.gif)
81st Armored Brigade Combat Team (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team is a modular brigade
of the United States Army National Guard based in Washington and California
and is subordinate to the 40th Infantry Division.
and Kuwait
.
, came into existence on 1 January 1968 under the command of Brigadier General
Albert Kaye. But its origins go back to World War I
.
In the process of mobilizing for overseas deployment in 1917, the Army determined that it needed large maneuver formations – divisions. Divisions were formed from existing small units; the 41st Division comprised National Guard elements from eight western states including Washington, Oregon
, and Idaho
. The combat regiments in each division were collected into one artillery
and two infantry brigades.
The 41st was one of the earliest divisions to embark for Europe in December 1917, but once there, it was tabbed to train and process replacements to fill out the rosters of other arriving divisions. Additionally, it was tasked as a depot division. While many of its soldiers were reassigned to the front, and its artillery brigade saw action and occupation duty, neither of its infantry brigades saw combat action.
Postwar reconstitution retained the division in the Pacific Northwest
and assigned the 81st Brigade, commanding the 161st Infantry Regiment
and the 163rd Infantry Regiment, to Washington. The headquarters circulated around the state to the city of the Brigade commander, moving six times in twelve years. Not until 1936 was a headquarters company activated.
Between the wars, the brigade gained the distinction of procuring, and then recommending for general Army adoption, a unit communications system fabricated by the Spokane Radio Company. 1937 divisional maneuvers preceded the September, 1940 activation for World War II
. Shortly after Pearl Harbor
, the division converted from a "square" (4-regiment) to "triangular" (3-regiment) configuration, losing its 161st Infantry Regiment to the 25th Infantry Division. At this point, the component brigades were removed in favor of the more flexible regimental combat team
approach.
It took the demise of the 41st Division to bring about the return of the 81st Brigade. In the mid-'60s, the Defense Department, under Secretary Robert McNamara
, moved seriously toward abolishing the National Guard altogether. As part of the process, the 41st was disbanded. But McNamara's band of system analysts was thwarted – in part by politics, in part by the Vietnam War
. For many Guard units which had belonged to multi-state divisions, this change meant activation of separate brigades. The 81st in Washington and 41st (not 82nd) in Oregon, picked up the heritage of their respective elements. At this point, the 161st Infantry, which had been restored to the Division upon postwar reactivation in the 1940s, again became the core fighting element of the 81st.
In 1971, a reorganization converted the brigade into mechanized infantry, deleted the 2nd Battalion, 161st Infantry and added the 1st Battalion, 303rd Armor. As the latest DOD concept of Total Force completed the repudiation of McNamara's failed plan, an "affiliation program" began that linked the units of the brigade (for training) to sister units of the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis
. At least one Army officer recalls the partnership between a battalion from the 9th and (future State Adjutant General
) Lieutenant Colonel
Keith Eggan's 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry at annual training in 1973 as the very first attempt to implement the concept.
When the 9th became a "high-tech test bed" in the mid-1980s, the affiliation switched to the 4th Infantry Division. Later, the 81st became an asset of I Corps (at Fort Lewis), then assigned as an organic ("roundout") brigade to its old partner the 9th Division. While in that status, it gave up its striking Raven insignia for the division patch. When the 9th Division inactivated, a casualty of the post-Cold War
force reduction, the 81st again became a separate brigade, now with a dedicated wartime mission to augment ("roundup") the 2nd Infantry Division in the Republic of Korea.
The 81st normally conducts annual training at Yakima Training Center in Eastern Washington except in 1980 when the eruption of Mount St. Helens
and the subsequent ash-fallout forced training to be moved to Fort Lewis. The Governor has called-up the 81st to State Active Duty on several occasions to protect lives and property from natural disasters; in December, 1975 the 81st fought flood waters during the Snohomish River valley flood, in May, 1980 the eruption of Mt. St. Helens required Guard support, in November, 1990 the "Thanksgiving Day Floods" caused the Governor to declare 19 counties as federal disaster areas, and most recently from late July to early September, 1994 massive forest fires in Eastern Washington. At the height of "Firestorm '94" 2,300 81st personnel were fighting fires and providing support for local, state and federal agencies.
