81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team

during Rifle Forge, a live-fire exercise at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, Nov. 7, 2021. The 81st Stryker Brigade contains seven battalions and a headquarters company. It assumed its current organizational structure as of 9 July 2015, when the 81st Brigade converted from a mechanized to a Stryker brigade and some units are attached to 2nd Infantry division which includes the 1-185th Infantry. • 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, at Camp Murray • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, at Camp Murray • 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, in Bend (OR) (Oregon Army National Guard) • Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, in Bend • Troop A, 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, in Albany • Troop B, 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, in Redmond • Troop C, 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, in Portland • Troop D (Weapons), 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, in The Dalles • 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Spokane • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Spokane • Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Richland • Company A, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, at Yakima Training Center • Detachment 1, Company A, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Wenatchee • Company B, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Richland • Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Walla Walla • Company C, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Spokane • Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, at Geiger Field • 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Kent • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Kent • Company A, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Anacortes • Detachment 1, Company A, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Redmond • Company B, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Kent • Company C, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Bremerton • Detachment 1, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, in Port Orchard • 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment, in San Bernardino (CA) (California Army National Guard — will be replaced by the 1st Battalion, 204th Infantry Regiment (Utah National Guard) in spring 2026) • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment, in San Bernardino • Company A, 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment, in Apple Valley • Company B, 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment, in Colton • Company C, 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment, in Palmdale • 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Olympia • Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Olympia • Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Moses Lake • Detachment 2, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in San Bernardino (CA) (California Army National Guard) • Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Olympia • Detachment 1, Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Moses Lake • Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Olympia • Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, in Olympia • 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, in Marysville • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, in Marysville • Company A (Combat Engineer), 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, at Yakima Training Center • Company B (Engineer Support), 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, in Vancouver • Company C (Signal), 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, in Marysville • Company D (Military Intelligence), 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, at Camp Murray • Detachment 1, Company D (Military Intelligence), 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, at Yakima Training Center (RQ-28A UAV) • 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Seattle • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Seattle • Company A (Distribution), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Seattle • Company B (Maintenance), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Seattle • Company C (Medical), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Seattle • Company D (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Prineville (OR) — attached to 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment (Oregon Army National Guard) • Company E (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Marysville — attached to 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion • Detachment 1, Company E (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, at Yakima Training Center • Detachment 2, Company E (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Vancouver • Company F (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Olympia — attached to 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment • Company G (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Ephrata — attached to 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment • Detachment 1, Company G (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, at Yakima Training Center • Company H (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Barstow (CA) — attached to 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment (California Army National Guard) • Company I (Forward Support), 181st Brigade Support Battalion, in Kent — attached to 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment The brigade normally conducts its annual training at the Yakima Training Center, near Yakima, Washington. ==History==

World Wars The 81st Infantry Brigade was constituted as part of the 41st Infantry Division on 1 April 1917, consisting of the 161st and 162nd Infantry Regiments. The 41st deployed to France, but was designated a replacement division, with its infantry components sent to the 1st, 2nd, 32nd and 42nd Infantry Divisions. Between the wars, the brigade joined the rest of the division in the Pacific Northwest, the headquarters moving with the home of the current brigade commander. In January 1942, the 41st Infantry Division was reorganized from a two-brigade, four-regiment structure to a three-regiment structure with no brigade echelon. The 81st ceased to exist and its two component regiments split up. The 161st went to the 25th Infantry Division while the 162nd remained in the 41st Infantry Division, where they both saw extensive combat. Cold War As part of an Army reorganization, the 81st was revived as a separate light infantry brigade on 1 January 1968 under Brigadier General Albert Kaye and built around the three battalions of the 161st Infantry Regiment. In 1971, the brigade converted to mechanized infantry, substituting one infantry battalion with 1st Battalion, 303rd Armor. The brigade was broken up, and its components extensively reorganized under the 13th Corps Support Command (COSCOM) to meet the mission requirements: A total of ten brigade soldiers died from enemy action over the course of the deployment, the majority of those from the 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry, the unit most directly involved in day-to-day combat operations. The 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry was responsible for the security and combat operations of a densely populated area of southeast Baghdad known as Al Zafranaya and Jsr Diayla. The battalion operated primarily out of Forward Operating Base Gunner (later renamed to FOB Highlander in honor of the battalion's nickname), Baghdad, Iraq. For its performance in combat, the 1–161st Infantry was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation by the Department of the Army. Upon its return from overseas in March 2005, the brigade began to reorganize in accordance with the Army's new "Unit of Action" Brigade design, adopting the organization it has today. Between deployments, the brigade responded to floods in Southwest Washington caused by the Great Coastal Gale of 2007. Troop A, 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment received the Distinguished Service Unit award. The award was received on behalf of the unit by Captain Patrick Gehring and First Sergeant Travis Wise. The brigade has shifted mobilization affiliation several times since the 1990s. It had been associated with the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea. With the shift to being an armored brigade in 2005, it was affiliated for mobilization purposes to the 40th Infantry Division. From 2015 to 2021, the 81st SBCT was affiliated with the JBLM-based 7th Infantry Division. ==Notable members==

• Laverne Parrish - Technician-4, a medic with 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment received the Medal of Honor for his valorous actions in the Philippine Campaign of WWII • James Dalton II - Brigadier General, Commander of the 161st Infantry Regiment and later Deputy Commander of the 25th Infantry Division during the Pacific Campaigns of WWII. He was killed in action during Battle of Balete Pass on 16 May 1945. Posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star and Purple Heart. One of 11 US General Officers Killed in Action during the Second World War. • Matthew Shea - Captain, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment. Elected to the Washington House of Representatives from the 4th Legislative District 12 January 2009 to 11 January 2021. Deployed to both Bosnia (1999) and Iraq (2004) where he served as the Commander of HHC, 1-161 Infantry. • Ryan G. Anderson - Specialist who attempted to provide relief to al-Qaeda ==External links==