3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment (3–69 AR) is a United States Army
combined arms
battalion
based at Fort Stewart
, Georgia
. 3–69 AR was the first conventional US unit to enter Iraq in 2003, and among the first units to serve four tours in Iraq. Throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom 3–69 AR was featured several times on CNN
, ABC News
, and the PBS
documentary Back to the Front detailing the deployment of Sgt Michael Murphy. The unit was first made famous for taking the Baghdad International Airport
in 2003.
. It activated on 31 July 1940 at Fort Knox
, KY, and inactivated there on 10 January 1942.
It reactivated on 15 February 1942 at Fort Knox
, KY, ( the 69th Armored Regiment was concurrently relieved from assignment to the 1st Armored Division
and assigned to the 6th Armored Division). It was reorganized and re-designated on 20 September 1943 as Company C, 69th Tank Battalion. It was eventually absorbed on 10 July 1945 by the 69th Amphibian Tractor Battalion (the 69th Amphibian Tractor Battalion was concurrently relieved from assignment to the 6th Armored Division). It inactivated on 8 March 1946 at Camp Kilmer, NJ.
. It inactivated there on 16 March 1956.
It was re-designated on 14 January 1957 as Company C, 69th Tank Battalion (the 69th Medium Tank Battalion was relieved on 1 February 1957 from assignment to the 6th Armored Division), and on 15 February 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Medium Tank Battalion, 69th Armor. It was concurrently reassigned to the 25th Infantry Division, and activated to Hawaii (its organic elements concurrently constituted and activated). It inactivated on 1 July 1963 in Hawaii and relieved from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division.
Re-designated on 15 August 1983 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 69th Armor, the unit was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, and activated in Germany. It inactivated on 16 April 1986 in Germany and was relieved from its assignment in the 3rd Infantry Division.
The unit was reassigned on 16 October 1987 to the 24th Infantry Division and activated at Fort Stewart
, Georgia. With the inactivation of the 24th ID, and the activation of the 3rd ID at Fort Stewart
, the unit was reassigned once more, becoming part of the 3rd Infantry Division, based still at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
and Kosovo Force Operation support in Kosovo
.
In March 2003, the Battalion deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom I, where it served as the "Point of the Spear" for the 3rd Infantry Division, participating in many 1BCT battles, to include the seizure of Baghdad International Airport
.
In January 2005, the Speed and Power Battalion deployed again under the command of LTC Mark Wald in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. The battalion was based primarily at FOB Brassfield-Mora, Patrol Base Uvanni, and Patrol Base Olsen. This time the Battalion served as the 1st Brigade Combat Team
's and 42nd Infantry Division's main effort in Samarra
, Iraq. After a successful tour, Task Force 3–69 AR redeployed to Fort Stewart
in January 2006.
In January 2007, 3rd Battalion 69th Armor Regiment deployed with the 1st Brigade Combat Team
, 3rd Infantry Division to Operation Iraqi Freedom V. The Battalion was initially tasked with securing the volatile city of Ramadi
, appropriately dubbed by intelligence personnel as the "most dangerous city in the world." Additionally, the unit was tasked with forming ties with local Sunni Sheiks, including the martyred Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Risha
. The Battalion continued its second half of the deployment north of Ramadi
, and executed numerous expeditionary combat operations near Lake Thar Thar
, Habbaniyah
, and the southern region of the Salah ad Din Province. This fifteen month deployment was part of the General Petraeus "surge
" of force. After a successful tour, Task Force 3–69 Armor redeployed to Fort Stewart, Georgia in March 2008, to train in preparation of future operations.
Most recently, Soldiers from Task Force 3–69 deployed in December 2009 in support of OIF VII to northeast Baghdad as the main effort of the 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team-Augmented. The battalion assumed responsibility for an area of operations once belonging to two battalions and a brigade headquarters. The mission of enabling security and protecting the people of Iraq was accomplished through advising and assisting the Iraqi Security Forces as well as transitioning the overall responsibility for the security of Iraq from US forces to the Iraqi government. Following a successful transition into Operation New Dawn, Task Force 3–69 redeployed in December 2010 and is currently preparing for follow on missions.
during Operation Iraqi Freedom I. The battalion was tasked with taking the Baghdad International Airport
. When the campaign started, 3/69 AR led the rest of 3ID on the drive to Baghdad
. After helping destroy the Iraq
i 11th Infantry Division at Nasiriyah
, 3ID turned north-west, covering unprecedented distance rapidly. It was temporarily stopped south of the Karbala Gap due to intense sandstorms and a need to wait for logistical support. Once the weather improved, the division resumed its advance, clearing the gap and turning north-east towards Baghdad
. 3/69 AR captured Baghdad International Airport
(BIAP) after limited resistance from elements of the Hammurabi
Division of the Republican Guard.
features an M1A1 Abrams from Bravo Company 3–69 AR BN on the cover of the box and on all tanks in game. The bumper number reads "B31", as in Bravo Company, 3rd Platoon, 1 track (Platoon Leader's tank).
