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196th Infantry Brigade (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 196th Infantry Brigade ("Chargers") , also known as the Charger Brigade was first formed on 24 June 1921 as part of the United States Army Reserve
's 98th Division with the responsibility of training soldiers.
The Division began intensive training in May 1945 to prepare for the invasion of Japan, but the war ended before they could depart Hawaii. However, the unit arrived in Japan for occupation duty as the 3rd Platoon, 98th Reconnaissance Troop Mechanized, of the 98th Infantry Division, where it eventually was inactivated on 16 February 1946, in Charlotte, NC.
, but was rushed to Vietnam on 15 July 1966 via transport ships, arriving on 14 August 1966 in Tay Ninh City, where it began combat operations in the western area of the III Corps Tactical Zone. The 196th conducted Operation Cedar Falls
, Gadsden, Lancaster, Operation Junction City
, Benton, and Operation Attleboro
(War Zone C of Tay Ninh Province), where it turned into a major action after a large enemy base camp was found on 19 October 1966.
In April 1967, the 196th was selected, along with the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
and 3rd Brigade, and the 25th Infantry Division, to form a temporary division unit called Task Force Oregon, where it was moved to the I Corps Tactical Zone. The brigade became part of the 23rd Infantry Division (the Americal Division)
on 25 September 1967, and participated in Operation Wheeler/Wallowa, Golden Fleece, Fayette Canyon, Frederick Hill, Lamar Plain, Elk Canyon I, and Elk Canyon II. In early May 1968, the 2/1 of the 196th was flown in to assist at the Battle of Kham Duc
. On 29 November 1971, the 196th became a separate temporary entity to safeguard this same area of operations.
In April 1971, the 196th moved to Da Nang
to assist in port security duties, and finally left Vietnam on 29 June 1972 as the last combat brigade to leave in Vietnam. The brigade suffered 1,188 KIA, and 5,591 WIA in Vietnam.
Operations as a separate Brigade (15 July 1966 – 25 September 1967)
Operations as a part of the Americal Division (25 September 1967 – June 1972)
Headquarters locations during the Vietnam War
ORDER OF BATTLE
Brigade
Infantry
& Brigade Artillery
Brigade Reconnaissance
Brigade Support
, Hawaii. The new brigade assists reserve units in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, American Samoa, and Japan, as a Training Support Brigade, providing support to Reserve Component Forces throughout the Pacific area.
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
's 98th Division with the responsibility of training soldiers.
World War II
During World War II, the 98th initially defended Kauai, Hawaii and Maui, Hawaii, and finally responsible for defending Oahu, Hawaii later in the war.The Division began intensive training in May 1945 to prepare for the invasion of Japan, but the war ended before they could depart Hawaii. However, the unit arrived in Japan for occupation duty as the 3rd Platoon, 98th Reconnaissance Troop Mechanized, of the 98th Infantry Division, where it eventually was inactivated on 16 February 1946, in Charlotte, NC.
Vietnam
15 July 1966 – June 1972. The 196th LIB was reactivated again in September 1965 at Fort Devens, where it was originally scheduled to be sent to the Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, but was rushed to Vietnam on 15 July 1966 via transport ships, arriving on 14 August 1966 in Tay Ninh City, where it began combat operations in the western area of the III Corps Tactical Zone. The 196th conducted Operation Cedar Falls
Operation Cedar Falls
Operation Cedar Falls was a military operation of the Vietnam War conducted primarily by US forces. The aim of this massive search and destroy operation was to eradicate the so-called "Iron Triangle", an area located in close proximity to Saigon which had become a major stronghold of the communist...
, Gadsden, Lancaster, Operation Junction City
Operation Junction City
Operation Junction City was an 82-day military operation conducted by United States and Republic of Vietnam forces begun on 22 February 1967 during the Vietnam War. It was the largest U.S. airborne operation since Operation Market Garden during World War II, the only major airborne operation of...
, Benton, and Operation Attleboro
Operation Attleboro
Operation Attleboro was a search and destroy operation by the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. The operation was named after Attleboro, Massachusetts, where the brigade had been formed...
(War Zone C of Tay Ninh Province), where it turned into a major action after a large enemy base camp was found on 19 October 1966.
In April 1967, the 196th was selected, along with the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
and 3rd Brigade, and the 25th Infantry Division, to form a temporary division unit called Task Force Oregon, where it was moved to the I Corps Tactical Zone. The brigade became part of the 23rd Infantry Division (the Americal Division)
Americal Division
The 23rd Infantry Division, more commonly known as the Americal Division of the United States Army was formed in May 1942 on the island of New Caledonia. In the immediate emergency following Pearl Harbor, the United States had hurriedly sent three individual regiments to defend New Caledonia...
on 25 September 1967, and participated in Operation Wheeler/Wallowa, Golden Fleece, Fayette Canyon, Frederick Hill, Lamar Plain, Elk Canyon I, and Elk Canyon II. In early May 1968, the 2/1 of the 196th was flown in to assist at the Battle of Kham Duc
Battle of Kham Duc
The Battle of Kham Duc was a major battle of the Vietnam War, also known in Vietnam as the American War. The event occurred in Quang Tin Province , South Vietnam, between May 10 and May 12, 1968. During the Tet Offensive of 1968, the Vietnam People's Army 2nd Division tried to capture Da Nang but...
