4th Brigade Combat Team ( Airborne ) , 25th Infantry Division The 4th Brigade Combat Team ( Airborne ) , 25th Infantry Division is an airborne infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army . The unit is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf - Richardson in Anchorage , Alaska and is the only airborne brigade combat team in the Pacific Theater . It is also the newest airborne brigade combat team and one of only six in the United States Army ; the others are the four brigade combat teams of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team . United States Army Alaska is the brigade ' s next higher command , not the 25th Infantry Division which is headquartered in Hawaii . The brigade , along with 1st Brigade Combat Team ( Stryker ) , 25th Infantry Division , which is also stationed in Alaska , share in the history of the 25th Infantry Division , but are not subordinate to the division ; the chain of command goes direct from United States Army Alaska to United States Army Pacific . History . In 2004 , the United States Army announced the Army Modernization Plan , intended to restructure the U . S . Army by creating new modular brigade combat teams . A new airborne brigade combat team at Fort Richardson , Alaska was included as part of the restructuring . The new brigade was established as the fourth brigade under the lineage of the 25th Infantry Division and the first new U . S . airborne unit created since the end of World War II . The 1st Battalion , 501st Infantry Regiment ( Airborne ) then operating as a battalion task force and located at Fort Richardson was consolidated with the new brigade . The battalion served as a flagship unit , providing senior personnel and a training cadre for the other units of the brigade . On 14 July 2005 the brigade was officially constituted at the athletic fields of Buckner Field House , with COL Michael X . Garrett becoming the first brigade commander . At the ceremony , he officially christened the " Spartan Brigade " with the new motto " Sparta Lives . " The brigade spent the remainder of 2005 and 2006 achieving full personnel strength and conducting training for future combat deployment . The first major training exercise was conducted at Fort Greely , Alaska in April 2006 and was followed by pre - deployment certification at the US Army Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk , Louisiana in August of the same year . During the same month the fall deployment of the brigade to Iraq was announced . Operation Iraqi Freedom . In late September and early October the brigade began deployment in support Operation Iraqi Freedom V for a 12 - month rotational deployment . Initially , the brigade was subordinate to Multi - National Division - Baghdad under the 1st Cavalry Division and was responsible for an area of operations comprising north Babil Governorate , Karbala Governorate and Najaf Governorate . However in January 2007 , a battalion task force headed by 3rd Battalion , 509th Infantry Regiment ( Airborne ) was detached for service in Anbar Governorate with the II Marine Expeditionary Force . The unit would not return to brigade control until June 2007 . In March 2007 , the brigade deployment was extended for a period of 90 days and the brigade was placed under the divisional command of the then new Multi - National Division - Central under the command of 3rd Infantry Division . During this period , the geographic disparity of 1st Squadron ( Airborne ) , 40th Cavalry Regiment located just eight miles south of Baghdad brought about their detachment from the brigade and attachment to 2nd Brigade Combat Team , 3rd Infantry Division for the duration of the deployment . Over 14 months of combat and civil operations in the brigade area of operations resulted in improvement of the security situation , a period that coincided with the Iraq Surge and Sons of Iraq movement . Although the brigade had trained in conventional and direct action missions prior to deployment , the brigade conducted many traditionally unconventional operations , specifically the training of foreign internal defense forces and the support and utilization of irregular forces in combat and intelligence operations . The brigade also boasted the highest rate of re - enlistment of any brigade in the US Army during fiscal year 2007 . Under Multi - National Division - Central , the brigade took part in several major operations including Black Eagle , Gecko , Geronimo Strike III , Marne Avalanche , Marne Torch , LaGuardia , and Washing Machine . The brigade also successfully returned Karbala Governorate to Iraqi provincial control . Elements of the brigade took part in the search for downed F - 16 pilot MAJ Troy Gilbert and the soldiers abducted