Insignia of the United States Army Separate Infantry Brigades

At the time of this writing there was a total of 40 separate Infantry Brigades (Inf. Bde.), Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs), Heavy Brigade Combat Teams, Light Infantry Brigades (LIBs) and an Airborne Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), 39 of which were active duty and one (11^th LIB) currently deactivated. 

11th Infantry Brigade (Light)  

The 11th Infantry Brigade (Light) was first formed as part of the United States Army's 6th Division during World War I, however it is best known for its service as a separate Brigade in the Vietnam War. It was active from 1967 through 1971.

27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT "Empire")

It is an Infantry brigade of the New York Army National Guard, one of the brigades that make up the 42nd Infantry Division. The state mission of the 27th Infantry Brigade is to maintain a manned, trained and equipped force capable of rapid deployment to any area within New York to aid civil authorities. Operations may consist of assistance for natural disasters, civil disturbances and other emergency situations beyond the capabilities of civil authorities.

On August 1, 2007, the unit was re-designated as the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, as part of the Army's move to a "modular" force, and it lost its former status as a separate brigade. Retaining its historic shoulder patch-from the 27th Infantry Division, the 27th became, once again, a component of the 42nd Infantry Division.

29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (29th IBCT)

It is the largest unit in the Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG). Since 1995, the brigade has been one of the nation's 15 elite enhanced readiness brigades. This distinction means that the 29th must be trained and equipped to deploy within 90 days of a federal call-up. The brigade has become a truly pan-Pacific brigade with units located on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Molokai, and Kauai; in the states of Arizona, California, Minnesota, and Oregon; and, on the Pacific islands of American Samoa and Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team (30th HBCT "Old Hickory")

It is a modular heavy brigade of the United States Army National Guard.

The unit is composed of units from North Carolina and West Virginia. It was formed from the remains of the downsized 30th Infantry Division of World War II fame. It was nicknamed the "Old Hickory" brigade, in honor of Andrew Jackson, due to the original division being composed of National Guard units from areas where he lived. In 1974 the 30th Infantry Division ceased to exist and its units were divided amongst the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia Army National Guards. The 30th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) from North Carolina was chosen to carry on the lineage of the 30th Infantry Division.

The brigade was affiliated with the 24th Infantry Division on June 5, 1999 during the division's reactivation ceremony as part of the active/reserve component integrated division concept. In February 2004 the brigade began a year-long deployment to the Diyala Governorate in Iraq. With the deployment, 30th Infantry Brigade became the first National Guard Brigade Combat Team to deploy to a war since the Korean War 50 years earlier. The brigade was also the first National Guard brigade to have its own area of operation in Iraq.

32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (32nd IBCT "Red Arrow")

It is an infantry brigade in the United States Army National Guard. It is the largest unit in the Wisconsin National Guard.

Formed in 1967 from the deactivated 32nd Infantry Division, the Red Arrow Brigade is formed of three battalions of light infantry as well as support and engineer units.

In April 1971, the Brigade was converted to a mechanized brigade and became the 32nd “Red Arrow” Infantry Brigade (Separate) (Mechanized), Wisconsin National Guard. On October 1, 2001, the Brigade was reorganized as the 32nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) (Light), Wisconsin National Guard. The 32nd Brigade was no longer attached to the 34th ID and was again a separate brigade. The Brigade was reorganized again in September 2007 as the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Wisconsin Army National Guard.

33d Infantry Brigade Combat Team (33 IBCT)

As part of the Army's transformation towards a modular force, in 2005, the title and composition of the 66th Infantry Brigade was changed to the 33d Infantry Brigade.

The 33rd Brigade is one of the maneuver brigades of the 35th Infantry Division (Mechanized), headquartered at Fort Leavenworth, KS. The Brigade, with a total personnel strength of approximately 3,500 soldiers, has units located throughout Illinois. A light air assault unit, the brigade serves as the spearhead for the heavier mechanized infantry division. As an air assault brigade, it has few wheeled vehicles and relies on aircraft for mobility.

36th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (36th IBCT)

The lineage and honors of the 36th Brigade can be traced back to the 36th Infantry Division, which was originally organized at Camp Bowie (Fort Worth), TX, on 18 July 1917, and which drew from units of the Texas and Oklahoma National Guard. After taking part in operations in France during World War I, the unit was reorganized into 2 separate units, an "all Texas" division, while its Oklahoma units sub-components joined to form part of the 45th Infantry Division.

The Division was mobilized on 25 November 1940, and placed on active duty station at Camp Bowie, before transferring overseas to North Africa and Italy. In the process, the 36th became the first American combat division to land in Europe. Upon its return home, the unit was reorganized as part of the Texas National Guard and was deactivated in 1968. With the inactivation of the 49th Armored Division, the 36th Brigade assumed the lineage and honors of the 36th Infantry Division.

37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Buckeye")

The 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is the largest combat arms unit in the Ohio Army National Guard. Part of the 38th Infantry Division, it carries the lineage and honors of the 37th Infantry Division, and is known as the "Buckeye Brigade." Although majority belong to the Ohio Army National Guard, two battalions are based in Michigan and belong to the Michigan National Guard. The 37th IBCT has been called to service for the Global war on Terror, in theaters of Iraq and Afghanistan.

