48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Anchor|48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team


caption=48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team shoulder sleeve insignia
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country= United States
allegiance= State of Georgia
branch= Army National Guard
type= Infantry
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size= Brigade
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garrison= Macon, Georgia
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nickname= Volunteer Brigade (current), Lightning Brigade (former)
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battles=Indian Campaign, American Civil War, World War I, World War II, Iraq Campaign
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decorations= Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Luxembourg Croix de Guerre, Belgian Fourragere
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The 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team 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 with the distinction of having served two nations, as it was mustered into service by the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.

History and Lineage

Background

The 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was originally organized on April 23, 1825, at Macon, Georgia as the "Macon Volunteers, Georgia Volunteer Militia". It mustered into Federal service on February 18, 1836, at Picolata, Flordia, as "Captain Seymor's Company, 1st Battalion Georgia Volunteers".

The unit was brought into Confederate service on April 20, 1861 at Macon, and was reorganized and redesignated on April 22, 1861 as Company D, 2nd Battalion, Georgia Infantry. Surrendered April 9, 1865 at Appomattox, Virginia.

It reorganized on April 11, 1872 as the Macon Volunteers, and reorganized and redesignated June 15, 1874 as Company B, 2nd Battalion. It reorganized and redesignated on January 23, 1891 as Company B, 2nd Infantry Regiment. Mustered into federal service May 11–14, 1898 at Griffin, Georgia as Company F, 1st Georgia Volunteer Infantry; and mustered out of service on November 18, 1898 at Macon, Georgia and resumed state status as Company B, 2nd Infantry Regiment. The unit was redesignated on December 21, 1899, as Georgia State Troopers; and on October 1, 1905 as the Georgia National Guard. The unit was drafted into federal service in August 1917 as Company B, 151st Machine Gun Battalion, an element of the 42nd Division. It demobilized in May 1919 at Camp Gordon, Georgia.

The unit was reorganized and federally recognized November 29, 1920 in the Georgia National Guard at Macon, Georgia as Company H, 1st Infantry. Redesignated March 8, 1921 as Company B, 1st Infantry. Redesignated July 1, 1922 as Company B, 122nd Infantry.

It was reorganized and redesignated on November 28, 1922 as Headquarters Company, 59th Infantry Brigade, an element of the 30th Division. It was inducted into federal service on September 16, 1940 at Macon, and was and redesignated on February 16, 1942 as the 30th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop while remaining assigned to the 30th Infantry Division. It was redesignated August 11, 1943 as the 30th Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized. It was deactivated on November 17, 1945 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

From 1945 to 1973, the Brigade underwent a series of redesignations culminating in its current form, the 48th Infantry Brigade. It reorganized and was federally recognized December 12, 1946 as Headquarters Company, 121st Infantry, an element of the 48th Infantry Division. Converted and redesignated November 1, 1955 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Combat Command B, 48th Armored Division. Reorganized and redesignated April 16, 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 48th Armored Division. Converted and redesignated January 1, 1968 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Brigade, 30th Infantry Division. It consolidated on December 1, 1973 with the 182nd Military Police Company and the consolidated unit was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 48th Infantry Brigade.

The unit was inducted into Federal service on November 30th, 1990 at Fort Stewart, GA. That year, more than 4,500 members of the unit were mobilized to participate in Operation Desert Storm. The unit successfully completed the most intensive training ever conducted at the Army's National Training Center in California, and was first and only National Guard combat brigade validated as combat ready for the Gulf War. The conflict ended before the brigade was employed in the Persian Gulf. It subsequently demobilized on April 10, 1991 at Fort Stewart.

In June 1999, the 48th Infantry Brigade (Enhanced) (Mechanized) became part of the newly re-flagged 24th Infantry Division. In 2006, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated and the 48th Infantry Brigade Comabat Team became part of the 35th Infantry Division, headquartered at Fort Leavenworth, KS.

The unit also has a training associate relationship with the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized).

Bosnia

Elements of the 48th Infantry Brigade deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina for Stabilization Force (SFOR) Rotation 9 to provide support operations for Task Force Eagle (United States contingent to United Nations Operations in support of Dayton Peace Accord). The SFOR9 rotation was scheduled from April to October 2001. The Georgia units were mobilized under a Presidential Selective Reserve Call Up. While other National Guard units have participated in the Bosnia operations in the past, the 48th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) was among the first National Guard combat units of this size and capability to take over such a large and significant portion of the mission.

Iraq

In October 2004 the 48th Infantry Brigade was notified that it would be mobilized into federal service in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Elements of the brigade began mobilizing in December 2004 at Fort Stewart, Georgia, with the remainder of the brigade entering federal service in early January 2005. The brigade completed five months of training, including a rotation at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California and was validated as combat-ready. In May 2005 the unit began deploying to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom III (the third major U.S. military rotation of forces into the area of operations) and experienced some of the fiercest combat actions in the campaign. The brigade was assigned to Multi-National Division - Baghdad (MND-B) under the control of the 3rd Infantry Division and was responsible for a sector of southwest Baghdad, nicknamed the Triangle of Death. It replaced the 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. The brigade was headquartered at Camp Stryker, part of the Victory Base Complex (VBC). Elements of the 48th Brigade occupied and maintained forward operating bases (FOBs) in Mahmudiyah, Lutifiyah, Latifiyah, and Yusifiyah; and established a new joint United States/Iraqi Army permanent patrol base, designated PB Lion's Den, located to the west of the Radwaniyah Palace Complex.

Because the 48th Brigade deployed to Iraq mid-rotation (nicknamed "OIF 3.5" by the brigade's soldiers), it conducted a unique Brigade-wide change of mission in October of 2005, taking over the Iraq Theater of Operations (ITO) security mission from the 56th Brigade Combat Team. The 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division replaced 48th Brigade units in Baghdad. The brigade's headquarters relocated to Camp Adder (also known as Ali Air Base or Tallil Air Base) in vicinity of Nasiriyah, Iraq, and the brigade had elements stationed as far south as Kuwait to as far north as Mosul, and as far west as the Syrian border.

On April 20, 2006, at Ft. Stewart, more than 4,000 members of the brigade began to return home after a year of combat operations in Iraq. The April 20 arrival marked the first of nearly a dozen flights over the subsequent weeks that brought the soldiers back to Georgia.

Future

In December 2007, the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was alerted that it will be deployed to Afghanistan in the summer of 2009 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). This rotation reflects the continued U.S. commitment to assisting in the security of Afghanistan and the development of the Afghan National Security Forces. Afghan forces continue to improve capability and assume responsibility for security. Force levels in Afghanistan continue to be conditions-based, and are determined based on the recommendations of military commanders in Afghanistan and in consultation with the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Order of Battle

Current

48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
*1st Battalion, 121st Infantry
*2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry
*1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry (RSTA)
*1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery
*148th Brigade Support Battalion
*48th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (BSTB)

Pre-Modular

48th Infantry Brigade (Enhanced) (Mechanized)
*Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 48th Brigade Combat Team
*1st Battalion, 121st Infantry
*2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry
*1st Battalion, 108th Armor
*1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery
*148th Brigade Support Battalion
*648th Engineer Battalion
*Troop E, 108th Cavalry Regiment
*248th Military Intelligence Company
*E, 179th Air Defense Artillery

Links

* [http://www.48thbde.com/HHC48th/About.htm About Us: 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/48in-bde.htm GlobalSecurity.org: 48th Infantry Brigade]
* [http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Inf/48th%20Infantry%20Brigade.htm The Institute of Heraldry: 48th Infantry Brigade]