1st Brigade Combat Team

Mission

The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), trains to conduct full spectrum operations anywhere in the world with focus on developing leaders and units that can effectively execute decentralized operations. On order, 1st BCT disrupts or destroys enemy military forces and controls land areas, including populations and resources, in support of U.S. national interests.

Motto

“Find a way or make one.”

History

Formed as the 10th Mountain Division's original headquarters company, 1st Brigade traces its lineage to the division's fight through Italy during World War II. Afterwards, it commanded a training division and then an infantry division that briefly deployed to Europe.

The 1st Brigade was re-activated April 11, 1986, at Fort Drum, New York. The 1st Brigade Combat Team is the command and control headquarters for Task Force Warrior, consisting of seven battalions: 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment; 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment; 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment; 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment; 7th Brigade Engineer Battalion and 10th Brigade Support Battalion.

Task force units from the brigade have deployed in exercises both overseas and across the country to include Honduras; Panama; the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, and the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Soldiers from the brigade also participated in Operation Desert Storm as well as the Multinational Force and Observers mission in the Sinai and most recently supported theater security cooperation operations in Africa.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in August 1992, Task Force Warrior deployed to southern Florida where Soldiers conducted disaster relief operations. Shortly after returning to Fort Drum, the task force deployed to Somalia, Africa, where Soldiers participated in humanitarian relief and combat operations in support of Operations Restore Hope and Continue Hope from December 1992 to March 1994.

The brigade led the 10th Mountain Division into Operation Uphold Democracy, air assaulting from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower into Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to participate in peacekeeping operations from September 1994 to January 1995. The brigade supported operations in the Balkans beginning in October 1997 and continued to do so through 2002 with varying missions.

In January 2000, the brigade began participating in the Army's Joint Contingency Force Advanced Warfighting Experiment. This 10-month period from January to October 2000 culminated in a Joint Readiness Training Center rotation where Task Force Warrior tested numerous "digital" concepts and items of equipment to help pave the way into the future for the Light Infantry.

In the wake of the devastating attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Soldiers of 1st Brigade found themselves answering the nation’s call by deploying worldwide – fighting terrorism in Osama Bin Laden’s backyard, keeping peace in the Balkans, and providing support to deployed Soldiers’ families back at Fort Drum. When all was said and done, 1st Brigade was the most widely deployed infantry brigade in the U.S. Army. From the summer of 2001 through the spring of 2002, the Warrior Brigade had personnel deployed in support of military operations in six countries: Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the United States.

The 1st Brigade deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from August 2003 through May 2004. Elements of the brigade participated in numerous missions throughout the country, including vehicle checkpoints, cordon and searches, air assaults, and search and attacks.

From August 2005 through July 2006, 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed to Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After briefly returning to Fort Drum, the brigade again deployed to Iraq for a 15-month tour in Kirkuk.

Beginning in January 2010, elements of 1st BCT began deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Soldiers of 2-22 Infantry deployed to various locations throughout the country to train Afghan National Army soldiers. Soldiers of 1-71 Cavalry deployed to the southern province of Kandahar, while the remainder of the brigade deployed to Regional Command North.

In September 2017, Soldiers of 1-87 Infantry deployed to Afghanistan to conduct train, advise and assist missions supporting Afghan security forces as part of Operation Resolute Support and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. Task Force Summit awarded three Bronze Star Medals with “V” device for valor and two Army Commendation Medals with “V” device for Soldiers’ heroic actions under fire against the Taliban.

Beginning in October 2017, two 1-32 Infantry “Chosin” companies and other attached elements began deploying to Africa in support of U.S. Africa Command’s (AFRICOM) theater security cooperation missions. The “Chosin” began operations as the supporting security force in Garoua, Cameroon, and as the East Africa Response Force in Djibouti and Somalia (as part of Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa). The 1st BCT, partnering with U.S. Army Africa (USARAF), also provided security, training and humanitarian assistance to Somalia, Malawi, Uganda, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Madagascar, Mozambique and Burkina Faso.

In the winter of 2020, the brigade deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and worked alongside NATO partners throughout the period of the Doha talks and conditions-based withdrawal.

Recognition

The 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, earned two campaign streamers during World War II and two campaign streamers in the war on terrorism for a total of four campaign streamers and two unit decorations in its operational history.

Through selfless service to the nation, the 1st Brigade Combat Team “Mountain Warriors” have brought great credit upon the 10th Mountain Division and the United States Army.