The 3,600-member 81st, one of the nation's 15 National Guard "enhanced readiness" or E-brigades, was federalized in November 2003 to enter the rotation for service in Iraq. Most of its troops, about 2,000, trained at and were sent from the US Army National Training Center in the Mojave Desert
at Fort Irwin, California. Many of the 81st's armored troops have been retrained on a steep learning curve as infantry.
Prior to the departure, the brigade conducted extensive convoy operation training at Fort Lewis, the National Training Center, and Camp New York, Kuwait
. 81st Brigade Combat Team soldiers set out from Kuwait equipped with tow chains, well-stocked first aid kits, and detailed plans for any type of recovery or evacuation.
As a result of their detailed preparations, the soldiers were able to handle slight mechanical break-downs that arose during the convoy north. Some vehicles that required towing were transferred to other locations for maintenance assessments while others were attached to wreckers or larger trucks and towed for the remainder of the trip north. The Military Police (MP) Platoon joined forces with other MPs to pave the way for the rest of the brigade. They controlled traffic at intersections, scanned for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and provided security at check points. The MPs also ensured that the convoy stayed on its planned course. The convoy left Kuwait well-trained and ready for anything they might encounter along the way.
Various elements of the 81st Brigade Combat Team were divided into multiple serials that comprised the three day journey. The first leg of the journey began at noon and lasted only a few hours. Soldiers moved to a location near the Kuwait
–Iraq
border where they were able to relax and brace themselves for the move into Iraq. The highlight of the first night was the food stands provided inside the camp. Hungry soldiers spent their evening waiting in the snaking lines for their pizzas and double tall mochas
. Day Two began shortly after midnight, as sleepy soldiers packed up their cots and departed on the next stretch of the trip. Although energy levels were high, many soldiers struggled to stay awake and alert during the early hours of the convoy. Once the sun rose, however, soldiers were treated to a large and varied expanse of countryside, a welcome change from the seemingly endless stretches of sand they had encountered in Kuwait. As the convoy moved north, the Iraqi population gave the 81st BCT soldiers a warm reception. Along the dusty, unimproved roads in the south, people clad in the traditional flowing robes turned away from their herds of sheep and camel to wave as the serials passed. Children gestured requests for water and food and shouted greetings to the soldiers.
Most of the 4,500 members of the 81st arrived in Iraq in April 2004, as fighting flared in Baghdad
, Fallujah
and other areas.
The 81st Brigade Combat Team accepted authority for the defense of Logistical Support Area (LSA) Anaconda in Balad from the 1st BCT of the 82nd Airborne Division during a Transfer of Authority ceremony at LSA Anaconda 18 April 2004. With numerous guests and personnel watching the ceremony, BG Oscar Hilman, 81st Brigade Combat Team Commander, accepted the job of security from Colonel Patrick Donahue II, Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade. This was the first time the 81st Brigade had served as a combat element in theater since World War II. Their movement to Iraq represented the largest deployment of the Washington State National Guard, with assigned units from California and Minnesota, since that war.
During the deployment, the 81st Brigade's units were stationed across multiple locations in and around the Baghdad area as well as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry was stationed in the Green Zone, while the 1st Battalion, 303rd Armor, was at Camp Victory South; the 181st Support Battalion was at LSA Anaconda; the 216th Air Defense Artillery (Minnesota ARNG) at Baghdad IAP; Troop E, 303rd Cavalry at Camp Doha, Kuwait; another Armor Battalion dispersed across three sites south of Baghdad; a Field Artillery Battalion in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and the 898th Engineer Battalion dispersed across multiple sites.
The 1st Battalion, 303rd Armor and the 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry of the 81st Brigade Combat Team conducted their Transfer of Authority ceremony's on 17 April with their respective out-going units. The 1st Battalion, 303rd Armor accepted authority for Camp Victory South in Baghdad from the 2d Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry, 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division during its Transfer of Authority ceremony. The 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry accepted authority from the 2d Battalion, 6th Infantry, 1st Armored Division during its Transfer of Authority ceremony in Baghdad. The 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry was responsible for the security and combat operations of a densely populated area of southeast Baghdad known as Al Zafranaya and Jsr Diayla. The battalion operated primarily out of Forward Operating Base
Gunner (later renamed to FOB Highlander in honor of the battalion's nickname), Baghdad, Iraq. For its performance in combat, the 1–161st Infantry was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation by the Department of the Army.
