2nd Bde., 2nd Inf. Div. rolls out ready for history

By Rick WoodSeptember 10, 2010

2nd Bde., 2nd Inf. Div.
Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Prosser, right, and a Soldier unveil the new 2nd Bde., 2nd Inf. Div. unit coat of arms at the brigade roll-out and reception Aug. 31. The brigade, most recently known as 5th Bde., 2nd Inf. Div., was renamed after a yearlong ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Hundreds of Soldiers, family members and supporters of the newly reflagged 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, a Stryker brigade combat team, were on hand at the unit's headquarters on Joint Base Lewis-McChord Lewis North to witness the brigade's rollout Aug. 31.

Brigade Commander Col. Barry Huggins said the unit, comprised of the forAfAYENmer 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, is ready to take its place in history.

"There's been a lot of hard work and preparation put into this," Huggins said.

The 2nd Brigade is currently composed of seven battalions, he said.

"We spent time researching and figuring out how we wanted to present ourselves to the world," Huggins said.

The first line of the brigade's motto, "Second to None," pays homage to the division's lineage and reflects its high standards of excellence, he said.

On the top scroll of the brigade crest is the second part of its motto, "Seize the High Ground."

The main element of the new coat of arms is the blue bayonet, which symbolizes the infantry, Huggins said.

The yellow lightning bolt symbolizes both armor and cavalry , the red torch stands for valor and represents field artillery, he said.

"The yellow and blue, side by side, embody the combined arms team within the brigade," Huggins said.

The brigade is ready to continue with its proud legacy, he said.

"We are honored to have several Gold Star families with us here today," Huggins said.

Those families of Soldiers who were killed while serving with 5th Brigade remain an important part of 2nd Brigade, he said.

After unveiling the newly created unit crest, Huggins cut a ceremonial cake with help from I Corps Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Eric Tremblay.

"I felt privileged to be-honored to be here, too," Tremblay said. "When you look at a unit in a rollout, especially for a new formation, you're trying to figure out what you're going to bring to the plate."

The real question is how a unit defines it, he said.

"They have certainly done some thinking about the way they want to portray themselves," Tremblay said.

The unit leadership has combined vision and history into something special, he said.

The history of 2nd Brigade goes back to 1920 when it was a part of the regular Army at Camp Travis, Texas.

After being reconstituted in 1963, the unit followed 1st Brigade, 2nd Inf. Div. to Korea in 1965. The unit remained stationed in Korea until 2005. The 2nd Bde. participated in campaigns during Operation Iraqi Freedom and received Meritorious Unit Commendation streamers embroidered with "Iraq 2006-2008."

The brigade's headquarters was activated at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on July 22.

Rick Wood is a reporter with Joint Base Lewis-McChord's weekly newspaper, the Northwest Guardian.