116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team is the largest formation of the Idaho Army National Guard . It is headquartered at Gowen Field , Boise , Idaho . It has been reorganized into a Heavy Brigade Combat Team ( HBCT ) . The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team has units located throughout Idaho , Montana , and Oregon . It was reorganized into a heavy armor brigade in 1989 . Often referred to as the Snake River Brigade and formerly known as the 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment , the unit includes about 3 , 000 citizen - soldiers from Idaho . Organization . The 116th Cavalry consists of : Unit history . The 116th Cavalry ( Snake River Regiment ) was constituted on 4 March 1920 in the Idaho National Guard as the 1st Cavalry . It organized between March – November 1920 in the valley of the Snake River . It was redesignated on 12 October 1921 as the 116th Cavalry ( less 2nd and 3rd Squadrons ) : Headquarters was Federally recognized on 11 February 1922 at Boise ( 2nd and 3rd Squadrons were allotted in 1929 to the Idaho National Guard ) . The location of Headquarters changed on 15 March 1929 to Weiser ; and on 9 December 1930 to Boise . The 116th Cavalry ( less 3rd Squadron ) converted and was redesignated on 16 September 1940 to the 183rd Field Artillery ( the 3rd Squadron concurrently converted and was redesignated as elements of the 148th Field Artillery — hereafter separate lineage ) . The 183rd Field Artillery Battalion was inducted into Federal Service on 1 April 1941 at home stations . The Regiment was broken up on 8 February 1943 and its elements were reorganized and redesignated as follows : Headquarters and Headquarters Battery as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery , 183 Field Artillery Group ; the 1st Battalion as the 183rd Field Artillery Battalion ( it inactivated on 30 October 1944 , Camp Myles Standish , MA ) ; the 2nd Battalion as the 951st Field Artillery Battalion ( it inactivated on 13 October 1945 at Camp Myles Standish , MA ) . The above units were reorganized as elements of the 183rd Infantry ( Headquarters was Federally recognized on 10 January 1947 at Twin Falls ) and the 116th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron ( Headquarters was Federally recognized on 8 January 1947 at Caldwell ) . The 183rd Infantry ( less 3rd Battalion ) and 116th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron were consolidated , reorganized , and redesignated on 12 September 1949 as the 116th Armored Cavalry with Headquarters at Twin Falls . The 3rd Battalion , 183rd Infantry , was concurrently converted and redesignated as the 116th Engineer Combat Battalion — hereafter separate lineage . The 3rd Squadron was allotted on 15 December 1967 to the Nevada Army National Guard ; it was relieved in 11 May 1974 from allotment to the Nevada Army National Guard and allotted to the Oregon Army National Guard . The 1st Squadron was relieved on 1 May 1977 from allotment to the Idaho Army National Guard . The Attack Helicopter Company was allotted on 1 September 1975 to the Washington and Wyoming Army National Guard . The unit reorganized and was redesignated on 1 September 1989 in the Idaho and Oregon Army National Guard as the 116th Cavalry , a parent regiment under the United States Army Regiment System , to consist of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions and Troop E , elements of the 116th Cavalry Brigade , and Troop F , and element of the 41st Infantry Brigade . It was reorganized on 1 October 1995 to consist of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions , elements of the 116th Cavalry Brigade . Operation Joint Forge ( SFOR XI ) . Approximately 300 Idaho & Montana Army National Guardsmen and women of the 116th served in Bosnia in 2001 and 2002 . The 116th Cavalry Brigade , headquartered at Gowen Field , deployed approximately 100 soldiers in March 2002 , returning in October , 2002 . The 116th was under the command and control of the Army ' s 25th Infantry Division , Hawaii , during the deployment . The 91st Division ( Training Support ) trained the 116th Cavalry Brigade prior to its deployment to Bosnia for Stabilization Force 11 . Operation Iraqi Freedom III . In the early part of 2004 the 116th Cavalry Brigade was alerted for a mobilization to support Operation Iraqi Freedom . In June that year the entire brigade deployed for 18 months . The brigade spent the first six months at Fort Bliss , TX and Fort Polk , LA training for their combat mission . The majority of the brigade arrived in Iraq late 2004 . The 116th Cavalry Brigade was assigned to the northern part of Iraq , primarily in and around the oil - rich city of Kirkuk . For nearly a full year the soldiers of the 116th Cavalry Brigade conducted full spectrum operations in and around Kirkuk , stabilizing the region for national elections , and training the Iraqi Army and police forces . The Iraq deployment marked the first time in the 116th Cavalry Brigade ' s history that the entire brigade had deployed together . This was also the first time that the 116th shoulder sleeve insignia was authorized to wear as the shoulder sleeve insignia – Former Wartime Service ( often referred to as a combat patch ) . As a cavalry unit , many soldiers serving in the brigade during the deployment were authorized to wear the gold combat spurs . In November 2005 the 116th Cavalry Brigade redeployed to the United States . After redeployment the 116th Cavalry was officially redesignated from 116th Cavalry Brigade to 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team . Operation New Dawn . On 17 September 2010 the Brigade began a 12 - month deployment to Iraq , first traveling to Camp Shelby , Mississippi for training and premobilization certification . After serving for a year in various locations in Iraq performing Force Protection missions , the Brigade returned to Idaho in September 2011 . Shoulder Sleeve Insignia . Description : On a scarlet disc with a yellow border in diameter overall , a yellow sun emitting twelve rays surmounted by a blue horizontal wavy band bearing a yellow gliding snake . Symbolism : The wavy band and the snake are taken from the coat of arms of the former organization , the 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment . The wavy band and snake represent the Snake River , and refer to the home area of the former organization , the Snake River Valley . The sun alludes to the state of Idaho , noted for the beauty of its sunrises . The name is taken from Shoshoni Indian words meaning " the sun comes down the mountain " or " it is morning . " The predominant color , yellow , is representative of Armored Cavalry units . Background : The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for the 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment on 9 October 1967 . The insignia was redesignated and the symbolism revised on 1 September 1989 . Distinctive Unit Insignia . A gold color metal and enamel device high , consisting of a bundle of five gold arrows , points up , encompassed on either side of the tripartite black scroll passing across the center of the arrows and inscribed " MOVE STRIKE DESTROY " in gold letters ; overall in base a red coiled rattlesnake . Symbolism : Yellow / gold is the color traditionally associated with Cavalry . The coiled rattlesnake epitomizes the unit ' s motto – capabilities and military preparedness . The snake also alludes to the unit ' s association with the old 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment . The five arrows symbolize the unit ' s five campaign credits during World War II as Field Artillery ; scarlet and yellow / gold are the colors associated with Field Artillery . Background : The distinctive unit insignia was authorized on 2 May 1989 .