2nd BCT Background Information

Based on official reports and media articles, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division was a brigade-level unified combat team that redeployed from South Korea to Iraq between Aug 2004 and Aug 2005. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team also has the nicknames of "Strike Force", "Desert Strike Force", 2nd BCT, and 2BCT. In Aug 2005, the unit redeployed to its new home at Ft. Carson, CO - the first time an active military unit returned from a war zone to a new home base.

Historically, the 2nd BCT operated near the DMZ in South Korea. The official organizational web-site is here. However, since the redeployment to Iraq, the unit has been altered, although the specifics have not been fully published.

Based on media reports and the 2nd BCT FRG site, the 2nd BCT consisted of at least portions of 6 Army battalions:
- 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Air Assault)
- 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment (Air Assault)
- 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized)
- 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment
- 44th Engineering Battalion
- 2nd Forward Support Battalion

In addition, portions of several supporting Army units have been linked to the 2nd BCT, including:
- 2nd BCT Long Range Surveillance Detachment
- Battery B, 5th Air Defense Artillery
- 72nd Armor regiment
- 122nd Signal Battalion
- 2nd Military Police Company
- 102nd Military Intelligence Battalion

- Media reports and officer interviews indicate that one Marine infantry battalion also operated under the 2nd BCT (one article defines a Marine Battalion as "augmenting" the 2nd BCT). The 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment (2/5 Marines) based at Camp Pendelton, CA, was publicly linked to the 2nd BCT between Aug 2004 and it's return to the U.S. in March 2005. According to a U.S. Marines news story, the 1/5 Marines, also based at Camp Pendelton, replaced the 2/5 Marines in March 2005.

In Iraq, the 2nd BCT operated in the Anbar Province, west of Baghdad, with reported operations in the areas in and around Ramadi, Fallujah, Khalidiyah and Habbaniyah. Combined, the 2nd BCT operated under the 1st Marine Division from Aug 2004 to Mar 2005, which in turn operated under the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force was responsible for the entire Iraqi province of Al Anbar. A hierarchical organization chart of units in Iraq is at www.globalsecurity.org, and includes an organization map of the region. Starting in March 2005, the 2nd BCT operated under the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force until it turned over command to the 2nd BCT, 28th ID of the Pennsylvania National Guard in late July, 2005.

Officials stated that the 2nd BCT was on a standard 12-month Army deployment, although an official start date or return date was never published. The advance party arrived in Iraq late August, 2004, and the 2nd BCT officially assumed command on 9.11.2004, but it was never confirmed if either was the official start date. The last group of 2nd BCT soldiers returned to Ft. Carson on 8.14.2005.

Note that there are several other "2nd BCT" units:
1) 2nd BCT, 1st Cavalry Division (aka, "Blackjack Brigade"), based at Ft. Hood, TX.
2) 2nd BCT, 25th Infantry Division (aka, "Tropic Lightning"), based at Schofield Barracks, HI.
3) 2nd BCT, 1st Armored Division (aka, "Old Ironsides"), based in Baumholder, Germany.
4) 2nd BCT, 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard.
etc, etc.

In addition, note that there is also a separate 2nd Infantry "Stryker Brigade" or "Strykeforce Brigade", which is is based at Ft. Lewis, Washington.

Overall, it is probably clearest to say the 2nd BCT, 2nd ID, or else specify that the unit deployed from Korea, which is a very unique situation in military history.

A professional evaluation of the evolving U.S. military and its use of modular "brigade combat teams" is found in this lengthy report from the Lexington Institute think tank (and presented on the U.S. Army web-site). At Ft. Carson, the 2nd BCT is expected to join the 4th Infantry Division, which is scheduled to be relocated to Ft. Carson in 2006. The 2nd BCT is also planned to be converted into a new 'Unit of Action.' Thus, the composition of the unit as set up in Iraq will change over the following few years.

Lastly, to ensure full disclosure, this summary was written by a civilian with no military experience and based entirely on media/internet reports. Therefore, there are clearly no guarantees on its accuracy. For that matter, this qualification applies to the entire blog - this is a support site with simple, honest and reverential ambitions. If you have corrections or clarifications, please see this post.