| 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team | |
|---|---|
 36th Infantry Division Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, worn by soldiers of 72nd Brigade. | |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance |  United States Army |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Type | Infantry Brigade Combat Team |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | 36th Infantry Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Houston |
The 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a unit of the Texas Army National Guard and is subordinate to the 36th Infantry Division.
The 72nd Infantry Brigade was organized at Camp Bowie, Texas, in July, 1917. A unit of the 36th Infantry Division, the 72nd Brigade included the 3rd and 4th Texas Infantry Regiments. These regiments served on the Mexico–United States border during the Pancho Villa Expedition, and then were organized and federalized for World War I as the 133rd Machine Gun Battalion, and 143rd and 144th Infantry Regiments. [1]
The 72nd Brigade arrived in France in July, 1918, and took part in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of September, October and November which led to the German surrender. In early 1919 the 72nd Brigade was mustered out at Camp Bowie. [2]
When the National Guard was reorganized following passage of the National Defense Act of 1920, the 36th Infantry Division was continued as a Texas National Guard organization, with the 72nd Brigade as a subordinate command. The Army discontinued machine gun battalions, and the 72nd Brigade consisted of the 143rd and 144th Infantry Regiments. [3]
The 36th Division, including the 72nd Brigade, was federalized in 1940 for service during World War II. A 1942 restructuring led to the Army discontinuing the use of brigade headquarters in favor of regiments reporting directly to the division headquarters, and Headquarters, 72nd Brigade was inactivated, though its regiments continued as part of the 36th Infantry Division, and saw combat in North Africa, Italy, and France, as well as in the Pacific Theater. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Following World War II the National Guard’s reorganization included the fielding of several armored divisions in anticipation of tank warfare against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to defend Western Europe. One of these armored divisions, the 49th, was allocated to Texas and formed around what had been the 72nd Infantry Brigade. [8]
The 49th Armored Division continued in service until 1968, and was activated during the 1961 Berlin crisis. [9]
A 1968 National Guard reorganization led to the inactivation of the 49th Armored Division and the reactivation of the 72nd Infantry Brigade. In 1973 another reorganization caused the reactivation of the 49th Armored Division and inactivation of the 72nd Infantry Brigade.
The 49th Armored Division was inactivated and reflagged as the 36th Infantry Division in 2004, and the 72nd Brigade was reactivated. In 2005 and 2006 the Army’s conversion to modular brigades included the 72nd Brigade’s reorganization as an Infantry Brigade Combat Team. [10]
72nd Infantry Brigade soldiers and units have carried out numerous active duty missions as part of the Global War on Terrorism, including activations and deployments for Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. [11] [12] [13]
3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry served in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2001 as part of the Stabilization Force. [14]
In 2005-2006, 800 Soldiers of 3d Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment, 72d Brigade, 36th Infantry Division deployed to Afghanistan for combat operations. The Battalion was attached to the 504th Infantry Regiment of the 82d Airborne Division. [15]
The 72nd Brigade served in Iraq in 2010, providing security details and mentoring members of the Iraqi Army and Police as they assumed full responsibility for security at Iraq’s borders and within the country. [16]
As of FY22 the 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s task organization includes:
The 36th Infantry Division ("Arrowhead") also known as the "Panther Division", the "Lone Star Division", "The Texas Army", and the "T-patchers", is an infantry division of the U.S. Army and part of the Texas Army National Guard. The 36th Infantry Division was organized during World War I (1914–1918) from units of the Texas National Guard and of the Oklahoma National Guard. As an all-Texas unit, the Arrowhead Division was called to service for World War II (1937–1945) on 25 November 1940, was deployed to the European Theater of Operations in April 1943, and returned to the Texas Army National Guard in December 1945.
The 49th Armored Division —nicknamed the "Lone Star"— was an armored division of the Texas Army National Guard during the Cold War.
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The Texas Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, the United States National Guard and the Texas Military Forces.
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The 112th Cavalry Regiment is a Texas National Guard regiment that served in several Pacific campaigns during World War II.
The 141st Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. The lineage of the 141st includes units tracing origins to the Texas Revolution, such as Company A, First Texas, 1836, and other infantry companies of the First Texas formed in the 1870s and 1880s.
The 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was an infantry brigade of the United States Army National Guard in the state of California.
The 143rd Infantry Regiment is an airborne infantry formation in the Army National Guard and has one battalion active under the Texas Army National Guard.
The 67th Armored Regiment is an armored regiment in the United States Army. The regiment was first formed in 1929 in the Regular Army as the 2nd Tank Regiment (Heavy) and redesignated as the 67th Infantry Regiment (Medium Tanks) in 1932. It first became the 67th Armor in 1940. The regiment participated in World War I, World War II, Desert Storm/Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Spartan Shield, Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Resolute Support, and Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
The 133rd Field Artillery Regiment is a parent field artillery regiment of the United States Army National Guard. It is currently represented in the Texas Army National Guard by the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Battalions.
First Squadron, 153rd Cavalry Regiment "Darkhorse" is an element of the Florida Army National Guard, headquartered in Panama City, Florida with units throughout the Panhandle. It was formerly 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry and officially converted to cavalry on 1 September 2007 when the 53rd Infantry Brigade converted from a "separate brigade" to the brigade combat team structure.
The 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a brigade combat team unit of the Texas Army National Guard, part of the 36th Infantry Division.
The 71st Airborne Brigade was an airborne brigade of the United States Army and the Texas Army National Guard. The 71st Airborne Brigade was active from 15 December 1967 until 1 November 1973. It was a result of the National Guard total force reorganization to fill the gap and improve in National Guard airborne infantry capabilities from the consolidations of 1st Battalion (Airborne) 151st Infantry into D & E co (LRP) 151st Infantry of the Indiana National Guard on 1 December 1967 and consolidations of the 1st Battalion (Airborne) 225th Infantry into E & F co (LRP) 425th Infantry of the Michigan National Guard on 1 February 1968.
The 144th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army, Texas Army National Guard. It was formed in 1880 and served in several American wars including the present War on Terror. Currently, only the 3rd Battalion remains, and it is a part of the 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 36th Infantry Division.
The 124th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment, represented in the Texas Army National Guard by 1st Squadron, 124th Cavalry, part of the 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Waco.