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4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 4th Brigade Combat Team, "Highlanders", is a Heavy Brigade Combat Team
(HBCT) of the 1st Armored Division
. The brigade is mechanized
and its major combat equipment include the M1A2SEP Abrams
Tank, M2A3 & M3A3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, M109A6 Paladin Howitzer, M1151 HMMWV and MRAP (armored vehicle)
.
, Texas. It was originally part of the 1st Cavalry Division. The brigade reflagged to the 1st Armored Division on 4 March 2008.
The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division —nicknamed “Highlander”— is a Heavy Brigade Combat Team brigade of the 1st Armored Division
, United States Army
with base of operations at Fort Bliss, Texas
.
Commander: Col. Mckean
Command Sergeant Major: Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip Pandy
Soldiers assigned to the brigade wear insignia of the 1st Armored Division.
The division was nicknamed "Old Ironsides", by its first commander, Major General Bruce R. Magruder, after he saw a picture of the frigate USS Constitution
, which is also nicknamed "Old Ironsides". The large "1" at the top represents the numerical designation of the division, and the insignia is used as a basis for most other sub-unit insignias. The cannon and tracked vehicle symbols represent the mechanized role of the division.
The three colors, red, yellow, and blue represent the Artillery, Armor, and Infantry Branches respectively, which are the colors of the three original combat arms which, when forged into one, created the field of Armor. This "pyramid of power" was devised by the order of then-Lieutenant Col. George S. Patton, Jr. in Bourg, France in early 1918 during Patton's formation and training of the Tank Corps in support of the American Expeditionary Force
under General John J. Pershing
.
. The unit is the first brigade combat team to be activated at Fort Bliss from the 1st Armored Division. The Division will relocate to Fort Bliss in 2012 as a result of Base Realignment and Closure, 2005
.
The unit's nickname "Highlander" alludes to the West Texas highlands--Franklin Mountains (Texas)
--surrounding Fort Bliss. Additionally, this is a historical reference to the 1st Armored Division's participation in campaigns across the North Apennine Mountains
during World War II
.
The unit will operate in Southern Iraq in the provinces of Al Muthanna, Dhi Qar, and Maysan.
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...
(HBCT) of the 1st Armored Division
U.S. 1st Armored Division
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...
. The brigade is mechanized
Armoured warfare
Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
and its major combat equipment include the M1A2SEP Abrams
M1 Abrams
The M1 Abrams is a third-generation main battle tank produced in the United States. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. The M1 is a well armed, heavily armored, and highly mobile tank designed for...
Tank, M2A3 & M3A3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, M109A6 Paladin Howitzer, M1151 HMMWV and MRAP (armored vehicle)
MRAP (armored vehicle)
A Mine Resistant Ambush Protected is a family of armored fighting vehicles design led by the United States Marine Corps in use by the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Special Operations Forces with the goal of surviving IED attacks and ambushes - prompted by US deaths in Iraq...
.
Current Organization
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division consists of the following elements:- 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment13th Cavalry Regiment (United States)The 13th Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. The 1st and 2nd Squadrons are currently stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas as part of the 1st Armored Division.-Service History:...
"Saber" - 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment "Regulars"
- 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment77th Armor Regiment (United States)The 77th Armor is an armored regiment of the United States Army. The 77th Armor Regiment is part of the U.S. Army Regimental System with only a single battalion, the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, and is therefore classified as both a single battalion, and the remainder of the Regiment itself...
"Steel Tigers" - 2nd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment29th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 29th Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army. first Constituted in 1918 in the National Army -Lineage:...
"Pathfinders" - 121st Brigade Support Battalion "Iron Hammer"
- 4th Brigade Special Troops BattalionSpecial Troops BattalionA Special Troops Battalion is an organic unit of a modular brigade, Division , corps or higher echelon United States Army organization...
"Strike Force"
Heraldry
4th BCT was organized in 2005 at Fort BlissFort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
, Texas. It was originally part of the 1st Cavalry Division. The brigade reflagged to the 1st Armored Division on 4 March 2008.
The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division —nicknamed “Highlander”— is a Heavy Brigade Combat Team brigade of 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...
, 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...
with base of operations at Fort Bliss, Texas
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
.
Command and Staff
As of June 2008 its command personnel includes:Commander: Col. Mckean
McKean
McKean may refer to:* McKean, Pennsylvania* McKean , people with the surname McKean-See also:* McKean County, Pennsylvania* McKean Island* McKean's law, variant of Muphry's law, proposed by lexicologist Erin McKean...
Command Sergeant Major: Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip Pandy
Insignia
The division was nicknamed "Old Ironsides", by its first commander, Major General Bruce R. Magruder, after he saw a picture of the frigate USS Constitution
USS Constitution
USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel...
, which is also nicknamed "Old Ironsides". The large "1" at the top represents the numerical designation of the division, and the insignia is used as a basis for most other sub-unit insignias. The cannon and tracked vehicle symbols represent the mechanized role of the division.
The three colors, red, yellow, and blue represent the Artillery, Armor, and Infantry Branches respectively, which are the colors of the three original combat arms which, when forged into one, created the field of Armor. This "pyramid of power" was devised by the order of then-Lieutenant Col. George S. Patton, Jr. in Bourg, France in early 1918 during Patton's formation and training of the Tank Corps in support of the American Expeditionary Force
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF were the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe in World War I. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside British and French allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces...
under General John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
.
Origins
The brigade was established on 4 March 2008 during a reflagging ceremony from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armor Division at Fort Bliss, Texas. The first commander of the Highlander Brigade was Col. Stephen TwittyStephen Twitty
Stephen M. Twitty born in Spartanburg, South Carolina is a United States Army General Officer.Brigadier General Twitty was awarded the Silver Star Medal, our Nation's Third Highest Award for Valor, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Noted for his relationship with journalist David Bloom that was...
. The unit is the first brigade combat team to be activated at Fort Bliss from the 1st Armored Division. The Division will relocate to Fort Bliss in 2012 as a result of Base Realignment and Closure, 2005
Base Realignment and Closure, 2005
The preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It is the fifth Base Realignment and Closure proposal generated since the process was created in 1988. It recommends closing 33 major United States military bases and...
.
The unit's nickname "Highlander" alludes to the West Texas highlands--Franklin Mountains (Texas)
Franklin Mountains (Texas)
The Franklin Mountains of Texas are a small range that extend from El Paso, Texas north into New Mexico. The Franklins were formed due to crustal extension related to the Cenozoic Rio Grande rift...
--surrounding Fort Bliss. Additionally, this is a historical reference to the 1st Armored Division's participation in campaigns across the North Apennine Mountains
Apennine mountains
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains or Greek oros but just as often used alone as a noun. The ancient Greeks and Romans typically but not always used "mountain" in the singular to mean one or a range; thus, "the Apennine mountain" refers to the entire chain and is translated "the Apennine...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
The entire brigade deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in May 2009. The brigade is the proof of principle unit for the Advise and Assist Brigade concept also known as Brigade Combat Team-Stability (BCT-S/BCT-A). The 4th BCT, 1AD will focus on Security Force Assistance during the deployment.The unit will operate in Southern Iraq in the provinces of Al Muthanna, Dhi Qar, and Maysan.