39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("The Arkansas Brigade" or the “Bowie Team”)

The 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("The Arkansas Brigade" or the “Bowie Team”), was formerly called the 39th Infantry Brigade (Separate).

It is a combat brigade of the United States Army made up of soldiers from the Arkansas Army National Guard. The 39th IBCT was one of 15 National Guard brigades designated as an enhanced Separate Brigade. Brigades with this designation received higher levels of training, more advanced equipment, and higher troop levels than normal National Guard brigades. It also made these brigades a self-contained combat unit capable of intelligence, reconnaissance, maneuver, fire support, combat service support, and command and control without having to require attachments or detachments during deployments. In 2005, it was converted to the standard modular IBCT design as part of Army transformation.

The 39th IBCT is the largest National Guard command in Arkansas. It is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was placed in federal service on October 12, 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. The 39th was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division and served in and around Baghdad for a year, returning to the United States in March 2005.

41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Sunset")

It is an element in the Oregon Army National Guard. Headquartered in Tigard, Oregon, it was part of the 7th Infantry Division based at Ft. Carson in Colorado (inactivated in 2006). The Brigade traces its lineage back to the 41st Infantry Division. In the spring of 2006, BG Pritt and the brigade joined the personnel already in Afghanistan making the total force approximately 950 soldiers marking the first major deployment of the brigade to a combat zone since World War II.

Most recently, the 41st IBCT deployed to Iraq, under the command of Colonel Dan Hokanson, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team "Thunderbird"

It is a modular Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the United States Army headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is a part of the Oklahoma Army National Guard.

Formed from the downsized 45th Infantry Division which saw action during World War II and the Korean War, the 45th Infantry Brigade was activated in 1968 and assigned to training duties for active duty army units for most of its history. Selected as an "enhanced" brigade in 1994, the 45th saw deployment as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in the wake of the Bosnian War, being among the first National Guard soldiers to see duty in Bosnia. Its first deployment to Afghanistan to train soldiers of the Afghan Army was followed by a deployment to Iraq to assist in the turning over of American military bases to Iraqi forces.

The brigade received all heraldry, lineage and honors from the 45th Infantry Division, including its Shoulder Sleeve Insignia and campaign streamers for combat in World War II and Korea. It has since received several of its own decorations for participation in the subsequent conflicts.

48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Macon Volunteers")

It is a modular infantry brigade of the Georgia Army National Guard.

One of the oldest units in US Army history, the lineage of the 48th Infantry Brigade can be traced back to 1825. It is one of few units in the US Military that also saw service as a unit of the Confederate States of America during the US Civil War.

50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Jersey Blues")

It is an infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army National Guard of New Jersey. It is headquartered at the Lawrenceville Armory.

The brigade's lineage can be traced back to several different units starting with the 50th Armored Division. The force structure of the Brigade was changed in 2008 when the conversion to the 50th IBCT occurred. The new force structure now consists of the 102nd Cavalry Regiment, the 1-114th Infantry and 2-113th Light Infantry Battalions, the 112th Fires Battalion, the 50th Special Troops Battalion and the 250th Brigade Support Battalion. Equipment was mostly brought up to current Army standards and all heavy assets were given up.

53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team

It is a modular infantry brigade of the Florida Army National Guard.

The 53rd Infantry Brigade is the largest National Guard unit in the state of Florida. The brigade was one of fifteen enhanced readiness brigades, designed and trained to support active duty divisions. The 53rd Infantry Brigade includes 32 Units in Florida with 4,166 Authorized Personnel.

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the Non-color Bearing Units of the 53d Armored Brigade on January 9, 1967. It was redesignated for the 53d Infantry Brigade on July 25, 1968.

76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Night Hawks")

It is a modular infantry brigade of the United States Army National Guard of Indiana.

On the 1st of March 1963, the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 1st Brigade of the 38th Infantry Division was born. Less than 20 months later it was renamed the 76th Infantry Brigade known as the "Blue Devil" Brigade. The 76th Infantry Brigade (Separate), the Nighthawk Brigade, was formed on 1 September 1994 at Indianapolis out of the remnants of Blue Devil Brigade. The Nighthawk Brigade was selected to be one of the 15 Enhanced Brigades with a charter to achieve and maintain a higher state of readiness than previously expected of National Guard Brigades. Accepting this mission with an unmatched fervor, the unit relied heavily on the existing Infantry Regiments. The lineage of each combat regiment still in Indiana can be found within the brigade.

79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Thunderbolt")

It is an infantry brigade of the United States Army National Guard in the state of California.

The 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was originally made up of the 50th and 90th Infantry Regiments and served as part of the 20th Infantry Division from October 1918 to February 1919. During its existence, the shoulder patch used by this unit was that of the 40th Armored Brigade, who was authorized use of the same SSI on 2 February 1970. However, the unit never had official authorization from the Institute of Heraldry to do so.

In late 2008, the 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was redesignated as the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team without changing its composition. The IBCT was originally activated in 2005 as part of the reorganization of the California National Guard, which in turn was part of the restructuring of the total US Army. The Army is restructuring and moving from the Division to the Brigade as the primary building block of Combat Power. To this effect the 2nd and 3rd Brigades of the 40th Infantry Division of the California Army National Guard were merged into the 79th IBCT. As of February 2007, most of the brigade was stateside. However, individual soldiers were in Iraq working in other active duty units.

