1st Brigade grows more lethal, flexible, agile

FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- The Warrior Brigade became stronger and more versatile than ever Friday after it fell in line with the Army's plan in one of the service's largest organizational changes since World War II.

Leaders of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) held a transformation ceremony on Fort Drum to welcome former Spartan Soldiers and their unit colors from the recently inactivated 3rd Brigade Combat Team to its ranks.

The realignment and restructuring of the brigade combat team is part of the Army's plan to make BCTs more lethal, flexible and agile, while decreasing the total number of troops in the Army from a wartime high of more than 570,000 to 490,000. Building this new team prepares the Army and the Warrior Brigade to be a more prepared global response unit for any situation.

"In terms of team building, we worked really hard to set the conditions so that all the new pieces kind of fell into place pretty seamlessly and they all share this identity with 1st Brigade and that we are kind of stepping off together in terms of being focused on the right priorities," said Col. Mark O'Donnell, 1st BCT commander.

During the ceremony, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment; and 7th Brigade Engineer Battalion stood up as their colors were uncased, welcoming them as the newest units within the Warrior Brigade.

"(In) this current structure now, (7th Engineers) are fully embedded in 1st Brigade Combat Team, and in addition to engineers, we also have military intelligence and signal Soldiers, so we are basically all the combat support, combat enablers for the brigade," said Lt. Col. Michael N. Clancy, former commander of 7th Engineer Battalion and now deputy command-er for 1st BCT. "It's a shift from what my battalion did in my last organization, when I took command, which was just straight engineering, general support to multiple brigades and multiple divisions at the same time."

Two units were inactivated during the ceremony: 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, and 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion. The Soldiers within 1st BSTB were realigned under 7th Brigade Engineer Battalion, and 1-71 Cavalry was reflagged as 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment.

"I think it's good," Clancy said. "It sort of merges the engineer battalion concept and the special troops battalion concept, and we'll be able to provide the support that the brigade needs."

The history of the 7th Engineer Battalion dates back to the American Civil War, and the unit has played a big role in multiple wars since.

The 1-32 Infantry also has a rich history, dating back to World War I, in which the unit was used to escort German prisoners of war being transferred to the United States from Hawaii.

The battalion also was one of the original units that made up 1st Brigade during its activation on April 11, 1986.

"That's one of the interesting things about the 10th Mountain Division history that is a little bit unique to Fort Drum; we're like a blended Family, so you have multiple histories that come into light when you have an organization like ours," O'Donnell said. "But some of these individual regiments have been around since the American Civil War, and that is incredible to me that we have Soldiers standing in formations under unit colors that have been around since the 1860s. That's one of the things that's very special about the Army -- that we have this long heritage and tradition, and that kind of sustains."

Along with the challenge of realigning units within 1st BCT, there are other future trials the brigade is scheduled to face.

"We've got some bigger challenges ahead of us, though," O'Donnell said. "In January, the entire brigade will come together and go to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, (LA.), and that will be an even bigger challenge. It will be a harder test, but I think that for us, we'll come out of that and everybody will be like 'yes, we're all members of 1st Brigade' and that doesn't happen overnight."

The Army's realignment initiative also gives the BCT enhanced maneuver capabilities, route clearance assets and amped-up field artillery and fires support.

"(The) 1-32 coming from 3rd Brigade won't really feel like a member of 1st Brigade until we do something demanding and tough that brings us together as a team," O'Donnell said.

The transformation occurred as part of the Army's plan to cut 10 BCTs by the end of fiscal year 2017 and reorganize within the units as part of a restructuring process.

"This is the new Army," said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno. "The new Army is something that is globally responsive and regionally engaged. We have to be able to respond anywhere in the world very quickly."

As the camaraderie and unity of the units continues to grow, so will the history of the brigade; Soldiers of the Warrior Brigade and former Spartan Brigade are now a part of this significant piece of history.

"This is just a new chapter in my battalion's history, and I feel honored to be a part of it," Clancy said. "I obviously wasn't around in 1861, but I feel like I'm part of it, and I feel like now I'm writing history for future generations which will inherit my battalion, and then becoming part of 10th Mountain Division is a special honor, too."

This reorganization is a testament to the Army's ability to adapt in an ever-changing world. The Warrior Brigade epitomizes this ability to adapt and successfully complete any mission the future may hold.