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...
combined arms
Combined arms
Combined arms is an approach to warfare which seeks to integrate different branches of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects...
battalion
Battalion
A 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...
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...
. 3–69 AR was the first conventional US unit to enter Iraq in 2003, and among the first units to serve four tours in Iraq. Throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom 3–69 AR was featured several times on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, and the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
documentary Back to the Front detailing the deployment of Sgt Michael Murphy. The unit was first made famous for taking the Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport, originally Saddam International Airport, , BIAP is Iraq's largest airport, located in a suburb about west of downtown Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate...
in 2003.
WWII
3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, was originally constituted on 15 July 1940 in the Regular Army as Company C, 69th Armored Regiment, an element of the 1st Armored Division1st Armored Division (United States)
The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S...
. It activated on 31 July 1940 at Fort Knox
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet...
, KY, and inactivated there on 10 January 1942.
It reactivated on 15 February 1942 at Fort Knox
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet...
, KY, ( the 69th Armored Regiment was concurrently relieved from assignment to the 1st Armored Division
1st Armored Division (United States)
The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S...
and assigned to the 6th Armored Division). It was reorganized and re-designated on 20 September 1943 as Company C, 69th Tank Battalion. It was eventually absorbed on 10 July 1945 by the 69th Amphibian Tractor Battalion (the 69th Amphibian Tractor Battalion was concurrently relieved from assignment to the 6th Armored Division). It inactivated on 8 March 1946 at Camp Kilmer, NJ.
Cold War
The former Company C, 69th Tank Battalion, was reconstituted on 21 August 1950 in the Regular Army as Company C, 69th Medium Tank Battalion, an element of the 6th Armored Division. It activated on 5 September 1950 at Fort Leonard Wood, MissouriFort Leonard Wood, Missouri
Fort Leonard Wood is a census-designated place in Pulaski County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,667 at the 2000 census. It is named in honor of Major General Leonard Wood, who was awarded the Medal of Honor...
. It inactivated there on 16 March 1956.
It was re-designated on 14 January 1957 as Company C, 69th Tank Battalion (the 69th Medium Tank Battalion was relieved on 1 February 1957 from assignment to the 6th Armored Division), and on 15 February 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Medium Tank Battalion, 69th Armor. It was concurrently reassigned to the 25th Infantry Division, and activated to Hawaii (its organic elements concurrently constituted and activated). It inactivated on 1 July 1963 in Hawaii and relieved from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division.
Re-designated on 15 August 1983 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 69th Armor, the unit was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, and activated in Germany. It inactivated on 16 April 1986 in Germany and was relieved from its assignment in the 3rd Infantry Division.
The unit was reassigned on 16 October 1987 to the 24th Infantry Division and 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. With the inactivation of the 24th ID, and the activation of the 3rd ID 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...
, the unit was reassigned once more, becoming part of the 3rd Infantry Division, based still at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
1990s and 2000s: Global War on Terrorism Service
Throughout the 1990s, the battalion deployed in support of numerous war-time missions including Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Iraq, Intrinsic Action in KuwaitKuwait
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...
and Kosovo Force Operation support in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
.
In March 2003, the Battalion deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom I, where it served as the "Point of the Spear" for the 3rd Infantry Division, participating in many 1BCT battles, to include the seizure of Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport, originally Saddam International Airport, , BIAP is Iraq's largest airport, located in a suburb about west of downtown Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate...
.
In January 2005, the Speed and Power Battalion deployed again under the command of LTC Mark Wald in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. The battalion was based primarily at FOB Brassfield-Mora, Patrol Base Uvanni, and Patrol Base Olsen. This time the Battalion served as the 1st Brigade Combat Team
Brigade combat team
The brigade combat team is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the US Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its attached support and fire units. A brigade combat team is generally commanded by a colonel , but in rare instances it is commanded by...
's and 42nd Infantry Division's main effort in Samarra
Samarra
Sāmarrā is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
, Iraq. After a successful tour, Task Force 3–69 AR redeployed to 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...
in January 2006.
