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86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) ("The Vermont Brigade")is a Vermont National Guard
light infantry
brigade
. It was reorganized from an armored brigade into a light infantry brigade as part of the United States Army
's transformation for the 21st century. The 86th IBCT utilizes the Army's Mountain Warfare school
, co-located at Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho, Vermont, to train in individual military mountaineering skills. This is a capability the army had lost after the 10th Mountain Division inactivated after World War II, except for 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment, which has its subordinate units split between Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
. When that division inactivated in 1993, the 86th Brigade joined the 42nd Infantry Division. The brigade was deployed with various elements and attachments, to Iraq in 2004–2005 as Task Force Redleg, on a security mission to Kuwait in 2004 as Task Force Green Mountain, redeploying in 2005. In 2006, the brigade was re-designated as the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) and began a transformation from a "heavy" brigade to a specialized light infantry formation, using 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), which was not a subordinate unit of the brigade before that time, as the nucleus. Turning Armor formations into infantry and cavalry units while adding 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry from Connecticut, the brigade slowly formed from 2006 to 2008. The 86th IBCT welcomed the addition of the 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment from the Massachusetts Army National Guard on 14 September 2008. The 86th IBCT mobilized in December 2009 at Camp Atterbury
, Indiana and completed a JRTC
rotation at Fort Polk
prior to deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom
. The 86th IBCT returned home in December 2010 after being replaced by 2nd IBCT, 34th Infantry Division.
Vermont National Guard
The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Green Mountain Boys, despite the inclusion of women in both branches since the mid-twentieth century. Flag of the Green Mountain Boys as their banner...
light infantry
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
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...
. It was reorganized from an armored brigade into a light infantry brigade as part 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...
's transformation for the 21st century. The 86th IBCT utilizes the Army's Mountain Warfare school
Army Mountain Warfare School (United States)
The Army Mountain Warfare School is an Army school located at the Ethan Allen Firing Range, Jericho, Vermont to train soldiers in the specialized skills required for operating in mountainous terrain.-Purpose:...
, co-located at Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho, Vermont, to train in individual military mountaineering skills. This is a capability the army had lost after the 10th Mountain Division inactivated after World War II, except for 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment, which has its subordinate units split between Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
History
In the period before World War II, as the army reorganized from "square" to "triangular" divisions, the 86th Brigade was reorganized into the 43rd Reconnaissance Troop. In 1968 the brigade was assigned to the 50th Armored Division. In 1988, the brigade was reassigned to the 26th Infantry Division26th Infantry Division (United States)
The 26th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army. As a major formation of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, it was based in Boston, Massachusetts for most of its history...
. When that division inactivated in 1993, the 86th Brigade joined the 42nd Infantry Division. The brigade was deployed with various elements and attachments, to Iraq in 2004–2005 as Task Force Redleg, on a security mission to Kuwait in 2004 as Task Force Green Mountain, redeploying in 2005. In 2006, the brigade was re-designated as the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) and began a transformation from a "heavy" brigade to a specialized light infantry formation, using 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), which was not a subordinate unit of the brigade before that time, as the nucleus. Turning Armor formations into infantry and cavalry units while adding 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry from Connecticut, the brigade slowly formed from 2006 to 2008. The 86th IBCT welcomed the addition of the 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment from the Massachusetts Army National Guard on 14 September 2008. The 86th IBCT mobilized in December 2009 at Camp Atterbury
Camp Atterbury
Camp Atterbury, near Edinburgh, Indiana, USA, is a training base of the Indiana National Guard. It was planned just months before the U.S. entry into World War II. Originally surveyed and researched by the Hurd Company, the present site was recommended to Congress in 1941. Construction commenced...
, Indiana and completed a JRTC
Fort Polk
Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately 7 miles east of Leesville, Louisiana and 20 miles north of DeRidder, Louisiana....
rotation at Fort Polk
Fort Polk
Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately 7 miles east of Leesville, Louisiana and 20 miles north of DeRidder, Louisiana....
prior to deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
. The 86th IBCT returned home in December 2010 after being replaced by 2nd IBCT, 34th Infantry Division.
Order of battle
- 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry (RSTA)
- 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry (Mountain) (Connecticut Army National GuardConnecticut Army National GuardThe Connecticut Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
) - 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry (Mountain) (Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire Army National Guard)
- 1st Battalion, 101st Field ArtilleryArtilleryOriginally 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...
(Massachusetts and Vermont Army National Guard) - 86th Brigade Special Troops Battalion
- 186 Brigade Support Battalion