The largest overseas mission of the 81st Brigade was its deployment to the Middle East to combat the Iraqi Insurgency
from March 2004 to March 2005. The brigade was broken up, and its components extensively reorganized to meet the mission requirements:
A total of ten brigade soldiers died from enemy action over the course of the deployment, the majority of those from the 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry, the unit most directly involved in day-to-day combat operations.
Personnel who were members of 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry earned the Meritorious Unit Citation for their performance in OIF II, Baghdad.
Personnel who were members of Company B, 1st Battalion, 185th Army and Company A, 579th Engineer Battalion, part of Task Force Tacoma, earned the Valorous Unit Award
as a subordinate unit of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division during Operation Founding Fathers 5 January 2005 – 15 February 2005 in Mosul.
Upon its return from overseas in March 2005, the brigade began to reorganize in accordance with the Army's new "Unit of Action" Brigade design. The armor and infantry battalions became evenly filled with armor and infantry companies, and the engineer battalion reduced to two companies and made part of the battalions they had traditionally supported. The separate companies were collected into a Troops Battalion.
The 81st brigade was alerted for a FY 2009 deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Brigade received their Mobilization Order on 19 March 2008 from the Department of Defense. The Brigade completed pre-mobilization training at Fort McCoy, WI and then deployed to Iraq in the October 2009. The main focus of the brigade in OIF was security and "force protection operations." The deployment is expected to last one year including Mobilization and Demobilization time.
–
– The Brigade was lead into Iraq by Colonel Ronald Kapral and State Command Sergeant Major Robert Sweeney.
–
– During their time in Iraq, the brigade was visited by Washington state Governor Christine Gregoire and Washington Adjutant General, Brigadier General Toney.
–
–
– Troop A, 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment received the Distinguished Service Unit award. The award was received on behalf of the unit by Captain Patrick Gehring and First Sergeant Travis Wise.
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 National Guard based in Washington and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and is subordinate to the 40th Infantry Division.
Current Composition
The Brigade contains six battalions and a Headquarters and Headquarters Company. It assumed its current organizational structure in late 2005, after its return from 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....
and Kuwait
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...
.
- Headquarters Company, 81st BCT – Seattle, Washington.
- 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment 161st Infantry Regiment (United States)The 161st Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army and the Washington Army National Guard. Its 1st Battalion is a combined arms element of the 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team consisting of two infantry and two armored companies, with its headquarters in Spokane,...
(Combined Arms) consists of a Headquarters Company, two Infantry Companies, and two Armor Companies. These companies are based in SpokaneSpokane, WashingtonSpokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, KentKent, WashingtonKent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...
, Moses LakeMoses Lake, WashingtonMoses Lake is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 20,366 as of the 2010 census. Moses Lake is the largest city in Grant County.-Background:...
, BremertonBremerton, WashingtonBremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
, and PascoPasco, WashingtonPasco is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Washington, United States.Pasco is one of three cities that make up the Tri-Cities region of the state of Washington...
, respectively. - 1st Battalion, 185th Armor Regiment185th Armor Regiment (United States)The 185th Armor Regiment is a combat regiment of the United States Army consisting of soldiers from the California Army National Guard.-Lineage:...
has an identical composition to the above, but, the companies are based in ColtonColton, CaliforniaColton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The city is located in the Inland Empire region of the state and is approximately 57 miles east of Los Angeles. The population of Colton is 52,154 according to the 2010 census, up from 47,662 at the 2000 census.Colton is the...
, San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
, BanningBanning, California-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Banning had a population of 29,603. The population density was 1,281.6 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Banning was 19,164 White, 2,165 African American, 641 Native American, 1,549 Asian, 39 Pacific Islander, 4,604 from other...
, BarstowBarstow, CaliforniaBarstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 22,639 at the 2010 census, up from 21,119 at the 2000 census. Barstow is located north of San Bernardino....