In January 2007, 3rd Battalion 69th Armor Regiment deployed with the 1st Brigade Combat Team
Brigade combat team
The brigade combat team is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the US Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its attached support and fire units. A brigade combat team is generally commanded by a colonel , but in rare instances it is commanded by...
, 3rd Infantry Division to Operation Iraqi Freedom V. The Battalion was initially tasked with securing the volatile city of Ramadi
Ramadi
Ramadi is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate.-History:Ramadi is located in a fertile, irrigated, alluvial plain.The Ottoman Empire founded Ramadi in 1869...
, appropriately dubbed by intelligence personnel as the "most dangerous city in the world." Additionally, the unit was tasked with forming ties with local Sunni Sheiks, including the martyred Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Risha
Abdul Sattar Abu Risha
Abdul Sattar Abu Risha - Sheikh Abdul Sattar Eftikhan al-Rishawi ad-Dulaimi الشيخ عبد الستار افتيخان الريشاوي الدليمي - was a high-profile Iraqi tribal sheikh...
. The Battalion continued its second half of the deployment north of Ramadi
Ramadi
Ramadi is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate.-History:Ramadi is located in a fertile, irrigated, alluvial plain.The Ottoman Empire founded Ramadi in 1869...
, and executed numerous expeditionary combat operations near Lake Thar Thar
Lake Tharthar
Lake Tharthar, known in Iraq as Buhayrat ath Tharthar , is a lake situated 120 kilometers north of Baghdad between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. It is the largest lake in Iraq. The construction of several dams has made it an important source for irrigation. Its size shrinks and expands...
, Habbaniyah
Habbaniyah
Al Habbaniyah or Habbaniya is a city in Al-Anbar Province, in central Iraq.-References:...
, and the southern region of the Salah ad Din Province. This fifteen month deployment was part of the General Petraeus "surge
Iraq War troop surge of 2007
In the context of the Iraq War, the surge refers to United States President George W. Bush's 2007 increase in the number of American troops in order to provide security to Baghdad and Al Anbar Province....
" of force. After a successful tour, Task Force 3–69 Armor redeployed to Fort Stewart, Georgia in March 2008, to train in preparation of future operations.
Most recently, Soldiers from Task Force 3–69 deployed in December 2009 in support of OIF VII to northeast Baghdad as the main effort of the 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team-Augmented. The battalion assumed responsibility for an area of operations once belonging to two battalions and a brigade headquarters. The mission of enabling security and protecting the people of Iraq was accomplished through advising and assisting the Iraqi Security Forces as well as transitioning the overall responsibility for the security of Iraq from US forces to the Iraqi government. Following a successful transition into Operation New Dawn, Task Force 3–69 redeployed in December 2010 and is currently preparing for follow on missions.
Notoriety
Bradley Fighting Vehicles attached to 3–69 AR were the first regular army elements to cross the berm into IraqIraq
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....
during Operation Iraqi Freedom I. The battalion was tasked with taking the Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport, originally Saddam International Airport, , BIAP is Iraq's largest airport, located in a suburb about west of downtown Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate...
. When the campaign started, 3/69 AR led the rest of 3ID on the drive to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. After helping destroy the 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....
i 11th Infantry Division at Nasiriyah
Nasiriyah
Nasiriyah is a city in Iraq. It is on the Euphrates about 225 miles southeast of Baghdad, near the ruins of the ancient city of Ur. It is the capital of the province of Dhi Qar...
, 3ID turned north-west, covering unprecedented distance rapidly. It was temporarily stopped south of the Karbala Gap due to intense sandstorms and a need to wait for logistical support. Once the weather improved, the division resumed its advance, clearing the gap and turning north-east towards Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. 3/69 AR captured Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport, originally Saddam International Airport, , BIAP is Iraq's largest airport, located in a suburb about west of downtown Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate...
(BIAP) after limited resistance from elements of the Hammurabi
Hammurabi
Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi (Akkadian from Amorite ʻAmmurāpi, "the kinsman is a healer", from ʻAmmu, "paternal kinsman", and Rāpi, "healer"; (died c...
Division of the Republican Guard.
Video game reference
Joint Task Force by Sierra EntertainmentSierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
features an M1A1 Abrams from Bravo Company 3–69 AR BN on the cover of the box and on all tanks in game. The bumper number reads "B31", as in Bravo Company, 3rd Platoon, 1 track (Platoon Leader's tank).