The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, also known as the Dagger Brigade, is a maneuver brigade combat team in the U.S. 1st Infantry Division. The brigade is stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas.
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On 11 December 1980 the 2nd Brigade was authorized their own Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI). It is described as "a silver device 1 1/4 inches in height overall consisting of a blue arrowhead on which is superimposed a silver lion."
The 2nd Brigade Combat Team as of 2008 is composed of the following:
The 2nd Dagger Brigade was first constituted on 24 May 1917 as Headquarters, 2nd Infantry Brigade of the 1st Expeditionary Division, which was later designated as the 1st Division.
The 2nd Brigade deployed to France in December 1917 with the rest of the 1st Infantry Division as part of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), as the American military was known in World War I. The brigade participated in many campaigns, including the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and the Battle of Saint-Mihiel.
The brigade redeployed at the end of World War I in August, 1918.
In 1942 units that had previously been under 2nd Brigade participated in Operation Torch, the landings on North Africa. The 1st Infantry Division at that time was composed of only three infantry regiments, the 16th Infantry, 18th Infantry, and 26th Infantry, all of which distinguished themselves in the push across North Africa from the Kasserine Pass to Rommel's eventual defeat at the Second Battle of El Alamein. These units were then moved to Tidworth Camp in Wiltshire, England in anticipation of a cross-channel invasion late in 1942, but the next amphibious operation the unit would undertake next was to be in Sicily, not France.
The brigade participated in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, by storming ashore at Gela, 10 July 1943, and quickly overpowering the Italian defenses. Soon after, the German Herman Goering Tank Division counter-attacked with 100 tanks. With the help of naval gunfire, divisional artillery and Canadian allies, the counter-attack was repulsed. Brigade units then advanced and captured Nicosia on 28 July. During the Battle of Troina, from 31 July 1943 to 6 August 1943, brigade units, including the 26th Infantry Regiment were instrumental in capturing and then defending Troina from German counterattack. Even though the 26th was decimated due to intense counterattacks—one company reported only 17 men fit for duty by 5 August—the brigade held Troina. The brigade unit's refusal to give up Troina forced the German 15th Panzer Grenadier Division to retreat toward Randazzo, opening the Allied road to the Straits of Messina.
After Operation Husky, the brigade units returned to England, this time in Dorset to prepare for D-Day at Normandy. Brigade units, led by the 16th Infantry Regiment and closely followed by the 18th, led the way across Omaha Beach at Normandy. It was on Omaha Beach that Col. George Taylor, commander of the 16th Infantry Regiment, famously told his men, "Two kinds of people are staying on this beach! The dead and those who are going to die! Now, let's get the hell out of here!"
The units participated in the Battle of Normandy throughout the summer of 1944 and subsequent operations across France, reaching the German border at Aachen in September. Along with the rest of the 1st Infantry Division, brigade units laid siege to Aachen, taking the city after a direct assault on 21 October 1944. They then attacked east of Aachen in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest, driving to the Roer River. Brigade units moved to a rest area on 7 December for its first real rest in 6 months of combat, and were resting when the von Rundstedt offensive (aka Battle of the Bulge) suddenly broke loose 16 December 1944. Dagger Brigade units raced to the Ardennes, and fighting continuously from 17 December 1944 to 14 January 1945, helped blunt and turn back the German offensive. While the brigade itself was disbanded on 15 January 1945, brigade units kept fighting as part of the 1st Infantry Division until the end of the war in May 1945.
The Dagger Brigade didn't participate in the Korean War as it was still inactivated. On 15 February 1958 the 2nd Brigade was re-activated at Fort Devens as the 2nd Infantry Brigade with its own shoulder sleeve insignia. It spent the next five years training in northern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. It was inactivated on 19 February 1963 at Fort Devens, only to be reactivated on 23 October 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division and moved (with the rest of the Division) to Fort Riley, Kansas in January, 1964.
On 12 July 1965, the 2nd Brigade landed at Cam Ranh Bay and Vung Tau, making it the first element of an Infantry Division to arrive in Vietnam. On 30 July 1969, the unit was visited by President Richard Nixon on his visit to South Vietnam. He met with the troops in Di An. The brigade returned to Fort Riley, Kansas in April 1970.
The Dagger Brigade deployed from Fort Riley, Kansas to Saudi Arabia in December, 1990 as part of the United States' offensive buildup. The brigade was commanded by Colonel Anthony Moreno. The brigade was composed of 2–16 Infantry Battalion, 3–37 Armor Battalion, and 4–37 Armor Battalion, plus supporting units. The brigade redeployed to Fort Riley in May, 1991.
