27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team


caption=27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team shoulder sleeve insignia
dates=May 4, 1986- Present
country=United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Army National Guard
type=Infantry
role=
size=Brigade
command_structure=
garrison=
garrison_label=
nickname=Empire
patron=
motto=
colors=
colors_label=
march=
mascot=
equipment=
equipment_label=
battles=Iraq
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=
commander1=
commander1_label=
commander2=
commander2_label=
commander3=
commander3_label=
notable_commanders=

The 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is an Infantry brigade of the New York Army National Guard, one of the brigades that make up the 42nd Infantry Division.

Mission

The state mission of the 27th Infantry Brigade is to maintain a manned, trained and equipped force capable of rapid deployment to any area within New York to aid civil authorities. Operations may consist of assistance for natural disasters, civil disturbances and other emergency situations beyond the capabilities of civil authorities.

History

originally the 27th Infantry Division,On 1 October 2003 elements from the 27th were mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Comprising the 2-108 Infantry (with volunteers from the 1-108 and 1-105 Infantry battalions), C 427 Support, 827 Engineers and FSTs from 1-156 Artillery, Task Force Hunter deployed into Iraq in Feb 2004 after pre-deployment training at Ft Drum, NY and Ft Polk, LA.

On August 1, 2007, the unit was redesignated as the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, as part of the Army's move to a "modular" force, and it lost it's former status as a separate brigade. Retaining it's historic shoulder patch-from the 27th Infantry Division (United States)-, the 27th became, once again, a component of the 42nd Infantry Division. Until then it had been designated the 27th Infantry Brigade (Light) and had been one of the fifteen "enhanced brigades" found in the Army National Guard's force structure. From 1985 until 2005, the 27th had also been the "round-out" brigade of the Regular Army's 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), based in upstate New York at Fort Drum. It lost this mission when the 10th added it's 3rd and 4th Brigades, composed of active-duty Regulars, during its own reorganization.

On 27 September 2007 advanced elements from the 27th, primarily composed of soldiers from the 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry and 1st Battalion 69th Infantry, as well as volunteers from 2nd Battalion 101st Cavalry began shipping out from New York State to Fort Bragg, NC for pre-deployment training and exercises prior to a combat deployment in Afghanistan. The main Brigade Element mobilized on 16 January 2008. In Afghanistan, the 27th is operating against Taliban and al-Qaeda forces and is assisting in training elements of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. They will be in-country for one year. The advanced party arrived in Afghanistan on 24 December 2007. On 27 March 2008, the main element began flying out of Pope Air Force Base, NC for their deployment in Afghanistan.

Order of Battle

*Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 27th IBCT
*1st Battalion, 69th Infantry
*2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry
*2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry
*1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery
*27th Special Troops Battalion

In Popular Fiction

The military units depicted in the movie Cloverfield are members of the 27th Infantry Brigade.

The military units in the movie I Am Legend are members of the 27th Infantry Brigade, specifically the 1-69 Infantry Battalion.

Links

* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/27in-bde.htm GlobalSecurity.org: 27th Infantry Brigade]
* [http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Inf/27InfantryBrigadeCombatTeam.htm The Institute of Heraldry: 27th Infantry Brigade]