.gif)
120th Infantry Brigade (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 120th Infantry Brigade is an AC/RC unit based at Fort Hood, Texas.
The unit falls under command of First Army, Division West and is responsible for training selected United States Army Reserve
& National Guard
units in Texas & the South-Western U.S.
and received the Presidential Unit Citation for participation in that battle.
The unit was formerly designated as 2nd Brigade, 75th Infantry Division. The brigade is a subordinate unit of U.S. First Army
In 2006, as part of the Army's Transformation Plan
, the 2nd Brigade, 75th Division was reflagged as the 120th Infantry Brigade. In September 2008, the unit was relocated from Fort Sam Houston to Fort Hood, TX.
For further information see The Brigade, A History by John J. McGrath from the Combat Studies Institute Press, Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas
.
The unit falls under command of First Army, Division West and is responsible for training selected United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
& National Guard
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
units in Texas & the South-Western U.S.
Lineage
- Constituted 26 March 1943 in the Army of the United States as Headquarters, 3d Armored Infantry Group
- Activated 31 March 1943 at Camp ChaffeeFort ChaffeeFort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center is in the northwest Arkansas region adjacent to the city of Fort Smith, located one mile southeast of Fort Smith Regional Airport. The Arkansas River flows eastward along the northern border of the post. Interstate 40 is five miles to the north on the...
, ArkansasArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River... - Reorganized and redesignated 30 March 1943 as Headquarters, 3d Armored Group
- Reorganized and redesignated 14 September 1943 as Headquarters, 12th Tank Group
- Reorganized and redesignated 13 December 1943 as Headquarters, 12th Armored Group
- Inactivated 20 October 1945 at Camp GruberCamp GruberCamp Gruber Maneuver Training Center is an Oklahoma Army National Guard training facility used for Summer field training exercises and for monthly drills. It covers a total of .The base is named after General Edmund L...
, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state... - Disbanded 2 July 1952
- Reconstituted 24 October 1997 in the Regular Army as Headquarters, 120th Infantry Brigade, and activated at Fort Sam HoustonFort Sam HoustonFort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
, Texas - Inactivated 16 October 1999 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas
- Activated 1 December 2006 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas
Campaign Streamers
| Conflict | Streamer | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...  |
Rhineland | 1944 |
| Ardennes-Alsace | 1944 | |
| Central Europe | 1945 | |
Unit Decorations
| Ribbon | Award | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Presidential Unit Citation | 1944 | Bastogne |
History
During World War II, Headquarters, 12th Armored Group was attached to the 9th Armored Division to reinforce Combat Command R. The unit participated in the Siege of Bastogne under the command of the 101st Airborne Division101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
and received the Presidential Unit Citation for participation in that battle.
The unit was formerly designated as 2nd Brigade, 75th Infantry Division. The brigade is a subordinate unit of U.S. First Army
In 2006, as part of the Army's Transformation Plan
Transformation of the United States Army
Army Transformation describes the future-concept of the United States Army's plan of modernization. Transformation is a generalized term for the integration of new concepts, organizations, and technology within the armed forces of the United States....
, the 2nd Brigade, 75th Division was reflagged as the 120th Infantry Brigade. In September 2008, the unit was relocated from Fort Sam Houston to Fort Hood, TX.
Organization
The unit is composed of:- Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 120th Infantry Brigade
- 3rd Battalion, 289th Regt (CS/CSS) BeaumontBeaumont, TexasBeaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
, Texas - 3rd Battalion, 290th Regt (CS/CSS) Oklahoma CityOklahoma cityOklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state... - 3rd Battalion, 291st Regt (Infantry) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (inactive)
- 3rd Battalion, 381st Regt (CS/CSS) Grand Prairie, Texas
- 1st Battalion, 381st Infantry Regiment Little Rock, ArkansasArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
(inactive) - 2nd Battalion, 382nd Regt (LS) Waco, Texas
- Detachment, 2nd Battalion, 382nd Regt (LS) Fort PolkFort PolkFort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately 7 miles east of Leesville, Louisiana and 20 miles north of DeRidder, Louisiana....
, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
- Detachment, 2nd Battalion, 382nd Regt (LS) Fort Polk
- 1st Battalion, 393rd Infantry Regiment Fort ChaffeeFort ChaffeeFort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center is in the northwest Arkansas region adjacent to the city of Fort Smith, located one mile southeast of Fort Smith Regional Airport. The Arkansas River flows eastward along the northern border of the post. Interstate 40 is five miles to the north on the...
, Arkansas - 2nd Battalion, 393rd Infantry Regiment Fort Chaffee, Arkansas
- 3rd Battalion, 393rd Infantry Regiment Fort Chaffee, Arkansas
- 1st Battalion, 394th Infantry Regiment (Infantry) LafayetteLafayette, LouisianaLafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, Louisiana (inactive) - 1st Battalion, 395th Infantry Regiment395th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 395th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States 99th Infantry Division. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. During the Battle of the Bulge, the Regiment—at times virtually surrounded by Germans—was one of the few units that did...
(Engineer) Fort Hood, Texas - 2nd Battalion, 395th Infantry Regiment395th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 395th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States 99th Infantry Division. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. During the Battle of the Bulge, the Regiment—at times virtually surrounded by Germans—was one of the few units that did...
(Field Artillery) Fort Hood, Texas - 3rd Battalion, 395th Infantry Regiment395th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 395th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States 99th Infantry Division. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. During the Battle of the Bulge, the Regiment—at times virtually surrounded by Germans—was one of the few units that did...
(Armor) Fort Hood, Texas
For further information see The Brigade, A History by John J. McGrath from the Combat Studies Institute Press, Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
.
Heraldry
- Distinctive Unit Insignia: The dark blue, the color traditionally used by the Infantry unit, denotes the Presidential Unit CitationPresidential Unit CitationThe Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
awarded to the unit. The arched band refers to the unit’s World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
campaign in the Battle of the BulgeBattle of the BulgeThe Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. The caltropCaltropA caltrop is an antipersonnel weapon made up of two or more sharp nails or spines arranged in such a manner that one of them always points upward from a stable base...
s represent the defensive success by the AlliesAllies of World War IIThe Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
to protect BastogneBastogneBastogne Luxembourgish: Baaschtnech) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. The municipality of Bastogne includes the old communes of Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardin...
, Belgium from the German Army. The field of Gutte de Sang symbolizes the Battle of Ardennes, Siege of Bastogne, one of the bloodiest conflicts during World War II.
- Shoulder Sleeve Insignia: The flag blue of the shoulder sleeve insignia is the color traditionally associated with Infantry units. The embattled pale suggests tank tracks, denoting the 120th Infantry’s lineage as an armored unit. Red symbolizes the Brigade’s striking capabilities. The bayonetBayonetA bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
signifies close combat, illustrating the Brigade’s mission.