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30th Armored Brigade Combat Team

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30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team
30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team shoulder sleeve insignia
Active1973-present
CountryUnited States
BranchNorth Carolina Army National Guard / West Virginia Army National Guard
TypeHeavy Brigade Combat Team (HBCT)
RoleMechanized Infantry
SizeApprox. 3,800
Garrison/HQClinton, North Carolina (Headquarters)
Nickname(s)Old Hickory
EngagementsIraq War
*Operation Iraqi Freedom
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

The 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team is a modular heavy brigade of the United States Army National Guard.

The unit is composed of units from North Carolina and West Virginia. It was formed from the remains of the downsized 30th Infantry Division of World War II fame. It was nicknamed the "Old Hickory" brigade, in honor of Andrew Jackson, due to the original division being composed of National Guard units from areas where he lived.[1]

History

In 1974 the United Stated 30th Infantry Division ceased to exist and its units were divided amongst the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia national guards. The 30th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) from North Carolina was chosen to carry on the lineage of the 30th Infantry Division.[2]

The brigade was affiliated with the 24th Infantry Division on June 5, 1999 during the division's reactivation ceremony as part of the active/reserve component integrated division concept. The headquarters for the division was an active unit located at Fort Riley, Kansas while its subordinate units were all National Guard units.

From 2000 to 2001 a few select units from 30th Brigade were chosen to conduct a six month peacekeeping mission in war torn Bosnia and Herzegovina. The deployment marked the first time that National Guard troops were utilized as front line patrolling forces since the beginning of deployment of combat troops to the region.

In July of 2002 the brigade conducted "Operation Hickory Sting '02" at Ft. Riley, Kansas in preparation for the unit's upcoming National Training Center rotation the next year. The unit's 2003 NTC rotation was dubbed "Operation Tarheel Thunder." After successfully completing its NTC rotation, 30th Brigade, along with the 39th Infantry Brigade from Arkansas, were informed that they would be deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In February of 2004 the brigade began a year-long deployment to the Diyala Governorate in Iraq. With the deployment, 30th Infantry Brigade became the first National Guard Brigade Combat Team to deploy to a war since the Korean War 50 years earlier. The brigade was also the first National Guard brigade to have its own area of operation in Iraq.

The Battle of Baqubah (June 24th, 2004)

The first Battle of Baqubah (not to be confused with Operation Arrowhead Ripper in 2007) was some of the fiercest fighting that the brigade encountered during its deployment. The battle began at approximately 5:30 a.m. local time as insurgents from the group Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad (aka Al-Qaeda in Iraq) attempted to ambush 3rd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry (Mechanized) with small arms and RPG fire. The platoon was able to break through the ambush and attempted to turn the battle around with a counterattack. As the battle wore on, however, mechanical difficulties with all three of the platoon's M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles forced the counterattack to halt and once again the advantage lay with the insurgents.

At around 6:00 a.m. reinforcements from Co A, including company commander Captain Christopher Cash, left the unit's Forward Operating Base and were also ambushed almost immediately. In the process CPT Cash was killed. The Bradley in which CPT Cash was killed as well as one other returned to base, leaving only three Bradleys to reinforce 3rd Platoon. As the reinforcements advanced on 3rd Platoon, an RPG struck one of the Bradleys, hitting SPC Daniel Desens and wounding several others. The platoon sergeant, SFC Chad Stephens, moved under fire without body armor or a weapon from his Bradley to SPC Desens' to retrieve the wounded Specialist. As SPC Desens was treated by the platoon medic, SPC Ralph Isabella, the platoon regrouped and continued its march towards 3rd Platoon. As they advanced once again towards 3rd Platoon, SFC Stephens's Bradley was also hit by an RPG, severely wounding his gunner and wounding several others including SFC Stephens.

