The 116th Armored Cavalry Brigade has units located throughout Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Oregon. It was reorganized into a heavy armor brigade in 1989. The 116th Cavalry Brigade, one of only 15 Heavy Separate Brigades in the country, is Idaho’s largest unit. It consists of two armor battalions (one located in eastern Oregon), a Combat Engineer Battalion, a Field Artillery Battalion, and a Support Battalion. The 116th fields the most modern equipment in the Army inventory and serves as a model for other National Guard units. The Brigade’s Idaho units include more than 3000 citizen soldiers. The mission of the National Guard differs from the Army in that the National Guard typically supports three missions instead of one primary mission – a Wartime Mission, a State Mission and a Community Support Mission.
Unlike the US Army Reserve, which primarily contains the CS and CSS units, the Army National Guard consists of combat units. A majority of the units are organized into enhanced brigades. Previously referred to as “roundout brigades”, this organizational concept began at the end of the Vietnam era. The enhanced brigades are affiliated with an active division to include light, heavy or mechanized. These brigades have a dedicated forward support battalion aligned under the division support commander during war. The enhanced brigades train with their dedicated divisions and rely on their divisions to evaluate RC training. For example, during the Brigade Command Training Program, the 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment from Boise, ID, participates with the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized). In the event of a Presidential call-up, Army National Guard units must be federalized. Therefore, these units cease to be under the control of the governor of a state. The governors use the Army National Guard, when not federalized, for support within each state as determined by each state governor.
UNIT HISTORY
The 116th Cavalry (Snake River Regiment) was constituted on 4 March 1920 in the Idaho National Guard as the 1st Cavalry. It organized between March-November 1920 in the valley of the Snake River. It was re-designated on 12 October 1921 as the 116th Cavalry (less 2nd and 3rd Squadrons): Headquarters was Federally recognized on 11 February 1922 at Boise (2nd and 3rd Squadrons were allotted in 1929 to the Idaho National Guard). The location of Headquarters changed on 15 March 1929 to Weiser; and on 9 December 1930 to Boise. The 116th Cavalry (less 3rd Squadron) converted and was re-designated on 16 September 1940 to the 183rd Field Artillery (the 3rd Squadron concurrently converted and was re-designated as elements of the 148th Field Artillery – hereafter separate lineage).
The 183rd Field Artillery was inducted into Federal Service on 1 April 1941 at home stations. The Regiment was broken up on 8 February 1943 and its elements were reorganized and re-designated as follows: Headquarters and Headquarters Battery as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 183 Field Artillery Group; the 1st Battalion as the 183rd Field Artillery Battalion (it inactivated on 30 October 1944, Camp Myles Standish, MA); the 2nd Battalion as the 951st Field Artillery Battalion (it inactivated on 13 October 1945 at Camp Myles Standish, MA).
The above units were reorganized as elements of the 183rd Infantry (Headquarters was Federally recognized on 10 January 1947 at Twin Falls) and the 116th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Headquarters was Federally recognized on 8 January 1947 at Caldwell). The 183rd Infantry (less 3rd Battalion) and 116th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron were consolidated, reorganized, and redesignated on 12 September 1949 as the 116th Armored Cavalry with Headquarters at Twin Falls. The 3rd Battalion, 183rd Infantry, was concurrently converted and redesignated as the 116th Engineer Combat Battalion – hereafter separate lineage. The 3rd Squadron was allotted on 15 December 1967 to the Nevada Army National Guard; it was relieved in 11 May 1974 from allotment to the Nevada Army National Guard and allotted to the Oregon Army National Guard. The 1st Squadron was relieved on 1 May 1977 from allotment to the Idaho Army National Guard. The Attack Helicopter Company was allotted on 1 September 1975 to the Washington and Wyoming Army National Guard.
The unit reorganized and was re-designated on 1 September 1989 in the Idaho and Oregon Army National Guard as the 116th Cavalry, a parent regiment under the United States Army Regiment System, to consist of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions and Troop E, elements of the 116th Cavalry Brigade, and Troop F, and element of the 41st Infantry Brigade. It was reorganized on 1 October 1995 to consist of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, elements of the 116th Cavalry Brigade.
