Brigade combat team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Over 4,000 members of the 1st BCT, 34th Infantry Division in a special formation for a farewell ceremony.

[hide] v t e

Army units and organization

Subordinated

element

Fireteam Ø

Squad / Crew ●

Section / Patrol ●●

Platoon / Flight ●●●

Unit

Company / Battery / Troop |

Battalion / Cohort / Squadron ||

Regiment |||

Formation

Brigade / Group / Wing x

Division / Legion xx

Corps xxx

Command

Field army xxxx

Army group / Front xxxxx

Region / Theater XXXXXX

Temporary

Detachment Patrol Task force Brigade group Flying column Field force Combat command Battlegroup
Regimental combat team
The brigade combat team (BCT) is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the US Army. A brigade
combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its assigned support and fire
units. "The Brigade is normally commanded by a Colonel (O-6) although in some cases a Brigadier
General (O-7) may assume command."[1] A brigade combat team contains combat support and combat
service support units necessary to sustain its operations away from its parent division. BCTs contain
organic artillery support, formerly received from the division artillery (DIVARTY).

Currently, the U.S. Army is structured around the brigade combat team.[2] In this program, divisions that
previously had not deployed individual brigades due to lack of integral support have now been
restructured. The 1st Armored Division, 25th Infantry Division, etc. now have the ability to deploy one or
more BCTs anywhere in the world. These BCTs are intended to be able to stand on their own, like a
division in miniature. The soldiers assigned to a BCT will stay at their assignment for three years; this is
intended to bolster readiness and improve unit cohesion.

Contents

1 Infantry brigade combat team

1.1 Infantry battalion (×3)

1.2 Reconnaissance squadron

1.3 Field artillery

1.4 Brigade Engineer Battalion

1.5 Brigade Support Battalion

2 Stryker brigade combat team

2.1 Infantry battalion (×3)

2.2 Reconnaissance squadron

2.3 Field artillery

2.4 Brigade support battalion

2.5 Brigade engineer battalion

2.6 Stryker vehicles

3 Armored Brigade Combat Team

3.1 Combined Arms Battalion (×2)

3.2 Combined Arms Battalion (×1)

3.3 Cavalry Squadron

3.4 Field Artillery Battalion

3.5 Brigade Engineer Battalion

3.6 Brigade Support Battalion

4 Modernization

4.1 Downsizing

5 See also

6 Notes

7 References

Infantry brigade combat team

Infantry brigade combat team table of organization

The infantry brigade combat team, as of 2014, contains 4,413 soldiers and is organized around three
battalions of infantry. Each type of brigade (light infantry, air assault, or airborne) has the same basic
organization. Each infantry brigade is capable of air assault operations, whether or not it is officially
designated as an air assault brigade. Also, most units typically maneuver in HMMWVs when deployed
and operate as "motorized infantry" to facilitate speed of movement.

The infantry brigade combat team consists of seven battalions: one cavalry, one brigade support, one
engineer, three infantry and one field artillery.[2]

Infantry battalion (×3)

Headquarters and headquarters company

Rifle company (×3)

Weapons company

Reconnaissance squadron

Headquarters and headquarters troop

Mounted reconnaissance troop (×2)

Dismounted reconnaissance troop

Field artillery

Headquarters and headquarters battery

Target acquisition platoon

M119 105mm towed howitzer battery (×2)

M777A2 155mm towed howitzer battery (×1)

Brigade Engineer Battalion

Headquarters and Headquarters Company

Combat Engineer Company (×2)

Signal network Support Company

Military Intelligence Company

Brigade Support Battalion

Headquarters and Headquarters Company

Distribution Company

Field Maintenance Company

Medical Company

Headquarters Platoon

Treatment Platoon

Medical Evacuation Platoon

Forward Support Company (Reconnaissance)

Forward Support Company (Engineer)

Forward Support Company (Infantry) (×3)

Forward Support Company (Field Artillery)

