The 177th Armored Brigade is an AC/RC unit based at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The unit is responsible for training selected United States Army Reserve and National Guard units. The unit was formerly designated as 3rd Brigade, 87th Division. The brigade is a subordinate unit of First Army.
The brigade has been re-designated and re-missioned several times: During the World War I, the Brigade was infantry and fought as part of the 89th Infantry Division. In 1986, the Brigade assumed the mission as the Opposing Force (OPFOR) at the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California. The Brigade consisted of 2 battalions: 6th Battalion, 31st Infantry (6–31 IN) and 1st Battalion, 73rd Armor (1–73 AR). On the NTC battlefield, the 177th portrayed the fictitious, Guards 60th Motorized Rifle Division, which was based upon Soviet Army structure and doctrine. In 1988 the Brigade re-designated several units and activated others. 6–31 IN became 1–52 IN, 1–73 AR became 1–63 AR. Activated were the 177th Support Battalion, 177th Military Intelligence Company, 164th Chemical Company and the 87th Engineer Company. On 26 October 1994, as part of the post-Cold War draw down, the Brigade was inactivated and re-flagged as the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Reactivated 24 October 1997 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi as an Army Reserve training unit and inactivated on 16 October 1999 and reflagged as 3rd Brigade, 87th Division (Training) On 1 December 2006 the 177th was reactivated at Camp Shelby, Mississippi under 1st Army-East.
Organization
1917–1919
Headquarters, 177th Brigade
353rd Infantry Regiment
354th Infantry Regiment
341st Machine Gun Battalion
1942–1943
89th Reconnaissance Troop, 89th Division
1943–1944
Troop A, 4th Reconnaissance Squadron
1944–1945
Troop A, 34th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized
1986–1988
HHC, 177th Armored Brigade
6th Battalion, 31st Infantry
1st Battalion, 73d Armor
1988–1994
HHC, 177th Armored Brigade
1st Battalion, 52d Infantry
1st Battalion, 63d Armor
177th Support Battalion
87th Engineer Company
177th Military Intelligence Company
164th Chemical Company
2007
As of 2007, the unit is composed of: HHC, 177th Armored Brigade 1st Battalion, 346th Regiment 2nd Battalion, 349th Regiment 3rd Battalion, 349th Regiment 2nd Battalion, 410th Field Artillery (Training Support) 1st Battalion, 350th Regiment 2nd Battalion, 350th Regiment
2019
As of October 2019, the Brigade is composed of: HHD, 177th Armored Brigade 1st Battalion, 305th Regiment (Infantry) 2nd Battalion, 305th Regiment (Artillery) 3rd Battalion, 315th Regiment (Engineer) 2nd Battalion, 346th Regiment (CS/CSS) 3rd Battalion, 347th Regiment (CS/CSS) 2nd Battalion, 348th Regiment (CS/CSS) 3rd Battalion, 348th Regiment (CS/CSS) 3rd Battalion, 349th Regiment (Logistics Support) 2nd Battalion, 351st Regiment (Infantry) 2nd Battalion, 410th Regiment (Brigade Support Battalion)
Campaign participation credit
Decorations
For further information see The Brigade, A History by John J. McGrath from the Combat Studies Institute Press, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.