The 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade (261st TTSB) is a unit in the Delaware Army National Guard, with a home station in Smyrna, Delaware. The 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade (261st TTSB) provides command and control to assigned and attached units. The 261st Signal Brigade supervises the installation, operation, and maintenance of up to 16 NODES in the theater communications system excluding the division and corps systems. The brigade also hosts a Joint Command, Control, Computer and Communications (C4) Center, or JCCC, at its headquarters in Smyrna, Delaware.
Mission
The 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade (261st TTSB) provides command and control to assigned and attached units. The 261st Signal Brigade supervises the installation, operation, and maintenance of up to 16 NODES in the theater communications system excluding the division and corps systems. The HHC, 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade is employed to command and control echelons above corps (EAC) tactical signal battalions, theater strategic organizations, and separate companies as required to support theater communications networks.
Subordinate units
One battalion currently falls under command of 261st Signal Brigade: 198th Signal Battalion (198th SB) Headquarters Company Alpha Company Bravo Company Charlie Company The 198th Signal Battalion provides command, control, and supervision of organic and assigned units, and provides nodal and extension communications support for the Combatant Commanders of unified or specified commands, Army Service Component Commanders (ASCC), or Joint Task Force/Joint Forces Land Component Commands (JTF/JFLCC). 198th Deployed to Camp Cropper, Iraq .
The 198th traces its lineage all the way back to the Revolution, to Colonel John Haslet's 1st Delaware Regiment which was formed 21 January 1776. The regiment was a significant contributor at the Battle of Cowpens on 17 January 1781. The battalion also served at Fort Miles as the 198th Coastal Artillery Battalion during World War 2.
Former subordinate Units: 280th Signal Battalion, The 280th mobilized at Dover Air Force Base to supplement the base security squadron from January 2003 through December 2004. The battalion was inactivated and its assets were incorporated into the 198th.
History
The 261st Signal Brigade began its lineage in 1943 in the Army of the United States as the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 68th Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade, activated in New Caledonia. After the war, the unit was allotted to the National Guard as the 261st Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade.
The modern 261st TTSB is a mobile force able to rapidly deploy, supporting both state and federal missions. The 261st served a 10-month tour at Camp Victory, Iraq managing communications in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and returned to Delaware 2 October 2009.
The 261st returned to drill status in March 2010. Col. David A. Passwaters III took command of the unit in a ceremony 6 March at Smyrna Readiness Center. The next day, outgoing commander Brig. Gen. Scott E. Chambers was installed as Deputy Adjutant General for the entire Delaware Army National Guard.
Lineage and honors
Constituted 25 February 1943 in the Army of the United States as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 68th Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade (Activated 10 August 1943 at New Caledonia) Inactivated 28 February 1946 in Japan Redesignated 16 May 1946 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 261st Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade and allotted to the Delaware National Guard Organized and federally recognized 5 December 1949 at Wilmington Redesignated 1 April 1959 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 261st Artillery Brigade (Location change 31 January 1968 to Dover, Delaware) Converted and redesignated 1 January 1970 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 261st Signal Command Reorganized and redesignated 1 June 1971 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 261st United States Army Strategic Communications Command Reorganized and redesignated 1 July 1974 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company 261st Signal Command Redesignated 1 September 1996 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company 261st Signal Brigade (Location change 2003 to Smyrna, Delaware) Adopted the Joint C4 Coordination Center (JCCC) in 2006
Insignia
Shoulder sleeve insignia
Description: A lozenge with horizontal axis overall and vertical axis overall consisting of four lozenges conjoined, the upper of colonial blue and bearing a white five pointed star and each of the remaining three divided into white and orange areas by a zig-zag partition line, all within a buff border. It has Velcro on the back so it sticks to a uniform.