157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade The 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade , also known as the Iron Brigade , is based out of Milwaukee , Wisconsin . It was formerly known as the 57th Field Artillery Brigade , at which time its subordinate organizations included the 1st Battalion , 126th Field Artillery Regiment and the 1st Battalion , 121st Field Artillery Regiment from the Wisconsin Army National Guard , plus the 1st Battalion , 182nd Field Artillery Regiment of the Michigan Army National Guard . Not to be confused with the famous " Iron Brigade " of the Civil War , the 57th Field Artillery Brigade is also known as the " Iron Brigade , " a nickname traditionally given to crack artillery units in the Civil War . It was during World War I that the 57th Field Artillery Brigade earned its nickname as it spent many hours at the front and fired more artillery rounds than any brigade in the American Army . World War I era . Part of the 32nd Infantry Division , the unit was organized under War Department orders of 18 July 1917 , from National Guard troops from Wisconsin and Michigan . Brigadier General William G . Haan , while acting as Division Commander , was also in command of the 57th Field Artillery Brigade . The 119th Field Artillery , composed largely of Michigan artillery and cavalry troops , was commanded by Major Chester B . McCormick , later promoted to the rank of Colonel . The 120th Field Artillery was made up almost entirely from troops of the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry , and the commanding officer of the latter organization . Colonel Carl Penner , continued in command . The 1st Wisconsin Field Artillery Regiment became the 121st Field Artillery , the heavy artillery regiment of the 57th Field Artillery Brigade . The Commanding Officer of the Wisconsin Artillery , Colonel Philip C . Westfahl , became Commander of the new regiment . World War II service . In 1940 , President Franklin Roosevelt established the Mojave Anti - Aircraft Range , a military reservation of approximately in the area of the present Fort Irwin . In 1942 , the Mojave Anti - Aircraft Range was renamed Camp Irwin , in honor of Maj . Gen . George LeRoy Irwin , commander of the 57th Field Artillery Brigade during World War I . Two years later , Camp Irwin was deactivated and placed on surplus status . Kosovo service . Starting in November 2011 , 157th MEB deployed to Kosovo as the headquarters of Multi - National Battle Group - East in support of the NATO KFOR ( Kosovo Forces ) mission . The 157 returned successfully . Iraq service . On April 22 , 2006 the 1 - 121st FA left for Camp Shelby in Mississippi for two months for pre - mobilization training . After their training the 1 - 121st FA was then deployed to Kuwait and portions of Iraq . During their deployment one battalion soldier was killed in action . Cpl . Steven Castner died July 24 , 2006 after a roadside bomb attack hit his convoy near Tallil , Iraq . Afghanistan service . On 16 January 2013 , Bravo Battery of the 121st FA deployed to Afghanistan as the first National Guard Artillery unit to deploy while performing their actual MOS . While stationed in Texas , it was remarked that they were among the best HIMARS units in the country . Modern era redesignation . During the early 1960s , the unit was assigned the Little John . On 30 December 1967 , the 32nd Infantry Division was deactivated and National Guard units realigned . Along with the 32nd Infantry Division , the 32nd Infantry Division Artillery was redesignated as the 257th Field Artillery Group . On 30 September 1978 , the 257th Field Artillery Group was redesignated as the 57th Field Artillery Brigade ; a designation which had previously existed until the 32nd Division was reorganized into the then - standard triangular ( three regiment ) division in 1942 and the 32nd Division Artillery created . As a part of the strategic transformation , the 57th Field Artillery Brigade was transformed from a Field Artillery Brigade to the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade ( MEB ) . The previous HHB , 57th Field Artillery Brigade transformed into HHC , 157th MEB . This unit almost doubled in size while the headquarters remained in Milwaukee , Wisconsin . This is a newly designed , multifunctional command and control organization . " Unit Mission : The Maneuver Enhancement Brigade ( MEB ) enables , enhances , and protects the operational and tactical freedom of action of the support force . It received and integrates mission tailored forces to Brigade Combat Teams ( BCT ) and support brigades . It commands and controls forces necessary to conduct security and functional operations in a designated area of operations ( AO ) in order to enable force application , focused logistics , battle space awareness , and protection . " A new unit , 357th Network Support Company ( NSC ) , is headquartered in Two Rivers , Wisconsin . The primary mission for the NSC is to provide communication support to all units within the CSB . This unit mainly comprised the previous Detachment 1 HHB 57th FA Brigade . The 1st Battalion , 126th Field Artillery Regiment ( Paladin ) will transform into the 257th Brigade Support Battalion ( BSB ) and will be headquartered in Oak Creek , WI . The primary mission for the BSB is to provide service support to all assigned units within the CSB . The BSB has a Distribution Company in Whitewater and a Maintenance Company in Kenosha , Wisconsin . A new unit , the 457th Chemical Company , is headquartered in Burlington , Wisconsin . Their mission is to provide chemical detection and decontamination for the CSB . The 1st Battalion , 121st Field Artillery Regiment , which maintains Multiple Launch Rocket Systems , ( MLRS ) will convert to High Mobility Artillery Rocket System ( HIMARS ) , with their headquarters located in Milwaukee , WI , and their firing batteries located in Racine ( Battery A ) , Plymouth ( Battery B ) , and Sussex ( Battery C ) . A new unit , 108th Forward Support Company ( FSC ) , to be headquartered in Sussex , WI , was formed by the direct support MLRS maintenance team ( Detachment 2 , 107th Maintenance Company ) and the service support of the 1st Battalion , 121st Field Artillery Regiment . Their primary mission is to provide service support to a HIMARS battalion . On 3 February 2008 , 0930 Hours Change of Command of this Brigade was passed from Col . Dominic A Cariello to Col . Mark J Michie . Colonel Michie was assigned to Joint Forces Headquarters in Madison . He graduated from the US Army War College graduate course in Carlisle , PA , in June 2007 , having spent 11 months at the Army ' s Senior Service College . In March 2008 , the 264th Engineer Group ( Chippewa Falls , WI ) cased its flag and de - activated . The 724th Engineer Battalion , along with 9 modular units , will fall under the command and control of the 157th MEB . In 2012 , 1 - 121st FA Alpha Battery from Racine and Charlie Battery from Sussex were combined due to State budget cuts . Charlie Battery was then redesignated as Alpha Battery which operates out of the Sussex armory . The Armory in Racine was then closed .