Infantry History

When Allied commanders during World War II needed engineers to clear the beaches of Normandy, when the 4th Infantry Division needed airfields repaired, roads maintained, and bridges built in Vietnam, and when the 24th Infantry Division needed someone to identify and mark the main routes into Iraq during the Gulf War there was one unit that stood above all others. That unit was the 299th Combat Engineer Battalion. The 299th was activated on March 1st, 1943 at Camp White, Oregon. Since then the unit has been put on reserve and active status, deactivated and reactivated, and assigned many different higher headquarters in order to meet the Army’s mission. The 299th Combat Engineer Battalion had always been quick to act, brave under fire, and completed crucial missions in order to ensure the mobility of the main force. The 299th is a very distinctive and proud unit.

During arduous combat operations coinciding with a high OPTEMPO unit cohesion may flux toward a detriment of mission success. This report will focus on the 56TH Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) in order to address the critical leadership problem. In addition, focus will center on relevant facts and assumptions that led to the critical leadership problem and rectify the issues. Furthermore, a new ABCT vision will be published in order to restructure the organizational culture toward a unified purpose and an increase in esprit de corps. (Verify with lesson for correct purpose)

The 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) has a proud history of accomplishments. It has served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Historically, the morale across the brigade was high; leaders took care of their Soldiers, and all of them did their best to train them, accomplish missions successfully, and support them in any way. The 4th ABCT HQ, as well as each of the battalions, were highly efficient and effective, and most of them were jubilant to be part of the brigade. Three years ago, one of the best maneuver brigades in FORSCOM was the 4th ABCT. The brigade had focus; leaders and soldiers were dedicated, and there was a strong work ethics. However, the 4th is facing some challenges ahead that are going to make difficult to reach its full potential. Amongst several leadership problems, there is a major one. There is not an organizational vision in the brigade, and if there is, it is unclear and poorly evident.

The 200th Coastal Artillery (Anti-Aircraft) Regiment also known as “The Regiment” played a very pivotal role in Air Defense history. In September of 1941 the 200th Regiment with all its equipment and personnel were moved from the mainland to the Philippines and took up defensive positions at Fort Stotsenberg which was located roughly 75 miles north of Manila. At Fort Stotsenberg the 200th spent the coming months training and getting used to their surroundings. After months of training in simulated conditions, all the men of the 200th Regiment would be put to the test. On December 8, 1941 one day after the men got word of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the men of the 200th were attacked by the Japanese in a daring nighttime airborne assault which

“Four-Forty-Second Infantry / We're the boys of Hawai'i nei / We'll fight for you / And the Red, White and Blue, And go to the front. / And back to Honolulu-lulu. / Fighting for dear old Uncle Sam / Go for broke! / HOOH! / We don't give a damn! / We'll round up the Huns / At the point of our guns, / And vict'ry will be ours! / GO FOR BROKE! / FOUR-FOUR-TWO! / GO FOR BROKE! / FOUR-FOUR-TWO! And vict'ry will be ours!” (442nd Unit Fight Song). Just as many historical songs are wont to be subjected to select refinements, the 422nd Unit Fight Song is no exception. Primitively the song had the phrases “One-Puka-Puka” in place of what is currently “Four-Forty-Second” suggesting the song was originally written for the

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was a segregated U.S. Army. They fought in World War II. It was made up of Japanese Americans that were from the Mainland and Hawaii. The men from Mainland thought that the Hawaiians didn’t speak English very well. There was a conflict between both groups and got sent to a detention camp. The 442nd learned about teamwork very fast. They decided they would complete every assignment that came their way. Frank Hachiya wrote a letter to his 8th grade teacher before he was killed. In addition, he talked about all his regrets in life and how he wasted most of his time. At his funeral, his teacher read the letter.

The ROTC Military Ball has been around for a while. It is a requirement each year done on the military’s birthday to show respect and have a celebration. It consists of basically 6 rules: Protocol information, Receiving line, posting of the colors, Pow/MIA ceremony, Toasts, Dinner, Guest Speaker and the dance. Depending on the Military force depends on the date. National Guard:  December 16, 1636, U.S. Army:  June 14, 1775, U.S. Navy:  October 13, 1775 (Abolished Feb 1781 - Reinstated 7 Sep 1781), U.S. Marine Corps:  November 10, 1775, U.S. Coast Guard:  August 4, 1790, U.S. Air Force:  September 17, 1947.

