40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)

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40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team shoulder sleeve inisgnia
Active 18 July 1917 - 20 April 1919

18 June 1926 - January 1974
2005 - Present
Country United States
Allegiance United States Army
Branch U.S. Army National Guard
Type Infantry
Size Brigade
Garrison/HQ San Diego, California (HQ)
Nickname Thunderbolt
Motto ARMIPOTENT (Mighty in Arms)
Engagements *World War I
Decorations Philippine Presidential Unit Citation

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Commanders
Current
commander		 Colonel David S. Baldwin

The 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is an infantry brigade of the United States Army National Guard in the state of California.

Contents

[edit] Order of Battle

  • 1st Battalion 184th Infantry Regiment
  • 1st Battalion 160th Infantry Regiment
  • 1st Squadron 18th Cavalry Regiment
  • 1st Battalion 143rd Field Artillery Regiment
  • 40th Special Troops Battalion
  • 40th Brigade Support Battalion[1]

[edit] Unit History

The 40th Infantry Brigade was originally made up of the 50th and 90th Infantry Regiments and served as part of the 20th Infantry Division from October 1918 to February 1919.[2]

Based on the shoulder patch used by this unit, this unit must trace its lineage to that of the 40th Armored Brigade, who was authorized use of the same SSI on 02 February 1970.[3] Constituted in July 1917 the brigade was organized and drafted into federal service in August 1917 at Camp Kearny and was demobalized in April 1919 at the same location. June 1926 found the unit being reconstituted in the California National Guard. The unit headquarters relocated a number of times until it was called into federal service in February 1942. After World War II the unit was inactivated in April 1946, but was called up again in September 1950 due to the Korean War. Having wintered over in Korea in 1951 and 1952 the unit was deactived in July 1954. Prior to this most recent change the unit was redesignated as the 40th Armored Brigade in January 1968, but was disestablished in January 1974.[4][5]

[edit] Current Status

The 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) was 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 40th IBCT. As of February 2007, most of the brigade is stateside. However, individual soldiers are in Iraq working in other active duty units or are tasked for border security missions in southern California. The 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is organized under the Army's new modular brigade structure. The role of the Brigade Combat Team is to act as the Army’s basic tactical maneuver unit and the smallest combined-arms unit that can be committed independently. The Brigade Combat Team is designed to conduct offensive, defensive, and stability operations. The core mission is to close with the enemy by means of fire and maneuver; to destroy or capture enemy forces; or to repel their attacks by fire, close combat, and counterattack. The Brigade Combat Team can fight without augmentation, but it also can be tailored to meet the precise needs of its missions.

40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team also has a state mission. In times of emergency, the governor may call the National Guard to assist civil authorities. The self-contained and modular structure of the 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team makes it well suited to provide this support.

[edit] References

  1. ^ 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT). State of California. Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  2. ^ John J. McGrath, The Brigade: A History-Its Organization and Employment in the U.S. Army, Combat Studies Institute Press, Fort Leavenworth, KS, 2004.
  3. ^ 40th Armored Brigade. Heraldry and Insignia of the California National Guard. The California Military Museum. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
  4. ^ Wickham MG, USA, Kenneth; http://www.militarymuseum.org/. 40th Armored Brigade. Lineages and Honors of the California National Guard. The California State Military Museum. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
  5. ^ Stein, Barry Jason. Military Armor Brigade Patches History1. US Army Patches. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.


[edit] External Links