2nd Brigade Combat Team even more combat-ready, mission-capable

By Staff Sgt. Mark A. Moore II, 2nd Brigade Combat Team JournalistOctober 23, 2014

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1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. David S. Doyle, left, commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Roger D. Parker, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, uncase the 41st Brigade Engineer Battalion's colors, signifying the unit's activation during the brigade transformation ceremony Thursday at Magrath... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. David S. Doyle, center, 2nd Brigade Combat Team commander, and battalion commanders pose for a photograph Thursday on Sexton Field before the brigade's transformation ceremony. The new battalion lineup is, from left, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- Soldiers assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team "Commandos," 10th Mountain Division (LI), gathered alongside distinguished guests, Families and friends to celebrate the brigade's transformation during a ceremony Thursday at Magrath Sports Complex.

The change occurred after the deactivation of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, and it falls in line with the Army's 2020 force restructuring plan. The plan increased the 2nd Brigade Combat Team's total combat power by nearly 1,000 Soldiers gained from the deactivated unit.

"All together, we are adding about 1,000 Soldiers to our ranks," said Col. David S. Doyle, 2nd BCT commander. "Going forward, this brigade combat team will be even more combat-ready and capable as a unit."

Strengthening the base of the "Commando" mountain are Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment "Catamounts," who uncased their colors during the ceremony, signify- ing their return to the brigade after nearly 10 years of separation.

"I'd say welcome home," Doyle continued. "This is a return trip to the 'Commando' Brigade; 2-87 Infantry had served successfully with 2nd BCT until the formation of 3rd BCT in 2004."

Lt. Col. Johnathan M. Chung, 2-87 Infantry commander, described the most important yet most challenging part of the transition as being the movement of personnel, establishment of barracks, office space and work areas.

"Any time you face transition, there is always a little bit of angst," Chung said. "But I'll tell you, the leadership here in the 'Commando' team has absolutely done everything to help with the integration and transition, they've made it very easy for us to come back and join what we were a part of in the beginning."

Chung continued to say the addition of his maneuver element of nearly 700 infantrymen absolutely increases the lethality and maneuverability of 2nd BCT on the battlefield.

Additional changes were the deactivation of 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, whose leaders cased the colors and reflagged the unit as 41st Brigade Engineer Battalion, ending their more than 10 years of service with the brigade.

"Today we took our special troops battalion, which is an organization of many different specialties, and we reflagged it as an engineer battalion, giving it more of a centralized mission," Doyle explained.

While the core structure of the unit didn't change, the addition of an engineer company doubled the ability to conduct route clearance operations, emplace road obstacles or conduct demolition missions, and magnifying the bri- gade's mobility, counter mobility and survivability during combat operations.

"We also brought over an artillery battery with larger cannons (M777 howitzers) so we have increased range and lethality for our formations," Doyle said. "We brought over a whole host of logicians in order to support all the additional Soldiers."

Now bolstering nearly 4,500 Soldiers, the "Commando" Brigade has expanded its abilities to go where others dare not go.

"We are going to be able to do a lot more missions as a self-contained organization," Doyle said. "We'll be able to provide the Army and the 10th Mountain Division (LI) with increased capabilities; if we get called upon to do a mission, we'll have the skills and the personnel to accomplish that mission right within our brigade."