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2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division was an infantry
brigade
of the United States Army
. Before its most recent deactivation in 2006, it was based at Fort Stewart
, Georgia
. It was a divisional brigade of the 24th Infantry Division.
active as a part of the 85th Infantry Division. The 170th Infantry Brigade was active from 1921 to 1942, when it was disbanded.In July, 2009 the Brigade was reactivated in Germany.
.
The division remained in Germany (Augsburg
, Munich) until September 1968 when it redeployed 1st and 2nd Brigades Fort Riley
, Kansas
, as part of Exercise REFORGER
(Return of Forces to Germany) while 3rd Brigade was maintained in Germany. As the Army withdrew from Vietnam
and reduced its forces, the 24th Infantry Division and its three brigades were inactivated on 15 April 1970 at Fort Riley.
In September 1975 the 24th Infantry Division was activated at Fort Stewart
, Georgia
, as part of the program to build a sixteen-division force. Because the Regular Army could not field a full division at Fort Stewart, the 24th had the 48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, assigned to it as a round-out unit in place of 3rd Brigade. Targeted for a NATO role, the division was reorganized as a mechanized division in 1979.
When the United Nations decided to intervene in Kuwait
in 1990, the 24th, which was part of the Rapid Deployment Force, was one of the first units deployed to Southwest Asia. Some controversy erupted when the Division's round-out unit, the 48th Infantry Brigade, was found to be unprepared for deployment. The brigade was replaced once the Division was in Saudi Arabia with the regular Army 197th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized). The division was assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps and, once the attack commenced, the Division blocked the Euphrates River valley to cut off Iraqi forces in Kuwait. It then moved east with VII Corps, engaging several Iraqi Republican Guard divisions. At this time, the division ranks swelled to over 25,000 troops in 34 battalions. Iraqi forces defeated, the UN mandated that the US forces withdraw from Iraq, ending the Gulf War
.
Returning to the United States in the spring of 1991, the 24th was reorganized with all its elements in the Regular Army, two brigades at Fort Stewart and the 3rd Brigade reactivated at Fort Benning
, Georgia, replacing the 197th Infantry Brigade. In the fall of 1994 Iraq
again menaced the Kuwaiti border, and two brigades from the division returned to Southwest Asia. As part of the Army's reduction to a ten-division force, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated on 15 February 1996, and reflagged to become the 3rd Infantry Division. Its three brigades were reflagged as 3rd Infantry Division brigades.
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
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...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Before its most recent deactivation in 2006, it was based at Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily in Liberty County and Bryan County, but also extending into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties in Georgia, USA. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. It was a divisional brigade of the 24th Infantry Division.
History
The brigade traces its lineage back to the 170th Infantry Brigade170th Infantry Brigade (United States)
The of the United States Army was reestablished 15 July 2009 at US Army Garrison Baumholder in Germany as part of the Grow the Army plan. The 170th Infantry Brigade was formed by reflagging the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. The soldiers and equipment will remain in place but the 2d Brigade...
active as a part of the 85th Infantry Division. The 170th Infantry Brigade was active from 1921 to 1942, when it was disbanded.In July, 2009 the Brigade was reactivated in Germany.
Cold War
In January 1963 the 24th was reorganized as a mechanized infantry division under the Reorganization Objective Army Division (ROAD) TO&E, which replaced the Pentomic battle groups with conventionally-sized battalions, organized in three combined arms brigades. The 169th Infantry Brigade, previously assigned to the 85th Infantry Division was redesignated the 1st Brigade, 24th Infantry Division. The 85th Division's 170th Infantry Brigade was redesignated the 2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division. The 190th Infantry Brigade, previously assigned to the 95th Infantry Division, became the 3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division (United States)
The 3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division was an infantry brigade of the United States Army. Before its most recent deactivation in 2006, it was based at Fort Benning, Georgia...
.
The division remained in Germany (Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, Munich) until September 1968 when it redeployed 1st and 2nd Brigades Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, as part of Exercise REFORGER
Exercise REFORGER
Exercise Reforger was an annual exercise conducted, during the Cold War, by NATO. The exercise was intended to ensure that NATO had the ability to quickly deploy forces to West Germany in the event of a conflict with the Warsaw Pact.The Reforger exercise itself was first conceived in 1967...
(Return of Forces to Germany) while 3rd Brigade was maintained in Germany. As the Army withdrew from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and reduced its forces, the 24th Infantry Division and its three brigades were inactivated on 15 April 1970 at Fort Riley.
In September 1975 the 24th Infantry Division was activated at Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily in Liberty County and Bryan County, but also extending into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties in Georgia, USA. The population was 11,205 at the 2000 census...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, as part of the program to build a sixteen-division force. Because the Regular Army could not field a full division at Fort Stewart, the 24th had the 48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, assigned to it as a round-out unit in place of 3rd Brigade. Targeted for a NATO role, the division was reorganized as a mechanized division in 1979.
Gulf War
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in 1990, the 24th, which was part of the Rapid Deployment Force, was one of the first units deployed to Southwest Asia. Some controversy erupted when the Division's round-out unit, the 48th Infantry Brigade, was found to be unprepared for deployment. The brigade was replaced once the Division was in Saudi Arabia with the regular Army 197th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized). The division was assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps and, once the attack commenced, the Division blocked the Euphrates River valley to cut off Iraqi forces in Kuwait. It then moved east with VII Corps, engaging several Iraqi Republican Guard divisions. At this time, the division ranks swelled to over 25,000 troops in 34 battalions. Iraqi forces defeated, the UN mandated that the US forces withdraw from Iraq, ending the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
Returning to the United States in the spring of 1991, the 24th was reorganized with all its elements in the Regular Army, two brigades at Fort Stewart and the 3rd Brigade reactivated at Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia, replacing the 197th Infantry Brigade. In the fall of 1994 Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
again menaced the Kuwaiti border, and two brigades from the division returned to Southwest Asia. As part of the Army's reduction to a ten-division force, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated on 15 February 1996, and reflagged to become the 3rd Infantry Division. Its three brigades were reflagged as 3rd Infantry Division brigades.