World War I The brigade was first organized as the 1st Provisional Brigade, a
Regular Army unit, at
Syracuse, New York, on 11 August 1917. It was redesignated as the 3rd Infantry Brigade of the
2nd Division on 22 September, a day after the latter was constituted. , with decorations The 2nd Division was first constituted on 21 September 1917 in the Regular Army. It was organized on 26 October 1917 at
Bourmont,
Haute Marne, France. At the time of its activation, the Division was composed of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, which included the
9th Infantry Regiment; the
23rd Infantry Regiment and the 5th Machine Gun Battalion; the
4th Marine Brigade; 2nd Brigade of
field artillery; and various supporting units. In 1968 North Koreans continued to probe across the DMZ, and in 1969, while on patrol, four soldiers of 3d Battalion, 23d Infantry were killed. On 18 August 1976, during a routine tree-trimming operation within the Truce Village (the
Joint Security Area) were axed to death in a melee with North Korean border guards which became known as the
Korean axe murder incident. On 21 August, following the deaths, elements of the division took part in "Operation Paul Bunyan" to cut down the "Panmunjeom Tree". This effort was conducted by Task Force Brady (named after the 2nd ID Commander) in support of Task Force Vierra (named after the Joint Security Area Battalion commander). Congress adopted the Nunn-Warner Amendment to the 1989 Defense Appropriation Bill, which ordered a reduction in U.S. troop strength in Korea from 43,000 to 36,000 by the end of calendar year 1991. As a result, on 16 September 1992, the brigade was inactivated at
Camp Howze. To complete the 2nd Infantry Division with a third brigade, the 3d Brigade, 1st Armored Division, and an associated 'slice' of the division's supporting units from
Bad Kreuznach, Germany, was to be returned home and stationed at
Fort Lewis (Washington). When the move was completed in September 1994, the 4,000 3rd Brigade soldiers (still part of the 1st Armored Division) were separated from their new parent division. As a result, they were organized as a split-based brigade combat team (BCT). On 29 March 1995, the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division was reactivated at Fort Lewis, effectively 'reflagged' from the 3d Brigade, 1st Armored Division. It was composed of the 1-23 Infantry, 1-32 Armor, 1-33 Armor, 1-37 Field Artillery, 168 Engineer, the 296th Forward Support Battalion, and Charlie Battery 5-5 Air Defense Artillery. Other sources have 16 April 1995 as the official reactivation date.
Iraq From November 2003 to November 2004, the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team deployed from Fort Lewis, Washington in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the sands of Iraq the 3rd Brigade Stryker Brigade Combat Team proved the value of the Stryker brigade concept in combat and logistics operations. with insurgents in the
Dora section of
Baghdad 7 March 2007 From June 2006 to September 2007, the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team deployed from Fort Lewis, Washington in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the 3rd Stryker Brigade's second deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom their mission was to assist the Iraqi security forces with counter-insurgency operations in the Ninewa Province. Following a second RIP (Relief in Place) with 172nd SBCT, the BDE split between the bridge proper and 1st BDE, 1st CAV DIV. The respective units were based out of
Balad,
Taji, and Greater Baghdad. The bulk of the 46 soldiers that were killed in action during the deployment, occurred during this time frame. On 1 June 2006 at Fort Lewis, Washington the 4th Brigade, 2d Infantry Division was formed. From April 2007 to July 2008 the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team was deployed in as part of the surge to regain control of the situation in Iraq. The brigade assumed responsibility for the area north of Baghdad and the
Diyala province. 35 soldiers from the brigade were killed during the deployment. From October 2006 to January 2008, the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team deployed from Fort Carson, Colorado in support of the Multi-National Division –
Baghdad (1st Cavalry Division) and was responsible for assisting the Iraqi forces to become self-reliant, bringing down the violence and insurgency levels and supporting the rebuilding of the Iraqi infrastructure. 43 soldiers from the brigade were killed during the deployment. SSG Christopher B. Waiters of 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3d Brigade Combat Team was awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross on 23 October 2008 for his actions on 5 April 2007 when he was a specialist. Shortly after, SPC Erik Oropeza of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team Thus the division will be credited with the 17th and 18th Distinguished Service Cross awardings since 1975. The 2nd Infantry Division's
4th Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq in the fall of 2009. 3rd Brigade deployed to Iraq 4 August 2009 for the brigade's third deployment to Iraq, the most of any Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT).
War in Afghanistan On 17 February 2009, President
Barack Obama ordered 4,000 soldiers from the 5th
Stryker Brigade Combat Team to
Afghanistan, along with 8,000
Marines. Soldiers are being sent there because of the worsening situation in the Afghan War. These soldiers were deployed in the southeast, on the
Afghanistan-
Pakistan border. During deployment, 35 soldiers were killed in combat, two others were killed in accidents, and 239 were wounded. In July 2010, the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team was inactivated and reflagged as the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The brigade's Special Troops Battalion was also inactivated and reflagged and the rest of the subordinate units were reassigned to the reactivated 2nd SBCT. 3rd SBCT deployed in December 2011 and served in Afghanistan for one-year. 16 soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment. They were joined by their sister Stryker brigade, the 2nd SBCT in the spring 2nd Brigade returned around December 2012 and January 2013 having lost eight soldiers during deployment. The 4th Stryker BCT also deployed to its first deployment to the country in fall 2012 and returned in summer 2013 having lost four soldiers.
Casing of the Colors On 5 September 2015, the Army retired the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division flag, and the unit was re-designated as the 1st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. ==Locations==