On 15 February 1996 the Dagger Brigade was relocated with the rest of the 1st Infantry Division to Europe. The Dagger Brigade replaced the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division's Raider Brigade in Schweinfurt, Germany.
Also in February 1996 the Dagger Brigade deployed units to Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in Operation Joint Endeavor with the US 1st Armored Division.
On 7 October 1996, the Brigade Combat Team deployed to Bosnia to cover the US 1st Armored Division's redeployment to Germany. The brigade participated in Operation Joint Endeavor and Operation Joint Guard, and served as a stabilization force. The brigade redeployed to Schweinfurt in May 1997, except for the 1–77 Armor Battalion task force, which stayed in Bosnia until November 1997.
The Dagger Brigade served in Kosovo in 1999–2000 and again in 2002–2003. The Dagger Brigade deployed to the Balkans twice in 1999, first as part of Task Force Sabre in Macedonia, then in Kosovo as part of Task Force Falcon. Task Force Falcon served as the U.S. component of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) with the mission of conducting peackeeping operations in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia'a Serbian Kosovo province.
TF Falcon was under the command of the 1st Infantry Division and included elements from the 1st Armored Division. The Dagger Brigade enetered the war-torn province of Kosovo on 12 June 1999. TF Falcon headquartered at Camp Bondsteel, and grew into a Multi-National Brigade, including units from Greece, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and the UK.
Initial efforts focused on monitoring and verifying the withdrawal of former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Serbia and Montenegro) forces and later the demilitarization and transformation of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
The Dagger Brigade rotated to Kosovo again in 2002, this time focused on maintaining the secure environment established by coalition forces.
In January 2003, elements of the Dagger Brigade deployed to Turkey to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. Initial efforts were to prepare the way for the U.S. 4th Infantry Division to invade Iraq from the north. When the Turkish government denied access through their border, the 2nd brigade returned to Germany.
In February 2004, the Dagger Brigade deployed to northern Iraq to serve as part of the occupation force. The Brigade Combat Team included of 9th Engineer Battalion, 1–18 Infantry Battalion, 1–26 Infantry Battalion, 1–77 Armor Battalion, 2–108 Infantry Battalion, 1–7 Field Artillery Battalion, 299th Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Recon Team, and supporting elements.
In August 2006 the 2nd "Dagger" Brigade Combat Team again deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from their home station in Schweinfurt, Germany. Task Force 1–26 (BLUE SPADERS) was sent ahead of the main body in an effort to curve the growing violence in Adamiyah, Shab and Uhr in North East Baghdad, Iraq. The Dagger BCT followed in September 2006 and assumed the mission as the CENTCOM reserve, positioned in Kuwait. Shortly after arrival in Kuwait, TF 1–77 AR (STEEL TIGERS) was deployed to Ramadi and TF 1–18 IN (VANGUARDS) was deployed to FOB Falcon, in the Rashid District of Baghdad, Iraq. The BCT Headquarters along with the 9th Engineers (GILAS), 1–7 FA(FIRST LIGHTNING), the 299th Forward Support Battalion (LIFELINE) and the BCT's four separate companies, were deployed to Camp Liberty, Baghdad.
The DAGGER BCT assumed responsibility for Coalition Force activities in Northwest Baghdad in late October, 2006 following Operation Together Forward II. The BCT assumed Command of 3 Task Forces already in Sector; TF 1–22 (REGULARS) in the Abu Ghraib area west of Baghdad, TF 8–10 CAV in the Ameriyah district and TF 1-23IN (TOMAHAWK), a STRYKER Infantry Task Force which operated mainly in the Ghazaliyah and Shulla districts of Baghdad.
Throughout the BCT's tour of duty, they effectively integrated and employed a total of nine attached Task Forces including TF 1-22IN, TF 8-10CAV, TF 1-23IN, TF 2-8CAV, TF 2–12 CAV, TF 1-325AIR, TF 1-5CAV, TF 2-32FA and TF 1–64 AR.
