1st Brigade Combat Team , 10th Mountain Division ( United States ) The 1st Brigade Combat Team , 10th Mountain Division is a mountain warfare infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army based at Fort Drum , New York . It is a subordinate unit of the 10th Mountain Division . Formed as the 10th Mountain Division ' s original headquarters company , the brigade traces its lineage through the division ' s fight through Italy in World War II and afterwards , as it commanded a training division and then an infantry division which briefly deployed to Europe . 1st Brigade was reactivated 11 April 1986 at Fort Drum , New York . The 1st Brigade is the Command and Control Headquarters for Task Force Warrior , consisting of its organic battalions 1 – 32nd Infantry , 1 – 87th Infantry , and 2 – 22nd Infantry . The principal units that have been assigned to TF Warrior during Division Ready Brigade missions , off post deployments , and major exercises have been the 3 – 6th Field Artillery , 10th Forward Support Battalion , A / 3 - 62nd Air Defense Artillery , A / 41st Engineer , A / 110th Military Intelligence , A / 10th Signal Battalion , and 1st PLT / 10th Military Police Battalion . the 10th Mountain Division ' s first brigade and its elements saw numerous deployments to contingencies around the world in the 1990s . With the War on Terrorism the brigade has seen two deployments , one to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom in 2003 , and one to Iraq to support Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 . The Brigade Combat Team is scheduled for a third deployment , returning to Iraq in fall of 2009 , but the deployment was canceled on 16 October 2009 . It is now deployed in Afghanistan ( 9 March 2010 ) and is scheduled to return to garrison in late January 2011 / early February 2011 . Organization . The 1st Brigade Combat Team is a subordinate unit of the 10th Mountain Division , however its modular nature means it is capable of operating independently of the division ' s Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion . The brigade consists of six subordinate battalions ; its combat element consists of two infantry battalions , the 1st Battalion , 87th Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Battalion , 22nd Infantry Regiment . The 1st Squadron , 71st Cavalry Regiment provides armored reconnaissance services to the Brigade Combat Team , while the 3rd Battalion , 6th Field Artillery Regiment provides field artillery support . The brigade ' s Headquarters and command services are provided by 1st Brigade Combat Team , 10th Mountain Division Special Troops Battalion . All supporting services for the brigade are provided by the 10th Brigade Support Battalion . All of these battalions are located at Fort Drum with most of the rest of the 10th Mountain Division . History . World War II . 1st Brigade , 10th Mountain Division traces its lineage back to the 10th Mountain Division ' s original Headquarters element , which was constituted with the rest of the division in World War II . It was activated 17 September 1942 as the 10th Mountain Training Center . After the training of the Division ' s soldiers was complete , the Training Center became the division headquarters . The 10th Light Division ( Alpine ) was constituted on 10 July 1943 and activated two days later at Camp Hale , Colorado . The division was centered around regimental commands ; the 85th Infantry Regiment , 86th Infantry Regiment , and 87th Infantry Regiment . Also assigned to the division were the 604th , 605th , and 616th Field Artillery battalions , the 110th Signal Company , the 710th Ordnance Company , the 10th Quartermaster Company , the 10th Reconnaissance Troop , the 126th Engineer Battalion , the 10th Medical Battalion , and the 10th Counter - Intelligence Detachment . The 10th Light Division was unique in that it was the only division in the Army with three field artillery battalions instead of four . The division trained for one year at the 9 , 200 foot high Camp Hale . Soldiers trained to fight and survive under the most brutal mountain conditions , fighting on skis and snow shoes and sleeping in the snow without tents . On 22 June 1944 , the division was shipped to Camp Swift , Texas to prepare for maneuvers in Louisiana , which were later canceled . A period of acclimation to a low altitude and hot climate was necessary to prepare for this training . On 6 November 1944 , the 10th Division was redesignated the 10th Mountain Division . That same month the blue and white " Mountain " tab was authorized for the division ' s new shoulder sleeve insignia . Italy . The division sailed for Italy in late 1944 , arriving in Italy on 6 January 1945 . It was the last US Army Division to enter combat in World War II . It immediately entered combat near Cutigliano and Orsigna . The division initially made a series of defensive maneuvers , then in conjunction with troops of a Brazilian Expeditionary Force , it assaulted German and Italian positions on 19 February 1945 , in the Battle of Monte Castello . The unit made concerted attacks on the Monte Della Torraccia - Mount Belvedere sector and the peaks were cleared after several days of heavy fighting . In early March the division fought its way north of Canolle and moving to within of Bologna . Maintaining defensive positions for the next three weeks , the division jumped off again in April , captured Mongiorgio on 20 April , and entered the Po Valley , seizing the strategic points Pradalbino and Bomporto . The 10th crossed the Po River on 23 April , reaching Verona 25 April , and ran into heavy opposition at Torbole and Nago . After an amphibious crossing of Lake Garda , it secured Gargnano and Porto di Tremosine , 30 April , as German resistance in Italy ended . After the German surrender in Italy on 2 May 1945 , the division went on security duty , receiving the surrender of