81st Armored Brigade Combat Team “Washington Rifles”

It is a modular brigade of the United States Army National Guard in Washington and California.

The Brigade contains six battalions and a Headquarters and Headquarters Company. It assumed its current organizational structure in late 2005, after its return from Iraq and Kuwait. 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.

86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) ("The Vermont Brigade”)

It 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 brigade commander is taking advantage of the state's (and the Army's only) Mountain Warfare school to transform the brigade into specialized mountain troops. This is a capability the Army had lost after the 10th Mountain Division inactivated after World War II, except for one battalion split between the north-eastern states.

116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

 It was formerly known as the 1st Brigade, 29th Infantry Division. It is currently assigned to the Virginia Army National Guard. The Brigade is headquartered in Staunton, Virginia, at the Thomas Howie Memorial Armory.

The brigade had its own shoulder patch which was most recently worn in 2006-2008. The shoulder sleeve insignia depicted Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson mounted on his horse, a reference to the 116th's lineage as the Stonewall Brigade. The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for the 116th Infantry Brigade on 26 May 1978. The patch's nickname is “Stony on a Pony”. Due to political and historical reasons the 116th continued to wear the patch of the 29th Infantry Division until 2006, when Virginia's leaders decided instead to designate the unit the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and adopt the shoulder sleeve insignia of the former 116th Infantry Brigade, the famed “Stonewall Brigade.” That patch sports a profile of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, the legendary Confederate commander from Virginia, astride his horse.

The brigade now wears the 29th Infantry Division patch once again.

120th Infantry Brigade

It is an AC/RC unit based at Fort Hood, Texas.

The unit falls under command of First Army, Division West and is responsible for training selected United States Army Reserve & National Guard units in Texas & the South-Western U.S.

158th Infantry Brigade

It has subordinate battalions throughout Florida and Puerto Rico.

The 158th Infantry Brigade is an AC/RC unit based at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The unit is responsible for training selected United States Army Reserve and National Guard units in Florida and Puerto Rico. The brigade was activated using the assets of the 2nd Brigade, 87th Division. The brigade is a subordinate unit of U.S. First Army.

162nd Infantry Brigade

It is an Infantry training brigade of the United States Army, specializing in Foreign Security Forces Transition Team Training.

165th Infantry Brigade

It no longer serves a combat role, and instead is a training unit of the United States Army. The unit was re-activated on 26 January 2007 as headquarters and Headquarters Company, 165th Infantry Brigade and transferred to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command; Headquarters concurrently activated at Fort Jackson, South Carolina to serve as a Training Brigade.

170th Infantry Brigade

The 170th Infantry Brigade 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 flag will transfer to Ft. Bliss, Texas, joining other elements of the 1st Armored Division. The 170th Infantry Brigade is organized as an enlarged hybrid of the Army of Excellence (AOE) and modular brigade designs, as it incorporates both organic artillery and engineer battalions together with three infantry and armor units. However, the 170th may return to the United States in 2012 or 2013; where it may convert to a modular heavy brigade combat team, subordinate to the 1st Armored Division, depending on the outcome of discussions to leave two heavy brigades in Europe.

171st Infantry Brigade

The 171st Infantry Brigade is an infantry brigade of the United States Army based in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. With a long history of serving, the Brigade saw action during both World War I and World War II before it was inactivated in 1946. During the Cold War (in 1962) the brigade was once again activated for a period of ten years until again inactivated in 1972. In 2007 the brigade was reactivated as a support training unit.

172nd Infantry Brigade

It is an infantry brigade of the United States Army headquartered at Grafenwöhr, Germany. An active duty separate brigade, it is part of V Corps and is one of three active-duty, separate, combat brigades in the U.S. Army.

First activated in 1917, the brigade was deployed to France during World War I and used to reinforce front-line units. The brigade's actions in France during that time are not completely clear. It would later be converted to a reconnaissance unit that was deployed during World War II and saw several months of combat in the European Theater. Most recently, the brigade has served a tour of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2005 until 2006. Its infamous 16-month deployment was one of the longest deployments for a unit serving in that campaign.

The unit has been activated and deactivated numerous times, and has also seen several redesignations. The 172nd was one of the first brigade combat teams before it was deactivated in 2006. Reactivated in 2008 from another reflagged unit, it immediately prepared for another tour of duty in Iraq.

173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team ("Sky Soldiers")

It is an airborne infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States European Command's conventional airborne strategic response force for Europe.

Activated in 1915, as the 173rd Infantry Brigade, the unit saw service in World War I, but is best known for its actions during the Vietnam War. The brigade was the first major United States Army ground formation deployed in Vietnam, serving there May 1965–1971 and losing almost 1,800 soldiers. Noted for its roles in Operation Hump and Operation Junction City, the 173rd is best known for the Battle of Dak To, where it suffered heavy casualties in close combat with North Vietnamese forces. Brigade members received over 7,700 decorations, including more than 6,000 Purple Hearts. The brigade returned to the United States, where it was inactivated in 1972.

