FORT RILEY, Kan. – The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, held a unit colors casing ceremony Nov. 16, 2022, at King Field House, Fort Riley, Kansas.
Casing of a unit’s colors is a historical Army tradition that symbolizes a unit’s movement from one theater of operation to another. 2nd ABCT held the ceremony to signify the brigade’s official departure from Fort Riley to Europe for a fall rotational deployment.
The Dept. of the Army announced on Sept. 22, 2022, that the 2nd ABCT will replace the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, to support the United States’ commitment to Operation Atlantic Resolve.
“Next month the brigade will start another chapter in our European history,” said U.S. Army Col. Bryan Harris, the commander of the 2nd ABCT. “The team is prepared to go anywhere and accomplish any mission.”
2nd ABCT, known as “Dagger Brigade”, is a maneuver brigade combat team that was first constituted on May 24, 1917. The brigade has participated in multiple conflicts to include World War I, Vietnam, Operation Iraqi Freedom and more.
“For over 105 years, the histories of Europe and the 1st Inf. Div. have been linked,” said Harris. “This deployment to Eastern Europe will add luster to our brigade’s storied legacy and reputation. We will demonstrate to the World what a ready, resilient and lethal Armored Brigade Combat Team is capable of.”
The “Dagger” Brigade is composed of Headquarters and Headquarters Company; 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment; 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment; 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 63rd Infantry Regiment; 299th Brigade Support Battalion; 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment; 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment; and the 82nd Brigade Engineer Battalion.
The brigade’s units awards include the Valorous Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Army Superior Unit Award, the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry and the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal.
“The Big Red One has a storied history that started with the fighting alongside our European allies in WWI … beginning today, you add to our history by continuing this vital duty of assuring our allies and safeguarding international security,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Niave Knell, the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley deputy commanding general-support. “Dagger Brigade, we know you are ‘Ready Now’, and look forward to visiting you in Europe and welcoming you home at the conclusion of a successful mission. There is not a brigade in our Army that is more trained and ready than [2nd ABCT].”
Social Sharing