various German units and screening the areas of occupation near Trieste , Kobarid , Bovec and Log pod Mangartom , Slovenia until V - E Day , the end of the war in Europe . Demobilization . Originally , the division was to be sent to the Pacific theater to take part in Operation Downfall , the invasion of mainland Japan . However , Japan surrendered in August 1945 following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki . The division returned to the US two days later . It was demobilized and deactivated on 30 November 1945 at Camp Carson , Colorado . During World War II , the 10th Mountain Division suffered 992 killed in action and 4 , 154 wounded in action in 114 days of combat . Soldiers of the division were awarded one Medal of Honor , three Distinguished Service Crosses , one Distinguished Service Medal , 449 Silver Star Medal s , seven Legion of Merit Medals , 15 Soldier ' s Medal s , and 7 , 729 Bronze Star Medal s . The division itself was awarded two campaign streamers . Cold War . In June 1948 , the division was rebuilt and activated at Fort Riley , Kansas to serve as a training division . Without its " Mountain " tab , the division served at the 10th Infantry Division for the next ten years . The division ' s main function was to process and train replacements in large numbers . This mission expanded with the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 . By 1953 , the division trained 123 , 000 new Army recruits at Fort Riley . In 1954 , the division converted to a combat division once again , though it did not regain its " Mountain " status . Using equipment from the deactivating 37th Infantry Division , the 10th Infantry Division was deployed to Germany , replacing the 1st Infantry Division at Würzburg , serving as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization defensive force . The division served in Germany for four years , until it was rotated out and replaced by the 3rd Infantry Division . The division moved to Fort Benning , Georgia and was deactivated on 14 June 1958 . Reactivation . On 13 February 1985 , the 10th Mountain Division ( Light Infantry ) was reactivated at Fort Drum , New York . In accordance with the Reorganization Objective Army Divisions plan , the division was no longer centered around regiments , instead two brigades were activated under the division . The 1st Brigade , 10th Mountain Division was activated at Fort Drum while the 2nd Brigade , 10th Mountain Division was activated at Fort Benning , moving to Fort Drum in 1988 . The division was also assigned a round - out brigade from the Army National Guard , the 27th Infantry Brigade . The division was specially designed as a light infantry division able to rapidly deploy . Equipment design was oriented toward reduced size and weight for reasons of both strategic and tactical mobility . The division also received a distinctive unit insignia . Contingencies . In 1990 , the division sent 1 , 200 soldiers to support Operation Desert Storm . The largest of these units was the 548th Supply and Services Battalion with almost 1 , 000 soldiers , which supported the 24th Infantry Division ( Mechanized ) in Iraq . Following a cease - fire in March 1991 , the support soldiers began redeploying to Fort Drum through June of that year . Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida on 24 August 1992 , killing 13 people , leaving another 250 , 000 homeless and causing damages in excess of 20 billion dollars . On 27 September 1992 , the 10th Mountain Division assumed responsibility for Hurricane Andrew disaster relief as Task Force Mountain . Division soldiers set up relief camps , distributed food , clothing , medical necessities and building supplies , as well as helping to rebuild homes and clear debris . The last of the 6 , 000 division soldiers to deployed to Florida returned home in October 1992 . Operation Restore Hope . On 3 December 1993 , the division headquarters was designated as the headquarters for all Army Forces ( ARFOR ) of the Unified Task Force ( UNITAF ) for Operation Restore Hope . Major General Steven L . Arnold , the division Commander , was named Army Forces commander . The 10th Mountain Division ’ s mission was to secure major cities and roads to provide safe passage of relief supplies to the Somali population suffering from the effects of the Somali Civil War . Due to 10th Mountain Division efforts , humanitarian agencies declared an end to the food emergency and factional fighting decreased . When Task Force Ranger and the SAR team were pinned down during a raid in what later became known as the Battle of Mogadishu , 10th Mountain units provided infantry for the UN quick reaction force sent to rescue them . The 10th had 2 soldiers killed in the fighting , which was the longest sustained firefight by regular US Army forces since the Vietnam War . The division began a gradual reduction of forces in Somalia in February 1993 , until the last soldiers of the 2nd Battalion , 22nd Infantry returned to the United States in March 1994 . Operation Uphold Democracy . The division formed the nucleus of the Multinational Force Haiti ( MNF Haiti ) and Joint Task Force 190 ( JTF 190 ) in Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy . More than 8 , 600 of the division ' s troops deployed during this operation . On 19 September 1994 , the 1st Brigade conducted the Army ’ s first air assault from an aircraft carrier . This force consisted of 54 helicopters and almost 2 , 000 soldiers . They occupied the Port - au - Prince International Airport . This was the largest Army air operation conducted from a carrier since the Doolittle Raid in World War II . The division ’ s mission was to create a secure and stable environment so the government of Haitian President Jean - Bertrand Aristide could be reestablished and democratic elections held . After this was accomplished , the 10th Mountain Division handed over control