199th Infantry Brigade (United States)

The 199th Infantry Brigade (Light) is a unit of the United States Army which served in the Army Reserve from 1921–1940, in the active army from 1966 to 1970 (serving in the Vietnam War), briefly in 1991–1992 at Fort Lewis, and from 2007 as an active army training formation at Fort Benning.

199th Infantry Brigade
Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 199th Brigade.
Active1921–1940
1966–1970
1991–1992
2007 – present
Country United States
Branch United States Army
TypeInfantry
RoleTraining
SizeBrigade
Part ofUnited States Army Infantry School
Garrison/HQFort Benning
Nickname(s)The Redcatchers
Motto(s)Light, Swift, Accurate
EngagementsVietnam War
Websitehttps://www.benning.army.mil/Infantry/199th/
Commanders
Current
commander		COL James T. McGahey
Command Sergeant MajorCSM Roy A. Young
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

Early history

The brigade was first formed in the West Virginia Organized Reserve in 1921, as part of the 100th Infantry Division. It incorporated the 398th and 399th Infantry Regiments. However, with the reorganisation of the Army from four-regiment to three-regiment divisions as World War II approached, the brigade was disbanded in 1940.

Vietnam War
Soldiers from the 199th infantry Brigade carry a wounded member of their company from the field during a fire fight in Lhu Duc District during October 1967

The unit was formed for the second time. It trained at Fort Benning, Georgia and Camp Shelby, Mississippi from September to November 1966 in preparation for deployment to Vietnam from Fort Benning, Georgia. The 199th was the only combat unit to train at Camp Shelby during the Vietnam War.

Nicknamed "the Redcatchers", the unit was hastily moved to Sông Bé, Vietnam on 10 December 1966 to provide an increased U.S. presence in the III Corps Tactical Zone and remained there until its return to Fort Benning on 11 October 1970, where it was inactivated.[1] The unit was briefly reactivated at Fort Lewis Washington from the remains of the 9th Infantry Division.

The brigade was conducting Operation Uniontown in Đồng Nai Province when the 1968 Tet Offensive began. It immediately began a defense of U.S. II Field Force headquarters at Long Binh Post against attacks by the VC 275th Regiment. One battalion was moved by helicopter to attack a Viet Cong command post at the Phu Tho racetrack inside Saigon, then engaged in house-to-house fighting in Cholon.[1]

During 1969, the 199th was responsible for the security of the region north and east of the capital, and in 1970 moved into the "Iron Triangle" when other units participated in the Cambodian Incursion.[1]

  • Units assigned to the 199th Infantry Brigade (Light):[1]
    • Brigade infantry
    • Brigade artillery
      • 2nd Battalion, 40th Artillery
    • Brigade reconnaissance
    • Brigade support
      • 7th Support Battalion
      • 179th Military Intelligence Detachment
      • 87th Engineer Company
      • 313th Signal Company
      • 152nd Military Police Platoon
      • 44th military history detachment
      • 503rd Chemical Detachment
      • 856th Radio Research Detachment (Army Security Agency)
      • 40th Public Information Detachment
    • Other units on temporary duty
      • 49th Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog)
      • 76th Infantry Detachment (Combat Tracker)
      • 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
  • Casualties
  1. 754 killed in action
  2. 4,679 wounded in action

Recent history

During the drawdown of the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis in 1991–1992, a residual brigade, based around the division's 3rd Brigade, was briefly active as the 199th Infantry Brigade (Motorized) from 16 February 1991[2] before being reflagged on 16 July 1992 as the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

The structure of 199th Infantry Brigade at that time was:

  • 199th Infantry Brigade (Motorized), Fort Lewis
    • Headquarters & Headquarters Company
    • 1st Battalion, 29th
    • 1st Battalion, 33rd Armor[3]
    • 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry[4]
    • 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry[5]
    • 1st Battalion, 11th Field Artillery[6]
    • 99th Support Battalion (Forward)
    • Troop A, 9th Cavalry (previously Troop B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, rest of the squadron disbanded on the same date)
    • 102nd Engineer Company (Company D, 15th Engineer Battalion)
    • 9th Chemical Company[7]
    • Battery E, 44th Air Defense Artillery[8]

On 27 June 2007, the 11th Infantry Regiment was reflagged as the 199th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning. In October 2013, the brigade underwent changes to its task organization as part of restructuring within the Maneuver Center. The brigade was designated as the Leader Development Brigade and reorganized to contain both Armor and Infantry BOLC, OCS, and the MCCC.

  • Units assigned to the 199th Infantry Brigade:
    • HHC, 199th BDE (Maneuver Captains Career Course Detachment)
    • 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment (Abrams, Bradley, Stryker, Sniper, Combatives, etc. instruction)
    • 2nd Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment (Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course (IBOLC))
    • 3rd Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment (Officer Candidate School)
    • 3rd Battalion, 81st Armored Regiment (administrative command, control, and support)[9]
    • Army Noncommisioned Officer Academy
    • Command and Tactics Directorate (Infantry, Armor, and Combined Arms instruction)

Michael Lee Lanning, a retired lieutenant colonel, served a tour in Vietnam with the Redcatchers as a lieutenant. He reported to Vietnam where as a second lieutenant he served as an infantry platoon leader and reconnaissance platoon leader. After his promotion to first lieutenant, he commanded a rifle company, Bravo Company of the 2d Battalion, 3d Infantry. He wrote two books about his experiences there: The Only War We Had: A Platoon Leader's Journal of Vietnam (New York: Ivy Books/Random House, 1987); and Vietnam 1969-1970: A Company Commander's Journal (New York: Ivy Books/Random House, 1988).

Notes
  1. Stanton, p 89
  2. Dinackus 2000, page 11-3.
  3. "1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  4. "2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry - Lineage and Honors". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  5. "3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry - Lineage and Honors". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  6. McKenney, Janice E. "Field Artillery - Army Lineage Series - Part 1" (PDF). US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  7. "9th Chemical Company - Lineage and Honors". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  8. "1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery - Lineage and Honors". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  9. "Fort Benning | 199th Infantry Brigade". www.benning.army.mil. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
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References
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