Since its reactivation in 2000, the brigade has served four tours of the Middle East. The 173rd participated in the initial invasion of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, and had tours in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 2005–2006,2007–2008 and 2009-2010. The brigade returned from duty in eastern Afghanistan in Dec 2010.

174th Infantry Brigade

 It is an infantry brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. A U.S. Army Reserve training unit, the brigade provides operational training readiness for units in the First Army.

Tracing its lineage back to the American Civil War, the brigade was deployed for both World War I and World War II. Reorganized and redesignated numerous times, the 174th Infantry Brigade has been a reserve unit of the United States Army for most of its existence, seeing only short stints in the Active Duty forces and a combat role.

Reactivated in 2006 as a training unit, the brigade is responsible for preparing other soldiers of the Reserve and National guard for deployment through battle training in maneuvers, equipment, and other details. As such, many personnel in the brigade are instructors who are themselves combat veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

181st Infantry Brigade

It is an infantry brigade of the United States Army based at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. As an Active Component/Reserve Component (AC/RC) brigade, the unit serves primarily in a training role for other units of the US Armed forces. The brigade is subordinate to the First United States Army, headquartered at Fort Gillem, Georgia.[2] It has six prime components.[3]

The unit is responsible for training selected United States Army Reserve and Army National Guard units in the Central-Northern United States. The unit was formerly designated as 2nd Brigade, 85th Division. The brigade was redesignated and re-missioned several times: such as in 1999, when the 181st was merged with the 2nd Brigade, 85th Division and carried that name and lineage. The 181st Infantry Brigade currently falls under the Division West, 1st Army Headquartered at Fort Carson, Colorado.

188th Infantry Brigade

It is an infantry brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. It is a subordinate unit of the First United States Army, Division East.

Active from 1921 to 1942 as part of the 94th Infantry Division, the brigade was transformed into a reconnaissance troop during and after World War II, supporting the 94th Division as it fought in Europe. Activated again from 1997—1999 and again in 2006, the unit gained responsibility for conducting training for other reserve component army units with a variety of purposes. Today, the unit is responsible for training selected United States Army Reserve and National Guard units East of the Mississippi River.

189th Infantry Brigade

It is an Infantry brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It is a training brigade of the United States Army Reserve and is subordinate to the First Army.

Originally organized as a part of the 95th Infantry Division for World War I, the brigade never saw combat in that conflict. Kept active and in the reserve through much of the 20th century, the brigade in name was reorganized into a different unit for fighting during World War II. Seeing numerous moves, activations and deactivations, the brigade has been used principally as a training unit for most of its existence. Reactivated again in 2006, the brigade is now primarily responsible for training Provincial Reconstruction Teams and their supporting elements for deployment to the War in Afghanistan.

191st Infantry Brigade

The brigade, was first formed as part of the United States Army Reserve's 95th Division. In December 2006, the 191st Brigade was activated using the personnel & assets of 4th Brigade, 91st Division (Training Support) and assumed the mission to train Army Reserve & National Guard units.

192nd Infantry Brigade

It was first formed as part of the United States Army Reserve's 96th Division. As part of the triangularization of the US Army before World War II, the Brigade was inactivated and the assets & personnel formed the 96th Reconnaissance Troop. The 192nd Infantry Brigade has been reactivated at Fort Benning, Georgia to serve as the Basic Combat Training Brigade.

193rd Infantry Brigade

It is a United States Army infantry brigade, which was originally constituted in the Army's organized reserves on 24 June 1922 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 193rd Infantry Brigade and assigned to the 97th Division. The brigade was reorganized and reconstituted in February 1942 as the 97th Reconnaissance Troop, 97th Division. In February 1943, the Troop was ordered to active military service and organized at Camp Swift, Texas. Reorganized and redesignated October 1945 as the 97th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop. The 97th Reconnaissance Troop landed at Le Havre, France, 2 March 1945 as part of the 97th Infantry Division. 97th Mechanized Reconnaissance Troop inactivated March 1946 in Japan. Converted and redesignated in July 1962 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 193rd Infantry Brigade, it was relieved from assignment to the 97th Infantry Division.

On 14 October 1994 after more than 32 years of providing ground defense for Panama, 193rd Infantry Brigade was 'honored' as the first major unit to inactivate in accordance with the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, treaty implementation plan, which mandated U.S. Forces withdrawal from Panama by December 1999.

On 31 January 2007, the 193rd Infantry Brigade was reactivated at Fort Jackson, South Carolina with the mission to conduct basic combat training for new entrants to the Army. It has replaced the 172d Infantry Brigade in this task; however both the 193d and 172d have a headquarters and personnel on post.

196th Light Infantry Brigade, also known as "Chargers" or Charger Brigade

It was first formed on June 24, 1921 as part of the United States Army Reserve's 98th Division with the responsibility of training soldiers. During World War II, the 98th initially defended Kauai, Hawaii and Maui, Hawaii, and finally was responsible for defending Oahu, Hawaii later in the war. The Division began intensive training in May 1945 to prepare for the invasion of Japan, but the war ended before they could depart Hawaii. However, the unit arrived in Japan for occupation duty as the 3rd Platoon, 98th Reconnaissance Troop Mechanized, of the 98th Infantry Division, where it eventually was inactivated on February 16, 1946, in Charlottte NC.