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
World War II Normandy Ardennes-Alsace Northern France Central Europe Rhineland
Company B (Burley, Idaho), 2nd Battalion, additionally entitled to: World War II – Asia-Pacific Theater Papua Luzon New Guinea (w/ Bronze Arrowhead) Southern Philippines (w/ Bronze Arrowhead)
Headquarters Company (La Grande, Oregon), Company A (Baker, Oregon) and Company C (Milton-Freewater, Oregon), 3rd Battalion, each additionally entitled to: World War II – Asia-Pacific Theater Papua Luzon (w/ Bronze Arrowhead) New Guinea (w/ Bronze Arrowhead) Southern Philippines
Troop E (Woodburn, Oregon) additionally entitled to: War with Spain Manila
Philippine Insurrection Manila Malolos San Isidro
World War I Silver band without inscription
World War II – Asia-Pacific Theater Papua Luzon (w/ Bronze Arrowhead) New Guinea (w/ Bronze Arrowhead) Southern Philippines
UNIT DECORATIONS
Company B (Burley, Idaho), 2nd Battalion; Headquarters Company (La Grande, Oregon), Company A (Baker, Oregon), and Company C (Milton-Freewater, Oregon), 3rd Battalion; and Troop E (Woodburn, Oregon) each entitled to:
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered – 1 7 O C T O B E R 1 9 4 4 T O 4 J U L Y 1 9 4 5 –
Company D (Gooding, Idaho), 2nd Battalion, entitled to:
French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star, Streamer embroidered – PONT–BROCARD – Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the ARDENNES.
OPERATION JOINT FORGE (SFOR XI)
Approximately 300 Idaho & Montana Army National Guardsmen and women of the 116th served in Bosnia in 2001 and 2002. The 116th Cavalry Brigade, headquartered at Gowen Field, deployed approximately 100 soldiers in March 2002, returning in October, 2002. The 116th was under the command and control of the Army’s 25th Infantry Division, Hawaii, during the deployment. The 91st Division (Training Support) trained the 116th Cavalry Brigade prior to its deployment to Bosnia for Stabilization Force 11.
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM III
In the early part of 2004 the 116th Cavalry Brigade was alerted for a mobilization to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. In June that year the entire brigade deployed for 18 months. The brigade spent the first six months at Fort Bliss, TX and Fort Polk, LA training for their combat mission.
The majority of the brigade arrived in Iraq late 2004. The 116th Cavalry Brigade was assigned to the northern part of Iraq, primarily in and around the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. For nearly a full year the soldiers of the 116th Cavalry Brigade conducted full spectrum operations in and around Kirkuk, stabilizing the region for national elections, and training the Iraqi Army and police forces. The Iraq deployment marked the first time in the 116th Cavalry Brigade’s history that the entire brigade had deployed together. This was also the first time that the 116th shoulder sleeve insignia was authorized to wear as the shoulder sleeve insignia – Former Wartime Service (often referred to as a combat patch). As a cavalry unit, many soldiers serving in the brigade during the deployment were also authorized to wear the gold combat spurs.
In November 2005 the 116th Cavalry Brigade redeployed to the United States. After redeployment the 116th Cavalry was officially re-designated from 116th Cavalry Brigade to 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team.
OPERATION NEW DAWN
On 17 September 2010 the Brigade began a 12 month deployment to Iraq, traveling to Camp Shelby, MS for mission training and certification. After serving for a year in various locations in Iraq performing Force Protection missions, the Brigade returned to Idaho in September 2011.
The 116th Cavalry consists of:
Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (Gowen Field, Boise Idaho, Idaho Army National Guard) 1st Battalion, 163rd Combined Arms Battalion (Montana Army National Guard) 2nd Squadron, 116th Cavalry (IDARNG) 3rd Battalion, 116th Combined Arms Battalion (Oregon Army National Guard) 148th Field Artillery Regiment (IDARNG) 116th Special Troops Battalion (IDARNG/ORARNG) 145th Brigade Support Battalion (IDARNG/MTARNG/ORARNG)
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Symbolism: The wavy band and the snake are taken from the coat of arms of the former organization, the 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment. The wavy band and snake represent the Snake River, and refer to the home area of the former organization, the Snake River Valley. The sun alludes to the state of Idaho, noted for the beauty of its sunrises. The name is taken from Shoshoni Indian words meaning “the sun comes down the mountain” or “it is morning”. The predominant color, yellow, is representative of Armored Cavalry units.