When I went on mobilization to Fort Lewis, Washington and left my son in the care of my parents, I thought my parental duties would be set aside until I returned home. Unfortunately, the soldiers of 351st Ordnance Company would prove me wrong with their excessive alcohol consumption, commonly term “binge drinking,” and destructive behaviors. I would then spend the next year sharing the responsibility with four other junior noncommission officers in the task of taking care of soldiers. Despite the efforts of myself and the others we were not fully prepared to handle some of the outrageous events and lack of engagement from the leadership that would challenge us during the tour. My abilities as a junior noncommission officer and the understanding of leadership were redefined and I learned exactly what it meant to ensure soldiers have proper guidance, leadership, positive morale, and well-being.

The Colorado First Light Infantry was an anti-militia group in the U.S. that only consisted of three members. Although this homegrown terrorist group was small and short-lived, it served as a precursor to another larger organization that would be formed. The Colorado First Light Infantry was founded by Ronald David Cole after the events of the Waco siege in Texas in 1993. Cole was at the time a member of the Branch Davidians and ended up writing a pro-Branch Davidians book Sinister Twilight, where he declared that his task was to complete the mission David Koresh failed to fulfill. In 1994, he met with the notorious domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh prior to the Oklahoma City bombing (Brennan 1995). In

Although I had been to Canada several times throughout my life I’ve rarely had the opportunity to travel outside of Ontario, only having gone to Montreal once or twice. Québec City seemed both intriguing as well as slightly concerning due to the predominant language of Québec being French, a language which I speak very little of. For me, as I read the Itinerary of the trip the one visit that stood out was the Citadel. The Citadel intrigued me due to the fact that Québec City was one of only two cities in North America that is still surrounded by fortifications, which meet at the strategically located military base. Also the idea that this fortress had at one point in time allowed Canada to control the St. Lawrence River, a river which I

An unfamiliar word in the book, Rifles for Watie, was the word infantry. The text on page 159 states, “As Jeff tramped along with the infantry on the road from Three Forks to Tahlequah, he took a long pull of the pine scented morning air.” I figured out that the words ‘along with the’, was giving a hint to the reader that the infantry is some group of people. With those clue words, I can tell that this word is a noun. Since this book is during the Civil War, I would infer that the infantry has something to do with a group of soldiers. I looked up the word, so I could find a the real definition. I found the word, infantry means ‘soldiers marching or fighting on foot; foot soldiers collectively'. There is a word in infantry, which is infant.

The Cycle of the Infantryman applies to fire and maneuver for a combat element. For example purposes the buddy team will be our combat element and a static enemy position (e.g. bunker) will be the target. The phases of the cycle are SHOOT, ASSESS, MOVE, AND KILL. The cycle may loop until there is no longer an enemy threat or until target position is gained. The following is a break down of each phase.

The 83d Chemical Mortal Battalion was a major asset During World War II. They consistently and effectively supported infantry divisions, armored divisions, and airborne divisions by delivering high explosive smoke munitions. They participated in over 5 campaigns while fighting on two separate continents to include amphibious and glider assaults. The unit activated on the 10th of June 1942 at Camp Gordon, GA, the 83d consisted of A, B, C, D Company as well as a Headquarters Company. At the end of their tour the 83d Chemical

Throughout military history, combat engineers have played a vital role in the mobility, counter-mobility, and survivability of the forces in the battlefield. Their part in the Ardennes was a prime example of their ability to operate not only as their primary role, but efficiently performing their secondary role of infantry. Credited on numerous occasions on their outstanding performance as infantry, the Engineers at the Battle of the Bulge displayed their capabilities as a multi functioning force. On a cold and snowy afternoon on December 8, 1944, the 81th Engineer Combat Battalion first entered the Schnee Eifel. Their principal responsibility was to conduct road maintenance, although the momentum of the Allied advance and the 81st roles were to change abruptly. On the 16th of December, 1944, German forces would mount a major offensive against the Allied Forces in order to separate the Allied Armies in an attempt to change the momentum of the war. The German military planned and kept the offensive operation as quietly as possible. The Allied Army was not fully prepared for what was to come.

The Army's Infantry Board, a Standard Setting Institution, was looking for a high-velocity, small-caliber semi- or fully automatic weapon for its soldiers. The M-16 was developed by the Armalite Corporation, and its model was designed quite differently than other weapons of this kind. The M-16 was stamped, pressed, and forged. Plastic was used as the rifle's stock. The rifle relied on gas to propel the shells out of the barrel, and the gas was fed through a tube into the bolt carrier.