The 196th LIB was reactivated again in September 1965 at Fort Devens, where it was originally scheduled to be sent to the Dominican Republic, but was rushed to Vietnam on July 15, 1966. The 196th left Vietnam on June 29, 1972 as the last combat brigade to leave in Vietnam.

On May 26, 1998, the 196th was reactivated during a ceremony at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. The new brigade assists reserve units in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, American Samoa, and Japan, as a Training Support Brigade, providing support to Reserve Component Forces throughout the Pacific area.

197th Infantry Brigade "Forever Forward”

The 197th Infantry Brigade accesses and trains Soldiers and Infantry leaders in a variety of schools and courses demonstrating Infantry tactics. The brigade also provides subject matter expertise, develops doctrine and supports the United States Army Infantry School to provide the Army with Soldiers and leaders prepared to fight and win, specializing in desert and jungle combat, as well as in urban warfare. During operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, the 197th was the 1st Infantry Brigade on the ground and spearheaded the attack into Iraq as a part of the 24th Infantry Division. The brigade was the first to reach their objectives and moved further north in to Iraq, going farther than any other unit at the time, and, allegedly - faster than any military unit in history [Edited on Nov.12, 2012. Factual corrections and additional info provided by Todd "Wick" Wickenhauser, 197th Desert Storm Veteran]. 

198th Light Infantry Brigade

The 198th Infantry Brigade, was first formed as part of the United States Army Reserve's 99th Division. It was active from 1967 through 1971. The 198th Infantry Brigade has been reactivated at Fort Benning, Georgia in 2007 to serve as the Infantry Training Brigade.

199th Infantry Brigade (Light) (the Redcatchers)

It is a major combat unit of the United States Army which served in the Reserves from 1921–1940, in the active Army from 1966 to 1970 (serving in the Vietnam War) briefly in 1991–1992 at Fort Lewis, and from 2007 as an active Army training formation at Fort Benning. On 27 June 2007 as part of the Transformation of the US Army, the 11th Infantry Regiment was redesignated the 199th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning.

205th Infantry Brigade

The 205th Infantry Brigade, was first formed as part of the United States Army Reserve's 103rd Division. It was active from 1921 to 1942 and then from 1963 through 1994, and then reformed in 2006.

It was initially formed within the Organized Reserve Corps in Arizona and New Mexico, including the 409th and 410th Regiments. In December 2006, the 205th Infantry Brigade was activated using the personnel and assets of 3rd Brigade, 85th Division (Training Support) and assumed the mission to train Army Reserve and National Guard units. The 205th Infantry Brigade is a Multi-Component Team consisting of active, reserve and National Guard Soldiers and DA civilians with a primary focus being post-mobilization training of U.S. Army forces bound to support Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Multi National Task Force (East), Kosovo. The brigade primarily operates and trains at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. The brigade also has the mission of training Army Reserve units in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana to ensure their combat readiness.

256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team "Louisiana Brigade".

It is a modular Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Louisiana Army National Guard. It is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana.

During train up for operations in the spring, summer and fall of 2004, the 256th Infantry Brigade was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. The Brigade then completed a NTC rotation at Fort Irwin, California. The brigade spent another month training in the desert of Camp Buehring, Kuwait prior to moving into Iraq.

In 2004-2005 the 256th Brigade was sent to Iraq as part of OIF III (Operation Iraqi Freedom III, the third U.S. military rotation of forces into the area of operations).

To active duty or reserve military personnel, veterans and their family members: I grant an explicit permission to download the above images to be used for non-profit/non-commercial and charitable causes, benefiting troops and their families, as well as for non-commercial internal duty-specific purposes, such as unit website design, training materials and presentations. 

Emblems of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalions

Interestingly enough, there is a story behind my latest USMC designs. So it happened, that I was contacted via this blog by a representative of “Hearts for Heroes”, requesting permission to use a couple of my USMC designs for a non-profit charity flyer. It turns out they are organizing a drive to collect donations and purchase TRX devices, special cold weather gear, and protective/specialized equipment for a Marine Special Operations unit, the 2^nd Marine Special Operations Battalion (2^nd MSOB),  currently deployed in the mountains of Afghanistan.  Keep an eye on their progress (“HeartsforHeroes” is coming soon to Facebook )

They requested my USMC Emblem, MARSOC Emblem, as well as the emblem of the 2^nd MSOB, which I did not yet have in my collection. I have seen this as a perfect opportunity for creating insignia of the three Marine Special Operations Battalions, which constitute The Marine Special Operations Regiment (MSOR).

Here you can see freshly-minted emblems of the  1st MSOB ,2nd MSOB  

and 3rd MSOB

1st Marine Special Operations Battalion

The 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion was activated on October 26, 2006, and is headquartered at Camp Pendleton, California.

1st Marine Special Operations Battalion (1st MSOB) is organized, trained and equipped to deploy for worldwide missions as directed by MARSOC. It will consist of four Marine Special Operations Companies (MSOCs) and be task-organized with personnel uniquely skilled in reconnaissance, communications, special equipment support, intelligence, and fire-support.