, RiversideRiverside, CaliforniaRiverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, CoronaCorona, CaliforniaCorona is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 152,374, up from 124,966 at the 2000 census...
, National CityNational City, CaliforniaNational City is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.-History:...
, BakersfieldBakersfield, CaliforniaBakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, PortervillePorterville, CaliforniaPorterville is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Tulare County, California, United States. Porterville's population was 54,165 at the 2010 census. The city's population grew dramatically as the city annexed many properties and unincorporated areas in and around Porterville. Not included in the...
, PalmdalePalmdale, CaliforniaPalmdale is a city located in the center of northern Los Angeles County, California, United States.Palmdale was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city on August 24, 1962; 47 years later, voters approved creating a charter city in November, 2009. Palmdale is...
, MaderaMadera, CaliforniaMadera is a city in and the county seat of Madera County, California, United States. It is a principal city of the Madera–Chowchilla Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Madera County, and Metropolitan Fresno. It is located in California's San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2010...
, and San Diego. - 1st Squadron, 303d Cavalry Regiment is composed of 1 Headquarters Troop and 3 Cavalry troops, based in KentKent, WashingtonKent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...
, PuyallupPuyallup, WashingtonPuyallup, Washington is a city in Pierce County, Washington about five miles east of Tacoma. The population was 37,022 at the 2010 Census. Named after the Puyallup Tribe of Native Americans, Puyallup means "the generous people."-History:...
, and Bremerton, WashingtonBremerton, WashingtonBremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
, respectively. - 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment146th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 146th Field Artillery Regiment is a Field Artillery regiment of the Army National Guard. first Constituted in 1886 as the 1st, and 2nd Regiments of Infantry-Lineage:...
is composed of one Headquarters Battery and two cannon batteries, located in OlympiaOlympia, WashingtonOlympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, MontesanoMontesano, WashingtonMontesano is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,976 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Grays Harbor County.-History:Montesano was first settled in 1852 by Isaiah L. Scammon....
, and Longview, WashingtonLongview, WashingtonLongview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County...
. - 181st Support Battalion is composed of 1 Headquarters Company, 1 Supply and Transportation Company, and 1 Medical Company, all based in Seattle, Washington. It also contains a Maintenance Company in Yakima, WashingtonYakima, WashingtonYakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
, and four Forward Support Companies, based in KentKent, WashingtonKent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...
, SpokaneSpokane, WashingtonSpokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, and Centralia, WashingtonCentralia, WashingtonCentralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 16,336 at the 2010 census.-History:In pioneer days, Centralia was the halfway stopover point for stagecoaches operating between the Columbia River and Seattle. In 1850, J. G. Cochran came from Missouri with his...
, and in Barstow, CaliforniaBarstow, CaliforniaBarstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 22,639 at the 2010 census, up from 21,119 at the 2000 census. Barstow is located north of San Bernardino....
. - Special Troops Battalion contains a Headquarters Company, a Military IntelligenceMilitary intelligenceMilitary intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
Company, and a Signal Company, located in EverettEverett, WashingtonEverett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
, KentKent, WashingtonKent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...
, and Everett, Washington, respectively.
History
The 81st Armored Brigade (Separate), Washington Army National GuardWashington Army National Guard
The Washington Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the Washington National Guard based in Washington. The history of the Washington Army National Guard dates back to 1854 with formation of the Washington Territorial Militia...
, came into existence on 1 January 1968 under the command of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Albert Kaye. But its origins go back to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
In the process of mobilizing for overseas deployment in 1917, the Army determined that it needed large maneuver formations – divisions. Divisions were formed from existing small units; the 41st Division comprised National Guard elements from eight western states including Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. The combat regiments in each division were collected into one 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...
and two infantry brigades.
The 41st was one of the earliest divisions to embark for Europe in December 1917, but once there, it was tabbed to train and process replacements to fill out the rosters of other arriving divisions. Additionally, it was tasked as a depot division. While many of its soldiers were reassigned to the front, and its artillery brigade saw action and occupation duty, neither of its infantry brigades saw combat action.