of the MNF - Haiti to the 25th Infantry Division on 15 January 1995 . The Division redeployed the last of its soldiers who served in Haiti by 31 January 1995 . Task Force Eagle . In the fall of 1998 , the division received notice that it would be serving as senior headquarters of Task Force Eagle , providing a peacekeeping force to support the ongoing operation within the Multi - National Division - North area of responsibility in Bosnia and Herzegovina . Selected division units began deploying in late summer , approximately 3 , 000 division soldiers deployed . After successfully performing their mission in Bosnia , the division units conducted a Transfer of Authority , relinquishing their assignments to soldiers of the 49th Armored Division , Texas National Guard . By early summer 2000 , all 10th Mountain Division soldiers had returned safely to Fort Drum . War on Terrorism . Readiness controversy . During the 2000 presidential campaign , the readiness of the 10th Mountain Division became a political issue when George W . Bush asserted that the division was " not ready for duty . " He attributed the division ' s low readiness to the frequent deployments throughout the 1990s without time in between for division elements to retrain and refit . A report from the US General Accounting Office in July 2000 also noted that although the entire 10th Mountain Division was not deployed to the contingencies at once , " deployment of key components — especially headquarters — makes these divisions unavailable for deployment elsewhere in case of a major war . " Conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation agreed with these sentiments , charging that the US military overall was not prepared for war due to post - Cold War drawdowns of the US military . The Army responded that , though the 10th Mountain Division had been unprepared following its deployment as Task Force Eagle , that the unit was fully prepared for combat by late 2000 despite being undermanned . Despite this , the Army moved the 10th Mountain Division down on the deployment list , allowing it time to retrain and refit . In 2002 , columnist and highly decorated military veteran David Hackworth again criticized the 10th Mountain Division for being unprepared due to lack of training , low physical fitness , unprepared leadership and low morale . He said the division was no longer capable of mountain warfare . Initial deployments . In late 2001 , following the 11 September 2001 attacks , elements of the division , including its special troops battalion and the 1 - 87th Infantry , deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . These forces remained in the country until mid - 2002 , fighting to secure remote areas of the country and participating in prominent operations such as Operation Anaconda , the Fall of Mazar - i - Sharif , and the Battle of Qala - i - Jangi . The division also participated in fighting in the Shahi Khot Valley in 2002 . Upon the return of the battalions , they were welcomed home and praised by President Bush . In 2003 , the division ' s headquarters , along with the 1st Brigade , returned to Afghanistan . During that time , they operated in the frontier regions of the country such as Paktika Province , going places previously untouched by the war in search of Taliban and Al - Qaeda forces . Fighting in several small - scale conflicts such as Operation Avalanche , Operation Mountain Resolve , and Operation Mountain Viper , the division maintained a strategy of small units moving through remote regions of the country to interact directly with the population and drive out insurgents . The 1st Brigade also undertook a number of humanitarian missions . Reorganization and recent deployments . Upon the return of the division headquarters and 1st Brigade , the 10th Mountain Division began the process of transformation into a modular division . On 16 September 2004 , the division headquarters finished its transformation . The 1st Brigade became the 1st Brigade Combat Team , while the 3rd Brigade Combat Team , 10th Mountain Division was activated for the first time . In January 2005 , the 4th Brigade Combat Team , 10th Mountain Division was activated at Fort Polk , Louisiana . 2nd Brigade Combat Team would not be transformed until September 2005 , pending a deployment to Iraq . In late 2004 , 2nd Brigade Combat Team was deployed to Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom . The 2nd Brigade Combat Team undertook combat operations in western Baghdad , returning to the US in late 2005 . Around that time , the 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed back to Iraq , staying in the country until 2006 . The division headquarters and 3rd Brigade Combat Team redeployed to Afghanistan in 2006 , staying in the country until 2007 . The division and brigade served in the eastern region of the country , along the border with Pakistan , fulfilling a similar role as it did during its previous deployment . During this time , the deployment of the brigade was extended alond with that of the 4th Brigade Combat Team , 82nd Airborne Division , however , it was eventually replaced by the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team which was rerouted from Iraq . The 1st Brigade Combat Team and the 2nd Brigade Combat Team are scheduled to deploy to Iraq in the fall of 2009 , as a part of the 2009 – 2010 rotation to Iraq . The Army is currently expanding housing at Fort Drum , hoping to relocate the home base of the 4th Brigade Combat Team from Fort Polk to Fort Drum before 2013 . Honors . The 1st Brigade , 10th Mountain Division earned two campaign streamers in World War II and two campaign streamers in the War on Terrorism for a total of four campaign streamers and two unit decorations in its operational history . Note that some of the brigade ' s battalions received more or fewer decorations depending on their individual deployments .