2^nd  Marine Special Operations Battalion

The 2d Marine Special Operations Battalion activated May 15, 2006, and is headquartered at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

2d MSOB is organized, trained and equipped to deploy for worldwide missions as directed by MARSOC. It will consist of five Marine Special Operations Companies (MSOCs) and be task-organized with personnel uniquely skilled in special equipment support, intelligence and fire-support.

Each MSOC is commanded by a Marine Major and capable of deploying task-organized expeditionary Special Operations Forces for conduct of special reconnaissance and direct action missions in support of the geographic combatant commanders.

3d Marine Special Operations Battalion

The 3d Marine Special Operations Battalion (3d MSOB) trains, equips and deploys Marine Special Operations Forces for worldwide special operations missions as directed by the Marine Special Operations Regiment.  The unit is base at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

To active duty or reserve military personnel, veterans and their family members: I grant an explicit permission to download the above images to be used for non-profit/non-commercial and charitable causes, benefiting troops and their families, as well as for non-commercial internal duty-specific purposes, such as unit website design, training materials and presentations. 

Insignia of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and subordinate Special Operations Commands (SOCs)

[Edited on Aug. 15, 2011] Just as I planned, I have managed to end this year with a creative bang. This time it was about tackling a substantial chunk of my “Military Insignia” project – US Special Operations. This involved recreating insignias of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and all its major subordinate Special Operations Commands (SOCs). USSOCOM is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands (SOC or SOCOM) of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States armed forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense. USSOCOM is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.

USSOCOM conducts several covert and clandestine missions, such as unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, psychological operations, Civil Affairs, direct action, counter-terrorism and War on Drugs operations. Each branch has a Special Operations Command that is unique and capable of running its own operations, but when the different Special Operations Forces need to work together for an operation, USSOCOM becomes the joint component command of the operation, instead of a SOC of a specific branch.

This particular stage of the project was quite time-consuming, considering the expansive structure of the USSOCOM. 

To accomplish all of the above, I have set aside roughly a month-worth of time, planning to wrap it up by the year-end. The challenge was on, and I was up to it. As with all of my previous projects, I was using my own 

Multi-Layer Enhancement & Texturing Technique (or M-LETT 3D; I discuss it in detail in this post) method  to produce quality hi-resolution insignias. Occasionally, not very often, I couldn’t help but let out the artist within, yet I would manage to stay true to the official insignia specifications and color palettes.

United States Army Special Operations Command (Airborne) (USASOC or ARSOC) 

The United States Army Special Operations Command (Airborne) (USASOC or ARSOC) is a command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the United States Army. The command is part of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM); a larger command overseeing all the different SOF Commands of each branch of the U.S. military.

Special Operations Command – Joint Capabilities (SOC-JC)

[Edited on Aug. 15, 2011]  Special Operations Command – Joint Capabilities (SOC-JC) was transferred to USSOCOM from the soon to be disestablished United States Joint Forces Command. It was formerly known as United States Special Operations Command Joint Forces Command (SOCJFCOM).

Primary Mission: SOC-JC trains conventional and SOF commanders and their staffs, supports USSOCOM international engagement training requirements, and supports implementation of capability solutions in order to improve strategic and operational warfighting readiness and joint interoperability. 

SOC-JC must also be prepared to support deployed Special Operations Joint Task Force (SOJTF) Headquarters (HQ).

As a joint sub-unified command under USSOCOM, SOC-JC’s core function is to enhance the interoperability of conventional and Special Operations Forces (SOF) commanders and staffs through robust strategic and operational level joint training. In coordination with the USSOCOM J3, J7/9 and Joint Special Operations University (JSOU), SOC-JC provides excellent training and support to the education for SOF and Conventional Forces (CF) worldwide. Additionally, SOC-JC supports the joint SOF capabilities development process while maintaining the flexibility to support emerging initiatives.

Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)

The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is charged to study special operations requirements and techniques to ensure interoperability and equipment standardization, plan and conduct special operations exercises and training, and develop Joint Special Operations Tactics. It was established in 1980 on recommendation of Col. Charlie Beckwith, in the aftermath of the failure of Operation Eagle Claw. It is located at Pope Army Air Field and Fort Bragg in North Carolina, USA. The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) also commands and controls the Special Mission Units (SMU) of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). These units perform highly classified activities. So far, only three SMUs have been publicly disclosed: The Army's 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta, the Navy's Naval Special Warfare Development Group, and the Air Force's 24th Special Tactics Squadron. The Intelligence Support Activity is also under JSOC.

1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force)

The Army 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D) is one of the United States' secretive Tier One counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units. Commonly known as Delta, or Delta Force, it was formed under the designation 1st SFOD-D, and is officially referred to by the Department of Defense as Combat Applications Group (CAG). This unit is an elite Special Operations Force, and an Army Compartmented Element of the Joint Special Operations Command. Delta Force, along with its Navy counterpart DEVGRU, are the United States' primary counter-terrorism units.
The Army 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Combat Applications Group (CAG), Delta Force) is the first of the two primary counter-terrorist units of JSOC and SOCOM. Modeled after the British Special Operations force Special Air Service, Delta is arguably one of the best SOF in the world. This is because of Delta's stringent training and selection process. Delta recruits primarily from the most talented and highly skilled operators in the Army Special Forces and the 75th Ranger Regiment although CAG will take anyone and everyone that can pass their screening. Recruits must pass a rigid selection course before beginning training. Delta has received training from numerous U.S. government agencies and other tier one SOF and has created a curriculum based on this training and techniques that it has developed. Delta conducts clandestine and covert special operations all over the world. It specializes in counter-terrorism and hostage rescue operations. Delta Force's primary tasks are counter-terrorism, direct action, and national intervention operations, although it is an extremely versatile group capable of assuming many covert missions, including, but not limited to, rescuing hostages and raids.
Delta Force's structure is similar to the British 22 Special Air Service Regiment. There are three main operational squadrons:

A Squadron
B Squadron
C Squadron

These squadrons are based on the organization of the SAS "Sabre Squadron" and each contains 75 to 85 operators. Each sabre squadron is broken down into three troops, one Recce/Sniper troop, and two Direct Action/Assault troops, that can either operate in teams or in groups as small as four to six men.

Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT)

Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) is a subordinate unified command of joint forces for the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM). It is responsible for planning special operations throughout the USCENTCOM area of responsibility (AOR), planning and conducting peacetime joint/combined special operations training exercises, and orchestrating command and control of peacetime and wartime special operations as directed.

The command is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. SOCCENT FWD, Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command (CFSOCC), is located at Al Udeid in Qatar. The Command's motto is Molon labe (Greek for "Come and take them").

SOCCENT, operating with coalition partners as the CFSOCC, consists of two combined joint special operations task forces [CJSOTFs], one Combined Joint Special Operations Aviation Command, one joint psychological operations task force, one Naval Special Warfare Unit and three Special Operations command and control elements [SOCCEs]. The two CJSOTFs are CJSOTF-Arabian Peninsula, whose headquarters directs United States Army Special Forces, and CJSOTF Afghanistan. CJSOTF Afghanistan includes elements of the 7th Special Forces Group operating in southern provinces, including Kandahar, as Task Force 71.

Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR)

Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) is a subordinate unified command of US European Command exercising operational control of theater Army, Navy, and Air Force Special Operation Forces (SOF).

SOCEUR is responsible to CDRUSEUCOM/SACEUR for SOF readiness, targeting, exercises, plans, joint and combined training, NATO/partnership activities, and execution of counterterrorism, peacetime and contingency operations.

Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC)

Special Operations Command, Pacific (SOCPAC) is a is a sub-unified command of U.S. Southern Command and serves as the functional component for all special operation missions deployed throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America regions. SOCSOUTH is responsible for the planning and execution of all Special Operations Forces (SOF) within U.S. Southern Command's AOR to include: U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets), U.S. Naval Special Warfare Units (SEALs), U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Special Operations Aviation, Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations forces. SOCSOUTH is a joint headquarters that commands, controls, and executes over 75 deployments per year with an average of 20 missions in 12 countries at any time. The command is composed of three permanently assigned operational units based in several locations within the southeastern United States. Typical SOCSOUTH Headquarters deployments include a rapid response for contingencies, exercises, and other missions, as directed by Commander, U.S. Southern Command.

Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH)

Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH) is a is a sub-unified command of U.S. Southern Command and serves as the functional component for all special operation missions deployed throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America regions. SOCSOUTH is responsible for the planning and execution of all Special Operations Forces (SOF) within U.S. Southern Command's AOR to include: U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets), U.S. Naval Special Warfare Units (SEALs), U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Special Operations Aviation, Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations forces. SOCSOUTH is a joint headquarters that commands, controls, and executes over 75 deployments per year with an average of 20 missions in 12 countries at any time. The command is composed of three permanently assigned operational units based in several locations within the southeastern United States. Typical SOCSOUTH Headquarters deployments include a rapid response for contingencies, exercises, and other missions, as directed by Commander, U.S. Southern Command.

Special Operations Command, Korea (SOCKOR)

Special Operations Command, Korea (SOCKOR) is a United States military organization in South Korea that provides special forces to United States Forces Korea/United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command. During wartime, SOCKOR combines with the Korean Special Warfare Command to form the Combined Unconventional Warfare Task Force (CUWTF).

Special Operations Command Korea (SOCKOR), located at Camp Kim in Yongsan, Korea, is the theater Special Operations Command (SOC) responsible for special operations on the Korean peninsula and, when established, the Korean Theater of Operations (KTO).

Because of the unique command relationships in Korea, SOCKOR is the only theater SOC that is not a subordinate unified command. Established in 1988 as a functional component command of U.S. Forces, Korea (USFK), SOCKOR is the principal organization responsible for the integration of U.S. SOF in Korea. Its primary mission focus is simple: be ready to employ U.S. SOF and win, should war resume in Korea.

Special Operations Command, Africa (SOCAFRICA)

Special Operations Command, Africa (SOCAFRICA) is an airborne sub-unified command within the Special Operations Forces of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). SOCAFRICA HQ is located at Kelley Barracks outside of Stuttgart, Germany.

United States Army Special Forces

United States Army Special Forces, also known as Green Berets, are a special operations force of the United States Army tasked with six primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, and counter-terrorism. The first two emphasize language, cultural, and training skills in working with foreign troops. Other duties include combat search and rescue (CSAR), security assistance, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian demining, counter-proliferation, psychological operations, manhunts, and counter-drug operations; other components of the United States Special Operations Command or other U.S. government activities may also specialize in these secondary areas.