Postwar reconstitution retained the division in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
and assigned the 81st Brigade, commanding the 161st Infantry Regiment
161st Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 161st Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army and the Washington Army National Guard. Its 1st Battalion is a combined arms element of the 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team consisting of two infantry and two armored companies, with its headquarters in Spokane,...
and the 163rd Infantry Regiment, to Washington. The headquarters circulated around the state to the city of the Brigade commander, moving six times in twelve years. Not until 1936 was a headquarters company activated.
Between the wars, the brigade gained the distinction of procuring, and then recommending for general Army adoption, a unit communications system fabricated by the Spokane Radio Company. 1937 divisional maneuvers preceded the September, 1940 activation for 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...
. Shortly after Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, the division converted from a "square" (4-regiment) to "triangular" (3-regiment) configuration, losing its 161st Infantry Regiment to the 25th Infantry Division. At this point, the component brigades were removed in favor of the more flexible regimental combat team
Regimental combat team
A regimental combat team was a provisional major infantry unit of the United States Army during the World War II and the Korean War, and of the U.S. Marine Corps to the present day...
approach.
It took the demise of the 41st Division to bring about the return of the 81st Brigade. In the mid-'60s, the Defense Department, under Secretary Robert McNamara
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, during which time he played a large role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War...
, moved seriously toward abolishing the National Guard altogether. As part of the process, the 41st was disbanded. But McNamara's band of system analysts was thwarted – in part by politics, in part by the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. For many Guard units which had belonged to multi-state divisions, this change meant activation of separate brigades. The 81st in Washington and 41st (not 82nd) in Oregon, picked up the heritage of their respective elements. At this point, the 161st Infantry, which had been restored to the Division upon postwar reactivation in the 1940s, again became the core fighting element of the 81st.
In 1971, a reorganization converted the brigade into mechanized infantry, deleted the 2nd Battalion, 161st Infantry and added the 1st Battalion, 303rd Armor. As the latest DOD concept of Total Force completed the repudiation of McNamara's failed plan, an "affiliation program" began that linked the units of the brigade (for training) to sister units of the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
. At least one Army officer recalls the partnership between a battalion from the 9th and (future State Adjutant General
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
) Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Keith Eggan's 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry at annual training in 1973 as the very first attempt to implement the concept.
When the 9th became a "high-tech test bed" in the mid-1980s, the affiliation switched to the 4th Infantry Division. Later, the 81st became an asset of I Corps (at Fort Lewis), then assigned as an organic ("roundout") brigade to its old partner the 9th Division. While in that status, it gave up its striking Raven insignia for the division patch. When the 9th Division inactivated, a casualty of the post-Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
force reduction, the 81st again became a separate brigade, now with a dedicated wartime mission to augment ("roundup") the 2nd Infantry Division in the Republic of Korea.
The 81st normally conducts annual training at Yakima Training Center in Eastern Washington except in 1980 when the eruption of Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is south of Seattle, Washington and northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a...
and the subsequent ash-fallout forced training to be moved to Fort Lewis. The Governor has called-up the 81st to State Active Duty on several occasions to protect lives and property from natural disasters; in December, 1975 the 81st fought flood waters during the Snohomish River valley flood, in May, 1980 the eruption of Mt. St. Helens required Guard support, in November, 1990 the "Thanksgiving Day Floods" caused the Governor to declare 19 counties as federal disaster areas, and most recently from late July to early September, 1994 massive forest fires in Eastern Washington. At the height of "Firestorm '94" 2,300 81st personnel were fighting fires and providing support for local, state and federal agencies.
The 3,600-member 81st, one of the nation's 15 National Guard "enhanced readiness" or E-brigades, was federalized in November 2003 to enter the rotation for service in Iraq. Most of its troops, about 2,000, trained at and were sent from the US Army National Training Center in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
at Fort Irwin, California. Many of the 81st's armored troops have been retrained on a steep learning curve as infantry.
Prior to the departure, the brigade conducted extensive convoy operation training at Fort Lewis, the National Training Center, and Camp New York, Kuwait
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...
. 81st Brigade Combat Team soldiers set out from Kuwait equipped with tow chains, well-stocked first aid kits, and detailed plans for any type of recovery or evacuation.
