Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 3rd Special Troops Battalion is a support battalion assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team 187th Infantry Regiment
("Rakkasans"), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
, Fort Campbell
, Kentucky. Created on 15 September 2004 as part of the U.S. Army's brigade realignment plan to transform brigades into units of action (UA). Companies from the 326th Engineer Battalion, 311th Military Intelligence Battalion, 501st Signal Battalion, and the 3rd Platoon of the 101st Military Police Company were pulled together to form the 3rd STB. The integration of one or more support battalions into each brigade allows brigades to be self-sustaining and they no longer need to deploy with the entire division in order to utilize division assets.
The battalion mottoes "Rak Solid Rakkasans" and "Belong to the Warrior" are statements of the battalion's support and loyalty to the 187th Infantry Regiment
.
, the unit spent the next 6 months training and preparing for a deployment to Iraq
. In late September 2005, the 3rd Special Troops Battalion deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom IV. After staging in Kuwait for additional training and awaiting movement to Iraq
, the elements of the 3rd STB moved in country to begin a year-long tour. After relieving the Tennessee National Guard
and training and awaiting equipment, the unit headed to Bayji, Iraq and conducted operations in that area of operations (AO). In late December 2005, the 3rd STB split up, with Alpha Company heading to Samarra
to support 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment
. Bravo, Charlie, and HHC headed to the Tikrit AO to support the 101st Airborne Division
elements stationed there. In early September 2006, the 3rd STB regrouped in Kuwait and redeployed to Fort Campbell
, completing their year-long deployment to Iraq
. After extensive pre-deployment training and a second JRTC rotation, the battalion headed to theater in late September 2007 to begin their second tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were deployed to Baghdad,Iraq for 15 months.
Walter Smiley with Command Sergeant Major Carlos Simmons as battalion Command Sergeant Major.
187th Infantry Regiment
The 187th Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army.The regimental motto is the Latin "Ne Desit Virtus" . The nickname "The Rakkasans" is derived from the Japanese word for parachute. The name was given to the 187th during its tour in occupied Japan...
("Rakkasans"), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
101st 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...
, Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, Kentucky. Created on 15 September 2004 as part of the U.S. Army's brigade realignment plan to transform brigades into units of action (UA). Companies from the 326th Engineer Battalion, 311th Military Intelligence Battalion, 501st Signal Battalion, and the 3rd Platoon of the 101st Military Police Company were pulled together to form the 3rd STB. The integration of one or more support battalions into each brigade allows brigades to be self-sustaining and they no longer need to deploy with the entire division in order to utilize division assets.
The battalion mottoes "Rak Solid Rakkasans" and "Belong to the Warrior" are statements of the battalion's support and loyalty to the 187th Infantry Regiment
187th Infantry Regiment
The 187th Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army.The regimental motto is the Latin "Ne Desit Virtus" . The nickname "The Rakkasans" is derived from the Japanese word for parachute. The name was given to the 187th during its tour in occupied Japan...
.
Units
The 3rd Special Troops Battalion comprises the following companies:- Headquarters and Headquarters Company – HHC provides staff support; a Support Platoon including mechanics, medics, cooks, and security; a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) "Recce" Platoon, and a Military PoliceMilitary policeMilitary police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
platoon for the 3rd STB. - Alpha Company – Providing Combat Engineer support to the brigade.
- Bravo Company – Providing Military IntelligenceMilitary intelligenceMilitary intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
assets. - Charlie Company – Providing Military communicationsMilitary communicationsHistorically, the first military communications had the form of sending/receiving simple signals . Respectively, the first distinctive tactics of military communications were called Signals, while units specializing in those tactics received the Signal Corps name...
support to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
History
Created in late 2004 as the 81st Brigade Troops Battalion, the 3rd Special Troops Battalion headed the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) in early February 2005 for training maneuvers with the Rakkasans. Upon redeployment to Fort CampbellFort Campbell
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, the unit spent the next 6 months training and preparing for a deployment to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. In late September 2005, the 3rd Special Troops Battalion deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom IV. After staging in Kuwait for additional training and awaiting movement to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, the elements of the 3rd STB moved in country to begin a year-long tour. After relieving the Tennessee National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
and training and awaiting equipment, the unit headed to Bayji, Iraq and conducted operations in that area of operations (AO). In late December 2005, the 3rd STB split up, with Alpha Company heading to Samarra
Samarra
Sāmarrā is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
to support 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment
187th Infantry Regiment
The 187th Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army.The regimental motto is the Latin "Ne Desit Virtus" . The nickname "The Rakkasans" is derived from the Japanese word for parachute. The name was given to the 187th during its tour in occupied Japan...
. Bravo, Charlie, and HHC headed to the Tikrit AO to support the 101st Airborne Division
101st 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...
elements stationed there. In early September 2006, the 3rd STB regrouped in Kuwait and redeployed to Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, completing their year-long deployment to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. After extensive pre-deployment training and a second JRTC rotation, the battalion headed to theater in late September 2007 to begin their second tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were deployed to Baghdad,Iraq for 15 months.
Chain of Command
As of August 2011, the 3rd STB was commanded by Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Walter Smiley with Command Sergeant Major Carlos Simmons as battalion Command Sergeant Major.