40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team


caption=40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team shoulder sleeve insignia
dates= 18 July 1917 - 20 April 191918 June 1926 - January 1974
2005 - Present
country= United States
allegiance=United States Army
branch= U.S. Army National Guard
type= Infantry
role=
size= Brigade
command_structure=
garrison= San Diego, California (HQ)
garrison_label=
equipment=
equipment_label=|nickname= Thunderbolt
patron=
motto= ARMIPOTENT (Mighty in Arms)
colors=
colors_label=
march=
mascot=
battles=

*World War I
*World War II
*Korean War
*Operation Iraqi Freedom
anniversaries=
decorations= Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
battle_honors=
current_commander= Colonel David S. Baldwin
current_commander_label=
ceremonial_chief=
ceremonial_chief_label=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
colonel_of_the_regiment_label=
notable_commanders=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_2_label=The 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is an infantry brigade of the United States Army National Guard in the state of California.

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 [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink = www.calguard.ca.gov
coauthors =
title = 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT)
work =
publisher = State of California
date =
url = http://www.calguard.ca.gov/40ibct/Pages/default.aspx
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-05-04]

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The 40th Infantry Brigade was originally made up of the 50th and 90th Infantry Regiments and served as part of the 20th Infantry Division from October 1918 to February 1919. [John J. McGrath, The Brigade: A History-Its Organization and Employment in the U.S. Army, Combat Studies Institute Press, Fort Leavenworth, KS, 2004.]

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. [cite web
authorlink = http://www.militarymuseum.org/
title = 40th Armored Brigade
work = Heraldry and Insignia of the California National Guard
publisher = The California Military Museum
url = http://www.militarymuseum.org/40ABinsig.html
accessdate = 2008-05-03] Constituted in July 1917 the brigade was organized and drafted into federal service in August 1917 at Camp Kearny and was demobilized in April 1919 at the [http://www.militarymuseum.org/cpKearney2.html 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 deactivated in July 1954. Prior to this most recent change, the unit was designated as the 40th Armored Brigade in January 1968. However they were disestablished in January 1974. [cite web
last = Wickham MG, USA
first = Kenneth
authorlink =
coauthors = http://www.militarymuseum.org/
title = 40th Armored Brigade
work = Lineages and Honors of the California National Guard
publisher = The California State Military Museum
date =
url = http://www.militarymuseum.org/LH40thAB.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-05-03] [cite web
last = Stein
first = Barry Jason
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Military Armor Brigade Patches History1
work = US Army Patches
publisher =
date =
url = http://www.vetshome.com/military_armor_brigade_patches_history1.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-05-03]

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.

References

External links

* [http://www.calguard.ca.gov/40ibct/Pages/default.aspx California Army National Guard, unit webpage]
* [http://www.militarymuseum.org/cpKearney2.html Camp Kearny (San Diego County)]
*US Army Field Manual 3-90.6 4AUG06, "The Brigade Combat Team"
* [http://www.calguard.ca.gov California National Guard website]