As a result of their detailed preparations, the soldiers were able to handle slight mechanical break-downs that arose during the convoy north. Some vehicles that required towing were transferred to other locations for maintenance assessments while others were attached to wreckers or larger trucks and towed for the remainder of the trip north. The Military Police (MP) Platoon joined forces with other MPs to pave the way for the rest of the brigade. They controlled traffic at intersections, scanned for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and provided security at check points. The MPs also ensured that the convoy stayed on its planned course. The convoy left Kuwait well-trained and ready for anything they might encounter along the way.
Various elements of the 81st Brigade Combat Team were divided into multiple serials that comprised the three day journey. The first leg of the journey began at noon and lasted only a few hours. Soldiers moved to a location near the Kuwait
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...
–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....
border where they were able to relax and brace themselves for the move into Iraq. The highlight of the first night was the food stands provided inside the camp. Hungry soldiers spent their evening waiting in the snaking lines for their pizzas and double tall mochas
Cafe Mocha
A caffè mocha or café mochaAs elsewhere in coffee naming, the Italian caffè and French café are commonly found, as are the hyperforeignisms caffé and cafè, which confuse the accents. Also, in Italian, the correct spelling is Moka, used both for the city and the Moka pot. "Mocha", by contrast, is...
. Day Two began shortly after midnight, as sleepy soldiers packed up their cots and departed on the next stretch of the trip. Although energy levels were high, many soldiers struggled to stay awake and alert during the early hours of the convoy. Once the sun rose, however, soldiers were treated to a large and varied expanse of countryside, a welcome change from the seemingly endless stretches of sand they had encountered in Kuwait. As the convoy moved north, the Iraqi population gave the 81st BCT soldiers a warm reception. Along the dusty, unimproved roads in the south, people clad in the traditional flowing robes turned away from their herds of sheep and camel to wave as the serials passed. Children gestured requests for water and food and shouted greetings to the soldiers.
Most of the 4,500 members of the 81st arrived in Iraq in April 2004, as fighting flared in 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...
, Fallujah
Fallujah
Fallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Jewish academies for many centuries....
and other areas.
The 81st Brigade Combat Team accepted authority for the defense of Logistical Support Area (LSA) Anaconda in Balad from the 1st BCT of the 82nd Airborne Division during a Transfer of Authority ceremony at LSA Anaconda 18 April 2004. With numerous guests and personnel watching the ceremony, BG Oscar Hilman, 81st Brigade Combat Team Commander, accepted the job of security from Colonel Patrick Donahue II, Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade. This was the first time the 81st Brigade had served as a combat element in theater since World War II. Their movement to Iraq represented the largest deployment of the Washington State National Guard, with assigned units from California and Minnesota, since that war.
During the deployment, the 81st Brigade's units were stationed across multiple locations in and around the Baghdad area as well as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry was stationed in the Green Zone, while the 1st Battalion, 303rd Armor, was at Camp Victory South; the 181st Support Battalion was at LSA Anaconda; the 216th Air Defense Artillery (Minnesota ARNG) at Baghdad IAP; Troop E, 303rd Cavalry at Camp Doha, Kuwait; another Armor Battalion dispersed across three sites south of Baghdad; a Field Artillery Battalion in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and the 898th Engineer Battalion dispersed across multiple sites.
The 1st Battalion, 303rd Armor and the 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry of the 81st Brigade Combat Team conducted their Transfer of Authority ceremony's on 17 April with their respective out-going units. The 1st Battalion, 303rd Armor accepted authority for Camp Victory South in Baghdad from the 2d Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry, 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division during its Transfer of Authority ceremony. The 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry accepted authority from the 2d Battalion, 6th Infantry, 1st Armored Division during its Transfer of Authority ceremony in Baghdad. The 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry was responsible for the security and combat operations of a densely populated area of southeast Baghdad known as Al Zafranaya and Jsr Diayla. The battalion operated primarily out of Forward Operating Base
Forward Operating Base
A forward operating base is any secured forward military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support tactical operations. A FOB may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, or other facilities. The base may be used for an extended period of time. FOBs are traditionally supported...