After SFC Stephens's platoon reached its objective the wounded, SPC Desens and six others, were evacuated via helicopter and the platoon carried on the fight until 3:00 a.m. the next morning. SPC Desens later died of his wounds. SFC Stephens would ultimately receive a Silver Star for his actions.[3]

As the well coordinated attack raged on for another eight hours, insurgents were able to overrun two Iraqi police stations as rocket and mortar attacks racked FOB Warhorse, the unit's Forward Operating Base. Ultimately, Coalition forces were able to root out enemy hiding spots and strong points with UAVs as attack aircraft bombed them. In the end two soldiers from the 30th Brigade were killed and six wounded. While the actual enemy death toll varies, Coalition forces estimated at least 60 insurgents were killed in the attack. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for the attack although some experts question if Al-Qaeda in Iraq was actually capable of planning and carrying out such an organized attack, despite the fact that Al-Qaeda in Iraq flags were seen being raised by insurgents over the two captured police stations.[4]

Zarqawi claimed victory over the Americans in the battle, although it may have been a Pyrrhic victory as the insurgent death toll was much higher than the Coalition one and the attack neither forced the Americans from the city nor stopped the planned transfer of authority for the city from the Coalition Provisional Authority to the Iraqi Interim Government at the end of the month. In the end, Zarqawi was killed in an air attack two years later outside of Baqubah and a year after that Operation Arrowhead Ripper succeeded in forcing a large part of the remaining insurgent forces out of the city.


1/150th Casualty

Sgt. DeForest L. Talbert, 24, of Charleston, W.Va., died July 27 in Baladruc, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Talbert was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 150th Armor Regiment from Beckley, W.Va.

Post-deployment and redeployment

In early 2005, as the brigade returned from Iraq, 30th Infantry Brigade transformed into the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team as part of the Army's new Brigade Unit of Action concept. With the transformation, the brigade disbanded the 119th Infantry Regiment which had been a part of the North Carolina National Guard since the end of the American Civil War. The brigade then gained the 1st Squadron (RSTA), 150th Cavalry Regiment (WV ARNG) as the brigade's reconnaissance element. The 1-150th Cavalry had deployed with the brigade to Iraq as 1-150th Armor. The brigade also gained the 30th Special Troops Battalion, formed from the 30th Corps Support Group.

In October 2007, the brigade was alerted for deployment once again, to include both the North Carolina and West Virginia Army National Guard assets. The WV ARNG assets that were the 1-150th Armor Battalion are now the 1-150th Armored Reconnaissance Squadron, made up of cavalry scouts with HMMWVs and Bradley Fighting Vehicles as opposed to M1 Abrams tanks (though the unit did not use tanks in the previous deployment). The squadron serves as the eyes and ears of the brigade. The brigade is set to mobilize November 2008 and be on the ground in Iraq in April 2009, taking over combat operations from active duty combat arms soldiers in Iraq.

The brigade attended a 23-day annual training period at Camp Shelby, Mississippi in May 2008. The primary purpose of the training exercise was to complete Bradley Fighting Vehicle New Equipment Training for the scouts on fighting vehicle crews. The crews conducted gunnery through Bradley table VIII, while wheeled scouts performed gunnery with M2 50 caliber machine guns. Other training included Warrior Task Battle drill and individual weapons qualifications. The training exercise went off mostly successful, though the troops were left driving vehicles in loops during the last week of training to drain fuel as a result of a rail-loading policy that does not allow fuel tanks to be filled more than halfway when the vehicles are loaded for transportation on railcars.

The current timeline for the brigade's second deployment is as follows:

November 21, 2008, stop loss goes into effect.

November 2008 to April 2009: The brigade will begin training in Camp Shelby, Mississippi while the 1/150th trains at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The two elements will link up at Camp Shelby in January after the new year begins. The unit is scheduled for a rotation at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California in February. The unit is still awaiting final word on its March training, but it is speculated that it may train at Fort Polk, Louisiana or other facilities before heading to the Middle East in April. The unit will undergo MRAP training in Kuwait before crossing into Iraq and occupying FOB Hammer near Sadr City.

Insignia

Shoulder sleeve insignia

Description: The letters “O H” blue upon a red background, the “O” forming the elliptical outline of the device long axis to be 2 1/2 inches (6.35cm) and short axis 1 5/8 inches (4.13cm). The letter “H” within the “O”. The letters “XXX” on the bar of the “H”. The insignia to be worn with long axis vertical.

Symbolism: The letters “O H” are the initials of “Old Hickory” and the “XXX” is the Roman notation for the number of the organization.