TF 1-22IN (1st BCT, 4th ID) transitioned the Abu Ghraib district to TF 2-8CAV (1st BCT, 1st CAV). TF 8–10 CAV (4th BCT, 4th ID) transitioned Ameriyah and Khadra to TF 1–5 CAV (2nd BCT, 1st CAV). TF 1-23IN (3/2 STRYKER) transitioned Ghazaliyah to TF 2-12CAV (4th BCT, 1st CAV) and the Tomahawks assumed responsibilities in Hurriyah and Khadamiyah. TF 1-325AIR (2nd BCT, 82nd) arrived as part of the surge and assumed responsibilities for Khadamiyah, Hurriyah and some of the most dangerous Shia zones in Baghdad. TF 1-64AR (3ID) relieved TF 1-5CAV for Khadra and Mansour, enabling TF 1-5CAV to fully focus efforts against Sunni extremists in Ameriyah. TF 2-32FA (4th BCT, 1st ID) assumed responsibilities for Yarmouk and Hateen, completing the DAGGER BCT stance for OIF 06-08. For the bulk of its deployment, DAGGER BCT would employ 5 maneuver Task Forces, from 5 different BCTs from 5 different installations in the Continental United States.
Throughout the tour, 1-7FA would be attached to the Victory Base Defense Force, but provided reliable Fire Support to the DAGGER BCT's efforts across Northwest Baghdad. The 9th Engineers established a route clearing capability dubbed "DAGGER IRON CLAW" which served to clear more than 50% of the routes in support of BCT, Division and Corps level efforts in Baghdad. The 299th Forward Support Battalion established an extremely active and vital Logistics Support Area in support of MND-Baghdad, and tirelessly sustained the BCT and all attached and detached formations while concurrently operating the Division Detainee Holding Area Annex.
DAGGER BCT ultimately established 14 Joint Security Stations, multiple Safe Neighborhoods and formally partered with the Iraqi Security Forces in the Khadamiyah and Mansour Security Districts. Under Dagger BCT OPERATION MARBLE ARCH, sectarian violence was significantly reduced as the BCT fought to stop the expansion of Shia and Sunni criminals and extremists from the North East and West/South West respectively.
The BCT and ISF leadership joined forces with the ARROWHEAD Stryker BCT for OPERATION ARROWHEAD STRIKE 9, which enabled a true combined forces approach to eliminating Sunni extremist from critical areas across the Mansour and Khadamiyah security districts. These combined efforts fully integrated Coalition, ISF and Iraqi Municipal Service efforts and enabled the rapid expansion of safe neighborhoods and increased Iraqi civilian participation in the security and services efforts.
Under DAGGER BCT OPERATION SEVENTH VEIL, corrupt ISF and Governmental Official's influence was significantly reduced with several key, senior-level officials being arrested and imprisoned and many others being put on notice. SEVENTH VEIL was conducted in full partnership with the leadership of the Kharkh Area Command. OPERATION SWITCHBLADE enabled the effective integration of volunteer security forces into the Combined Security Plan of the DAGGER BCT and partnered units of the Iraqi Kharkh Area Command, to include the combined units of the Khadamiyah and Mansour Security Districts. OPERATION OUR TOWN effectively linked the security apparatus with the essential services apparatus and served as a nexus for positive, real economic and essential service growth across North West Baghdad.
The BCT effectively transitioned Coalition Force responsibilities to the 2nd BCT of the 101st in November 2007 and the Brigade re-deployed to Schweinfurt, Germany.
On 16 March 2008, 1st Infantry Division’s presence in Europe formally ended when the 2nd (Dagger) Brigade in Schweinfurt, Germany reflagged as the 172nd Infantry Brigade. As part of the Grow the Army Plan announced 19 Dec 2007, the 172nd is one of two Infantry Brigades that will be activated and retained in Germany until 2012 and 2013. The other Brigade is the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Baumholder, Germany, which was reflagged to 170th Infantry Brigade on 15 July 2009. On 28 March 2008, the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division (HBCT) inactivated at Fort Riley. The Soldiers and equipment currently assigned were reflagged as 2d (Dagger) Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (HBCT), aligning all units on Fort Riley under the 1st Infantry Division.
On 30 September 2008, the Dagger Brigade Combat Team held its deployment ceremony on the Cavalry Parade Field at Fort Riley, KS. 2nd HBCT received their warning order from the Department of the Army to deploy in the fall of 2008.
In October 2008 the Dagger Brigade deployed to North West Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, they returned to Fort Riley September 2009 and then received the Meritorious Unit Commendation for their efforts in the support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
See details of their achievements at http://www.1id.army.mil/UnitPage.aspx?unit=2bct
In November 2010, the Dagger Brigade deployed to Baghdad,Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn as a Advise and Assist Brigade. The Brigade was the only maneuver Brigade in Baghdad and partnered with 7 Iraqi Army and Federal Police Divisions and 2 Corp Level Commands, which constituted half of the Iraqi Government's security forces. They redeployed in November 2011.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.