Gunner (later renamed to FOB Highlander in honor of the battalion's nickname), Baghdad, Iraq. For its performance in combat, the 1–161st Infantry was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation by the Department of the Army.
The largest overseas mission of the 81st Brigade was its deployment to the Middle East to combat the Iraqi Insurgency
Iraqi insurgency
The Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...
from March 2004 to March 2005. The brigade was broken up, and its components extensively reorganized to meet the mission requirements:
| Unit | Organizational Notes | Area of Operation |
|---|---|---|
| 81st Bde (-) | HQ, 181st Armor Brigade | LSA Anaconda |
| 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry; 1st Battalion, 303d Armor | Attached to 1st Cavalry Division | Central and Southeast 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... |
| "Task Force Tacoma" | Company A, 1st Battalion, 185th Armor (after fall 2004); Company B, 1st Battalion, 185th Armor; Company B, 160th Infantry (CA Army National Guard); Company A, 579th Engineer Battalion (CA Army National Guard); and other elements. Attached to 1st Infantry Division | Area surrounding LSA Anaconda (2004), Mosul Mosul Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial... (2005) |
| 1st Battalion, 185th Armor(-) | Minus Company B, 1st Battalion, 185th Armor, and Company A, 1st Battalion, 185th Armor after fall 2004 | Various sites in Southern Iraq |
| 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery; Troop E, 303d Cavalry | Troop E, 303d Cavalry 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... |
Various sites in Kuwait 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... , Battery B, 2d Battalion, 146th Field Artillery in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World... |
A total of ten brigade soldiers died from enemy action over the course of the deployment, the majority of those from the 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry, the unit most directly involved in day-to-day combat operations.
Personnel who were members of 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry earned the Meritorious Unit Citation for their performance in OIF II, Baghdad.
Personnel who were members of Company B, 1st Battalion, 185th Army and Company A, 579th Engineer Battalion, part of Task Force Tacoma, earned the Valorous Unit Award
Valorous Unit Award
The Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...
as a subordinate unit of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division during Operation Founding Fathers 5 January 2005 – 15 February 2005 in Mosul.
Upon its return from overseas in March 2005, the brigade began to reorganize in accordance with the Army's new "Unit of Action" Brigade design. The armor and infantry battalions became evenly filled with armor and infantry companies, and the engineer battalion reduced to two companies and made part of the battalions they had traditionally supported. The separate companies were collected into a Troops Battalion.
-
-
- 2008 OIF Deployment:::
-
The 81st brigade was alerted for a FY 2009 deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Brigade received their Mobilization Order on 19 March 2008 from the Department of Defense. The Brigade completed pre-mobilization training at Fort McCoy, WI and then deployed to Iraq in the October 2009. The main focus of the brigade in OIF was security and "force protection operations." The deployment is expected to last one year including Mobilization and Demobilization time.
-
- 2008 OIF Brigade Leadership::
–
– The Brigade was lead into Iraq by Colonel Ronald Kapral and State Command Sergeant Major Robert Sweeney.
–
– During their time in Iraq, the brigade was visited by Washington state Governor Christine Gregoire and Washington Adjutant General, Brigadier General Toney.
–
-
- Distinguished Service Unit::
–
– Troop A, 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment received the Distinguished Service Unit award. The award was received on behalf of the unit by Captain Patrick Gehring and First Sergeant Travis Wise.
Notable members
- Benigno G. TaboraBenigno G. TaboraBenigno G. Tabora was an American veteran of both World War II and the Korean War. Tabora was one of the last of an increasingly dwindling group of veterans who survived the Bataan Death March in May 1942 after the Japanese captured the Philippines during World War II. He spent eight months as a...
– Sergeant Major, World War II. Purple HeartPurple HeartThe Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
recipient - Daniel P Unger – Private First Class, United States Army National Guard, 1st Battalion, 185th Armor, Operation Iraqi Freedom Purple HeartPurple HeartThe Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
recipient, KIA Camp Kalsu 2004. - Lorin Bannermann, husband Stacy Bannermann, author of "When the War Came Home: The Inside Story of Reservists and the Families They Leave Behind," covering the 81st's initial mobilization and the impact on its members and their families.http://www.stacybannerman.com/