OIF. The brigade spent the majority of 2005 refitting and training for deployment in fall 2005. This training culminated with the brigade's deployment to the Joint Readiness Training Center in August and September 2005.

In January 2006 the 1st Brigade received a mission change and began restructuring in order to better train Military Transition Teams for their deployment.

Several Security Force Companies, or SECFOR companies, began preparing to deploy to Iraq in the fall of 2006.

On 23 September 2009, the brigade officially moved the Military Transition Team mission to Fort Polk, LA and stood up as a deployable Heavy Brigade Combat Team.

Motto

The Devil Brigade's motto is "No mission too difficult, no sacrifice too great – DUTY FIRST!"

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Special Unit Designations". United States Army Center of Military History. 21 April 2010. http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/spdes-123-ra_ar.html. Retrieved 23 June 2010. 
2. ^ http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/07/18/1581945/kirkuk-is-a-land-mine-where-all.html

• 1st Brigade History, U.S Army (accessed 17 November 2005)