Their official motto is De oppresso liber (Latin: To Liberate the Oppressed), a reference to one of their primary missions, training and advising foreign indigenous forces.

75th Ranger Regiment

The 75th Ranger Regiment (Airborne), also known as Rangers, is a Special Operations light infantry unit of the United States Army. The Regiment is headquartered in Fort Benning, Georgia with battalions in Fort Benning, Hunter Army Airfield and Joint Base Lewis-McChord. It operates as a special operations force of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC).

The Regiment is composed of one Special Troops Battalion and three, organizationally identical, rapidly-deployable light infantry special operations battalions with specialized skills that enable them to perform a variety of special operations missions. These missions include but are not limited to airborne, air assault, and direct action operations, raids, infiltration and exfiltration by air, land or sea in addition to airfield seizure, recovery of personnel and special equipment, and support of general purpose forces (GPF). Each of the Regiment's three line battalions rotates as the "Ranger Ready Force". This battalion is at a constant readiness to deploy and is expected to be able to respond anywhere in the world within 18 hours.

United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne)

The United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), or USACAPOC(A), was founded in 1985. USACAPOC(A) is composed mostly of U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers in units throughout the United States. Its total size is approximately 10,000 Soldiers, making up about 94 percent of the DoD's Civil Affairs forces and 71 percent of the DoD's Psychological Operations forces. It is headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The current commander (2010) is Major General David N. Blackledge, who assumed command in September 2009, succeeding Major General David A. Morris who commanded the unit from 2007 to 2009.
Historically, USACAPOC(A) was one of four major subordinate commands comprising the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. In May 2006, the reserve component of USACAPOC(A) was transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve Command. The Army's active duty civil affairs and psychological operations units, along with the branches' training and doctrine, continues to fall under the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
Army Reserve Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations make up 5 percent of the U.S. Army Reserve force, but account for about 20 percent of Army Reserve deployments.
Some proponents of USACAPOC(A) point to its units' success in humanitarian aid operations, and also in their ability to spread information to civilians. The command's special operators are some of the most highly trained soldiers in the U.S. Army, and bring civilian expertise not found among regular active duty Soldiers to the table. The projects they complete comprise many of the 'Good News' stories run in the American media each day about Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa.

The next stages of this project will be focusing on Special Operations insignia of the US Navy, US Air Force and USMC. So far, there is no ETA on any of those. Stay Tuned.

To active duty or reserve military personnel, veterans and their family members: I grant an explicit permission to download the above images to be used for non-profit/non-commercial and charitable causes, benefiting troops and their families, as well as for non-commercial internal duty-specific purposes, such as unit website design, training materials and presentations. 

The above information provided in part by The Institute of Heraldry, Global Security, Wikipedia and websites of certain Unified Combatant Commands

USMC Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) emblem

My immediate plan is to recreate emblems of all major USMC commands. After those are complete, I plan to continue with USMC units. including USMC Aviation, and support units.

The first in the series was the emblem of United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). It is a component command of the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) that comprises the Marine Corps' contribution to SOCOM. Its core capabilities are direct action, special reconnaissance and foreign internal defense. MARSOC has also been directed to conduct counter-terrorism, information operations, and unconventional warfare. MARSOC was officially activated on February 24, 2006 with ceremonies at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

To active duty or reserve military personnel, veterans and their family members: I grant an explicit permission to download the above images to be used for non-profit/non-commercial and charitable causes, benefiting troops and their families, as well as for non-commercial internal duty-specific purposes, such as unit website design, training materials and presentations. 

U.S. Army Infantry Divisions

One more chapter of my “Military Insignia” project has been completed. This time around, I have taken on shoulder-sleeve insignias and distinctive unit insignias of all the active infantry divisions of the United States Army. I had to cover 18 active divisions in total, which resulted in 18 SSIs and 18 DUIs – 36 designs in total to work on. 

Working on this particular stage of the project, I noticed that when divisional shoulder-sleeve insignia was fairly well covered and represented in various paper and electronic publications, it was not quite the same story with distinctive unit insignia. Good descriptions, historical references and quality images of divisional DUIs were fairly scarce, and hard to find. Also, DUIs themselves turned out to be more complex and technically challenging from the designing prospective. The main challenge was to preserve DUI’s metal “badge” look and feel, at the same time highlighting modest and understated beauty of each piece. Another interesting observation was that divisions were mostly associated with and recognized by their shoulder-sleeve patches, when DUIs were far less recognizable or even known by anyone, other than those who actually had a chance to wear them. This is why an idea of showing DUIs and SSIs of each division side by side was so appealing to me.

As with all previous designs included in my “Military Insignia” project, I had to balance between my artistic inclinations and the need to maintain color schemes, precision and accuracy of each insignia. Working with heraldry, one cannot get too carried away, and there is no room for errors. The only areas where I am able to get creative working on my military insignia, are textures and multiple layers with layer effects.

To active duty or reserve military personnel, veterans and their family members: I grant an explicit permission to download the above images to be used for non-profit/non-commercial and charitable causes, benefiting troops and their families, as well as for non-commercial internal duty-specific purposes, such as unit website design, training materials and presentations.