. On 29 November 1971, the 196th became a separate temporary entity to safeguard this same area of operations.
In April 1971, the 196th moved to Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
to assist in port security duties, and finally left Vietnam on 29 June 1972 as the last combat brigade to leave in Vietnam. The brigade suffered 1,188 KIA, and 5,591 WIA in Vietnam.
Operations as a separate Brigade (15 July 1966 – 25 September 1967)
- Cedar FallsOperation Cedar FallsOperation Cedar Falls was a military operation of the Vietnam War conducted primarily by US forces. The aim of this massive search and destroy operation was to eradicate the so-called "Iron Triangle", an area located in close proximity to Saigon which had become a major stronghold of the communist...
- Gadsden
- Lancaster
- AttleboroOperation AttleboroOperation Attleboro was a search and destroy operation by the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. The operation was named after Attleboro, Massachusetts, where the brigade had been formed...
- Junction CityOperation Junction CityOperation Junction City was an 82-day military operation conducted by United States and Republic of Vietnam forces begun on 22 February 1967 during the Vietnam War. It was the largest U.S. airborne operation since Operation Market Garden during World War II, the only major airborne operation of...
- Benton
Operations as a part of the Americal Division (25 September 1967 – June 1972)
- Wheeler/WallowaWheeler wallawaOperation Wheeler/Wallowa was an operation during the Vietnam War. It was an offensive on the part of the Americans, of which the My Lai Massacre by a platoon led by Lt William Calley was part....
- Golden Fleece
- Fayette Canyon
- Frederick Hill
- Lamar Plain
- Elk Canyon I
- Elk Canyon II
Headquarters locations during the Vietnam War
- Tay Ninh, August 1966 to May 1967
- Chu Lai, June 1967 to October 1967
- Tam Ky, November 1967 to March 1968
- Phong Dien, April 1968 to June 1968
- Hoi An, June 1968 to March 1971
- Da Nang, April 1971 to June 1972
ORDER OF BATTLE
Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
& Brigade Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
- 2d BattalionBattalionA battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, 1st Infantry - 3d Battalion, 82d Artillery82nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States)- Foundation and Formation :The 82nd Field Artillery traces it earliest history to that of the "First Dragoons". This type of fighting force was unique employing a fighting force that was skilled both as horse mounted and dismounted troops. Dragoon is derivitave from the French Army designation...
- 3d Battalion, 21st Infantry
- 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry
- 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry
Brigade Reconnaissance
- Troop F, 8th Cavalry (Air)
- Troop F, 17th Cavalry17th Cavalry Regiment (United States)The 17th Cavalry is a historical organization within the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry after the Pancho Villa Expedition. The unit was constituted on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 17th Cavalry at Fort Bliss, Texas and originally inactivated 26 September 1921 at the...
(Armored) - 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry (Armored)
- 64th Infantry Platoon (Combat Tracker)
- 48th Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog)
- LRRP, 196th Infantry Brigade (later reflagged as Co E, 51st Infantry)
Brigade Support
- 8th Support Battalion
- 175th Engineer Company
- 23rd Military Police Company
- 408th Radio Research Detachment (ASA)
- 635th Military Intelligence Detachment, Team 2
- 544th Military Police Platoon
- 687th Signal Company
- 196th Signal Company (Prov)
- 27th Chemical Detachment
- 10th Public Information Detachment
- HHD & Band, 196th Support Battalion (Prov)
- 569th Military Intelligence Detachment
- Company C, 37th Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade (62nd. Co.)
Post Vietnam
On 26 May 1998, the 196th was reactivated during a ceremony at Fort ShafterFort Shafter
Fort Shafter is in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, extending up the interfluve between Kalihi and Moanalua valleys, as well as onto the coastal plain at Māpunapuna. Fort Shafter is the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific Command, the MACOM of U.S. Army forces in...
, Hawaii. The new brigade assists reserve units in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, American Samoa, and Japan, as a Training Support Brigade, providing support to Reserve Component Forces throughout the Pacific area.
External references
- "The Brigade: A History, Its Organization and Employment in the US Army"
- Summers, Harry G. Historical Atlas of the Vietnam War. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
- http://196th.org/History.htm
- http://www.usarpac.army.mil/196th/history.htm
- http://www.lzcenter.com/Operations.html Article by Pete Shotts used with permission.