157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 157^th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade


caption=157^th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade shoulder sleeve insignia
dates= July 28, 1917—
country= United States of America
allegiance= State of Wisconsin
branch= National Guard
type= Brigade
role=Combat Support
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nickname="Iron Brigade"
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battles=World War I
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identification_symbol_label=Distinctive Unit Insignia
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identification_symbol_2_label=The 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was formerly known as the 57th Field Artillery Brigade, at which time, its subordinate organizations included the 1-126th and 1-121st Field Artillery battalions. Not to be confused with the famous "Iron Brigade" of the Civil War, the 57th Field Artillery Brigade is also known as the "Iron Brigade," a nickname traditionally given to crack artillery units in the Civil War. It was during World War I that the 57th Field Artillery Brigade earned its nickname as it spent many hours at the front and fired more artillery rounds than any brigade in the American Army.

The 32nd Division was organized under War Department orders of July 18th, 1917, from National Guard troops from Wisconsin and Michigan. Wisconsin furnished approximately 15,000 and Michigan 8,000 troops of all arms. Later 4,000 National Army troops from Wisconsin and Michigan were transferred to the Division shortly before it left for France. Brigadier General Wm. G. Haan, while acting as Division Commander, was also in command of the 57th Field Artillery Brigade. The 119th Field Artillery, composed largely of Michigan artillery and cavalry troops, was commanded by Major Chester B. McCormick, later promoted to the rank of Colonel. The 120th Field Artillery was made up almost entirely from troops of the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry, and the commanding officer of the latter organization. Colonel Carl Penner, continued in command. The 1st Wisconsin Field Artillery regiment became the 121st Field Artillery, the heavy artillery regiment of the 57th Field Artillery Brigade. The Commanding Officer of the Wisconsin Artillery, Colonel Philip C. Westfahl, became Commander of the new regiment.

In 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt established the Mojave Anti-Aircraft Range, a military reservation of approximately 1000 square miles in the area of the present Fort Irwin. In 1942, the Mojave Anti-Aircraft Range was renamed Camp Irwin, in honor of MG George LeRoy Irwin, commander of the 57th Field Artillery Brigade during World War I. Two years later, Camp Irwin was deactivated and placed on surplus status.

The LITTLEJOHN was a free flight artillery rocket designed to deliver the explosive power of heavy artillery. It could carry either nuclear or conventional warheads. Designed primarily for use in airborne assault operations, the highly mobile LITTLEJOHN rocket system complemented the heavier, self-propelled HONEST JOHN systems. The LITTLEJOHN reached the field in November 1961 and remained in the Army inventory until August 1969. The Phase II LITTLEJOHN weapon system was initially deployed with the 1st Missile Battalion, 57th Field Artillery to Okinawa.

On December 30, 1967, the 32nd Infantry Division was deactivated and National Guard units realigned. Along with the 32nd Infantry Division, the 32nd Infantry Division Artillery was redesignated as the 257th Field Artillery Group. On September 30, 1978, the 257th Field Artillery Group was redesignated as the 57th Field Artillery Brigade; a designation which previously existed until the 32nd Division was triangularized in 1942 and the 32nd Division Artillery created.

As a part of the strategic transformation, the 57th Field Artillery Brigade will be transforming from a Field Artillery Brigade to the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB).

• The previous HHB 57th Field Artillery Brigade is transforming into a HHC 157th MEB. This unit will almost double in size and the headquarters will remain in Milwaukee, WI. This is a newly designed, multifunctional command and control organization.

o "Unit Mission: The Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB) enables, enhances, and protects the operational and tactical freedom of action of the support force. It received and integrates mission tailored forces to Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) and support brigades. It commands and controls forces necessary to conduct security and functional operations in a designated area of operations (AO) in order to enable force application, focused logistics, battle space awareness, and protection."

• A new unit, 357th Network Support Company (NSC), will be headquartered in Two Rivers, WI. The primary mission for the NSC is to provide communication support to all units within the CSB. This unit mainly comprised the previous Detachment 1 HHB 57th FA Brigade.

• The 1st Battalion 126th Field Artillery (Paladin) will transform into the 257th Brigade Support Battalion (BSB) and will be headquartered in Oak Creek, WI. The primary mission for the BSB is to provide service support to all assigned units within the CSB. The BSB has a Distribution Company in Whitewater and a Maintenance Company in Kenosha, WI.

• A new unit, the 457th Chemical Company, is headquartered in Burlington, WI. Their mission is to provide chemical detection and decontamination for the CSB.

• The 1st Battalion 121st Field Artillery which maintains Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) will convert to High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), with their headquarters located in Milwaukee, WI and their firing batteries located in Racine (Battery A), Plymouth (Battery B), and Sussex (Battery C).

• A new unit, 108th Forward Support Company (FSC), will be headquartered in Sussex, WI was formed by the direct support MLRS maintenance team (Detachment 2 107th Maintenance Company) and the service support of the 1st Battalion 121st Field Artillery. Their primary mission is to provide service support to a HIMARS battalion.

• 3 February 2008, 0930 Hours Change Of Command of this Brigade was passed from Col. Dominic A Cariello to Col. Mark J Michie. Colonel Michie was assigned to Joint Forces Headquarters in Madison. He graduated from the US Army War College graduate course in Carlisle, PA in June 2007 having spent 11 months at the Army's Senior Service College.

• In March 2008, the 264th Engineer Group (Chippewa Falls, WI) cased its flag and deactivated. The 724th Engineer Battalion, along with 9 modular units will fall under the command and control of the 157th MEB.