in the May 2007 ambush of a patrol from 2nd Brigade Combat Team , 10th Mountain Division , successfully recovering the remains of PFC Joseph Anzack . Soldiers from the brigade were also involved in the 20 January 2007 Karbala provincial headquarters raid . During the 15 - month deployment , the brigade lost 53 soldiers who are commemorated on a black stone memorial at Pershing Field on Fort Richardson . The brigade began redeployment to Fort Richardson beginning in November 2007 and was completely redeployed by December . The brigade conducted a redeployment ceremony attended by Governor Sarah Palin and other dignitaries on 19 December 2007 at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage . In June 2008 , COL Michael Garrett relinquished command to LTC Stephen Hughes as the unit began the process of undergoing rest and refit in advance of future deployments . Operation Enduring Freedom IX - X . COL Michael L . Howard assumed command in July 2008 . With the brigade already identified for deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom IX - X , COL Howard led a rapid train - up including a month - long rotation at the National Training Center in October – November 2008 . In February 2009 , just 14 months after returning from its 15 - month deployment to Iraq , the brigade deployed to eastern Afghanistan as a part of Regional Command East , International Security Assistance Force . The brigade ' s area of combat operations included Khost , Paktia , and Paktika provinces , all on the border with Pakistan ; brigade headquarters was at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost . Known as Task Force Yukon , the brigade was augmented with eight battalion - sized units : a military police battalion from United States Army Europe augmented with an infantry company , B Co , 2 / 151 INF from the Indiana Army National Guard , an infantry battalion ( 1 / 121st Infantry Regiment ) from the Georgia Army National Guard , an aviation battalion from the 101st Airborne Division ( replaced mid - tour with an aviation battalion from the 3rd Infantry Division ) , three Provincial Reconstruction Teams , and two Army National Guard Agri - Business Development Teams . Total task force strength was approximately 5 , 500 personnel . Serving under the 101st Airborne Division , then the 82nd Airborne Division , the brigade conducted counter - insurgency operations for 12 months in partnership with Afghan National Security Forces and supervised governance , development , and agriculture projects in coordination with the Afghan government . The brigade redeployed to Fort Richardson in February – March 2010 . The welcome home ceremony was held on 25 March 2010 at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage with Alaska Governor Sean Parnell in attendance . Thirteen brigade Soldiers were killed in action during the deployment ; they are honored with a black granite memorial located in front of the brigade headquarters at Fort Richardson . SPC Bowe Bergdahl , assigned to B Company , 1st Battalion , 501st Infantry Regiment ( Airborne ) , was captured by the Taliban in June 2009 and remains missing ( as of December 2010 ) . On 1 July 2010 , COL Howard relinquished command to LTC Shanon Mosakowski , the brigade ' s deputy commander . MG William Troy , commanding general of United States Army Alaska , hosted the change of command ceremony , which included a traditional pass and review with the brigade ' s six battalions represented by large formations on the field . COL Howard ' s next assignment was with NATO headquarters in Belgium . LTC Mosakowski served as commander until August 2010 when COL Morris T . Goins assumed command . Operation Enduring Freedom XII - XIII . The brigade deployed to Afghanistan again in December 2011 for Operation Enduring Freedom XII - XIII . As with its previous deployment to Afghanistan , the brigade was headquartered at Forward Operating Base Salerno . The brigade returned to Joint Base Elmendorf - Richardson in October 2012 after 10 months . During the deployment , eight soldiers from the brigade lost their lives . Lineage . The brigade was constituted on 14 July 2005 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company , 4th Brigade Combat Team ( Airborne ) , 25th Infantry Division . Note : On 6 January 1969 , 4th Brigade , 25th Infantry Division was activated at Schofield Barracks , Hawaii as a regional strategic reaction force while the remainder of the division was deployed to Vietnam . This unit was inactivated upon the return of the division on 15 January 1970 and provided personnel and equipment to 1st Brigade , 25th Infantry Division . The unit does not share in the established lineage of the new 4th Brigade Combat Team ( Airborne ) .