2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division

Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 28th "Keystone" Infantry Division. Worn by soldiers of 2nd Brigade, 28th Infantry Division.

The 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division. 2nd Brigade’s headquarters is in Washington, Pennsylvania, and the brigade also contains units from Ohio and Maryland.

History

Headquarters, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team was organized in July, 1872 as a company called the Washington Guards. In November, 1873 the company was formally incorporated into the Pennsylvania National Guard as Company H, 10th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment.^[1]

Company H was mobilized for the Spanish–American War from 1898 to 1899 and served in the Philippines.^[2] In 1916 the company was federalized for service on the Mexico–United States border during the Pancho Villa Expedition.^[3]

In 1917 Company H merged with Company H, 3rd Infantry Regiment, and the new unit was designated Company H, 110th Infantry Regiment. From August, 1917 to June, 1920 the 110th Infantry was mobilized for service in France during World War I.^[4]

Company H, 110th Infantry was inducted into federal service for World War II in February, 1942. It served with the 28th Infantry Division in the European Theater, and was demobilized in October, 1945.

In September, 1950 Company H was activated for service during the Korean War, and remained mobilized in West Germany until June, 1954.^[5]

Company H was re-designated Company C, 1st Battle Group, 110th Infantry as part of a 1959 reorganization.^[6]

In 1963 Company C was combined with Headquarters, 1st Battle Group, and the new unit was designated Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade, 28th Infantry Division.^[7]

In 1968 the 2nd Brigade Headquarters was reorganized as the 689th Military Police Company.^[8] In the early 1970s, another reorganization led to the creation of the 408th General Supply Company.^[9]

The 408th General Supply Company was again designated Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade, 28th Infantry Division as the result of a 1975 reorganization.^[10]

Campaign participation credit

War with Spain

• Manila

Philippine–American War

• Manila
• Malolos

World War I

• Champagne-Marne
• Aisne-Marne
• Oise-Aisne
• Meuse-Argonne
• Champagne 1918
• Lorraine 1918

World War II

• Normandy
• Northern France
• Rhineland
• Ardennes-Alsace
• Central Europe^[11]

War in Iraq

• Al Anbar campaign^[12]

Decorations

World War II

• Luxembourg Croix de Guerre, streamer embroidered LUXEMBOURG. (110th Infantry cited; Department of the Army General Order 43, 1950)^[13]

War in Iraq

• Navy Unit Commendation (as part of I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward))^[14]

Recent events

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, members of 2nd Brigade mobilized as units and individuals for both homeland security and missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.^[15]

In 2005 and 2006 2nd Brigade served in Iraq, with a temporary task organization that included units from Vermont, Kentucky, Nebraska, Utah, Indiana and Michigan, as well as regular Army units from the 3rd Infantry Division and 101st Airborne Division. This task organization also included battalions of the United States Marine Corps. In succession these were 1st Battalion 5th Marines (2005); 3rd Battalion 7th Marines (2005-2006); and 3rd Battalion 8th Marines (2006).^[16]

2nd Brigade operated in al Anbar Province and received credit for aiding in the organization and training of Iraqi Security Forces, capturing terrorists, destroying insurgent groups, and destroying or disarming more than 1,100 improvised explosive devices.^{[17][18][19][20][21][22][23]}

Task organization

In 2005 and 2006 the Army’s transition to modular units led to the designation of 2nd Brigade as the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. As of 2013 the task organization consists of:

• Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade (Washington)
• 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry (Mt. Pleasant)
• 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry (Pikesville, Maryland)
• 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• 1st Battalion, 107th Field Artillery (New Castle)
• 128th Brigade Support Battalion (Pittsburgh)
• 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion (Johnstown).^[24]

References