Background: The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved on 23 October 1918 for the 30th Division. It was redesignated for the 30th Infantry Brigade on 20 February 1974. The insignia was redesignated effective 1 September 2004, with description updated, for the 30th Brigade Combat Team, North Carolina Army National Guard.

Distinctive Unit Insignia

Description: A gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/4 inches (3.18cm) in height overall consisting of a representation of a hornet’s nest in blue enamel charged at top with five gold fleurs-de-lis and in base with a gold five-pointed star, all enclosed by a continuous scarlet enamel scroll inscribed with the words “OLD HICKORY” at top and “BRIGADE” below and crossing at center overall from lower right to upper left a gold branch of laurel beneath a gold sword with point at upper right and hilt at lower left the blade divided in half lengthwise with green enamel above and red enamel below, both ends of sword and laurel branch protruding outside the scroll.

Symbolism: The hornet’s nest, adapted from the crest of the North Carolina ARNG, is a reference to the unit’s home area. The fleurs-de-lis represent the unit’s participation in five campaigns in Europe during World War II, while the sword with blade in the colors of the Belgium Fourragére refers to that award received for service in Belgium and the Ardennes. The laurel branch and the star denote awards of the French Croix de Guerre with Palm and with Star for service in France during World War II; the scarlet scroll alludes to the Meritorious Unit Commendation.

Background: The distinctive unit insignia was authorized for the noncolor bearing units of the 30th Infantry Brigade on 11 June 1974. The insignia was redesignated effective 1 September 2004, with the description updated, for the 30th Brigade Combat Team, North Carolina Army National Guard.[5]

Current Organization

30th HBCT organizational chart

1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment (Combined Arms Battalion)

The 1-120th Infantry was reorganized as a combined arms battalion when the brigade was modularized into a Brigade Unit of Action. The battalion is headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina and consists of the following companies:

1st Battalion, 252nd Armor Regiment (Combined Arms Battalion)

The 1-252nd Armor was reorganized as a combined arms battalion when the brigade was modularized into a Brigade Unit of Action. The battalion is headquartered in Fayetteville, North Carolina and consists of the following companies:

1st Squadron, 150th Armored Reconnaissance Squadron (ARS)

1-150th ARS is part of the West Virginia Army National Guard and was reorganized from the 1st Battalion, 150th Armor to become the Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition Squadron for the brigade. The squadron is headquartered in Bluefield, West Virginia and consists of the following troops:

1st Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment (Fires Battalion)

1st Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment was reorganized as a fires battalion when the brigade was modularized into a Brigade Unit of Action. The battalion is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and consists of the following batteries:

230th Brigade Support Battalion

The 230th Brigade Support Battalion is headquartered in Goldsboro, North Carolina and consists of the following companies:

30th Brigade Special Troops Battalion

On April 9th, 2006, HHC 30th Corps Support Group was reflagged HHC 30th Brigade Special Troops Battalion and was attached to 30th HBCT when the brigade was modularized into a Brigade Unit of Action. The battalion is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina and consists of the following companies:

References

  1. ^ "History and Traditions: North Carolina National Guard." Second Edition, August 1966. Pubic Affairs Section, the Adjutant General's Department, State of North Carolina, Raleigh.
  2. ^ Pike, John. "30th Enhanced Heavy Separate Brigade." Globalsecurity.org. Last updated 21 June, 2006. [1]
  3. ^ Barrett, Barbara. "Haunted by Iraq, a sergeant struggles." McClatchyDC.com. 11 November, 2007. [2]
  4. ^ Tyson, Ann Scott. "Inside one day's fierce battle in Iraq." Christian Science Monitor website. 21 July, 2004. [3]
  5. ^ "30th Infantry Brigade." The Institute of Heraldry website. [4]

Bibliography

  • Pike, John. "30th Enhanced Heavy Separate Brigade." Globalsecurity.org. Last updated 21 June, 2006. [5]
  • "Guard Family Connection" magazine, volume 3, No. 4. Published 15 October, 2007. PDF [6]
  • Lowe, Christi. "30th Brigade Combat Team to deploy to Iraq", WRAL.com. 30 October, 2007. [7]
  • www.1-800-GO-GUARD.com | North Carolina [8]
  • Global Security DOD News [9]
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