Stryker brigade combat team

Stryker brigade combat team table of organization

The Stryker brigade combat team (SBCT) is a motorized infantry force structured around the Stryker
eight-wheeled variant of the General Dynamics LAV III. A full Stryker brigade was intended to be C-130
Hercules air transportable into theatre within 96 hours, while a division-sized force is expected to need
120 hours. The Stryker brigade is an organic combined arms unit of lightly-armored, medium-weight
wheeled vehicles, and is organized differently from the infantry or armored brigade combat teams. The
Stryker brigades are being used to implement network-centric warfare doctrines, and are intended to fill
a gap between the United States' highly mobile light infantry and its much heavier armored infantry. The
BCT Ground Combat Vehicle Program was the planned successor of the interim armored vehicle before
being cancelled in 2014. The team also receives training in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear
defense (CBRN defense).[3]

Each Stryker brigade combat team consists of three infantry battalions, one reconnaissance (cavalry)
squadron, one fires (artillery) battalion, one brigade support battalion, one brigade headquarters and
headquarters company and one brigade engineer battalion. A Stryker brigade is made up of more than
300 Stryker vehicles and 4,500 soldiers.[4]

Starting in 2015, the Anti-Tank Company was reflagged from the Brigade Engineer Battalion to the
Cavalry Squadron, to form a Weapons Troop - also incorporating the Mobile Gun Systems from the
Infantry Battalions.[5]

Infantry battalion (×3)

Headquarters and headquarters company

Infantry company (Stryker) (×3)

Reconnaissance squadron

Headquarters and headquarters troop

Mounted reconnaissance troop (Stryker) (×3)

Weapons Troop ( 9 x ATGW, 12 x MGS )

Field artillery

Mobile Gun System

Headquarters and headquarters battery

Target acquisition platoon

M777A2 155mm towed howitzer battery (x 3)

Brigade support battalion

Headquarters and headquarters company

Distribution company

Field maintenance company

Medical company

Forward support company (reconnaissance)

Forward support company (engineer)

Forward support company (infantry) (×3)

Forward support company (field artillery)

Brigade engineer battalion

Headquarters and Headquarters Company

Combat Engineer Company

Engineer Support Company

Signal Company

Military Intelligence Company

Stryker vehicles

M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle

M1127 Reconnaissance Vehicle

M1128 Mobile Gun System armed with 105 mm overhead gun for direct fire

M1129 Mortar Carrier armed with a mounted 120 mm and a dismountable 81 or 60 mm Mortar

M1130 Command Vehicle

M1131 Fire Support Vehicle (FSV) with targeting and surveillance sensors

M1132 Engineer Support Vehicle (ESV)

M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV)

M1134 Anti-Tank Guided Missile Vehicle (ATGM) armed with a twin TOW missile launcher.

M1135 Nuclear, Biological, Chemical, Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBC RV)

Armored Brigade Combat Team

Armored brigade combat team table of organization

The armored brigade combat team (ABCT) is the army's primary armored force. It was designed around
combined arms battalions that contain both M1 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles
(IFVs). Other vehicles, such as HMMWVs and M113 armored personnel carrier, operate in a supporting
role. In the future, it will also contain vehicles from the Future Fighting Vehicle and the Armored Multi-
Purpose Vehicle.
An armored brigade combat team consists of seven battalions: three combined arms, one cavalry
(reconnaissance), one artillery, one engineer and one brigade support battalion. As of 2014, the armored
brigade combat team is the largest brigade combat team formation with 4,743 soldiers. Prior to 2012,
the armored brigade combat team was named the heavy brigade combat team.[2]

An ABCT includes 90 Abrams tanks, 90 Bradley IFVs, and 112 M113 vehicles. The operational cost for
these combat systems is $66,735 per mile. The range of the Abrams limits the brigade to 330 km (205
miles), requiring fuel every 12 hours. The brigade can self-transport 738,100 L (195,000 gallons) of fuel,
which is transported by 15 5,000-gallon M969A1 tankers and 48 2,500-gallon M978 tankers.[6]

Combined Arms Battalion (×2)

Headquarters and headquarters company

Tank company (×2)

Mechanized infantry company (×1)

Combined Arms Battalion (×1)

Headquarters and headquarters company

Tank company (×1)

Mechanized infantry company (×2)

In 2016, ABCT CABs adopted a triangle structure, of two armored battalions (of two armored companies
plus a single mechanized infantry company) plus a mechanized infantry battalion (of two mechanized
companies and one armored company).[7] This resulted in the reduction of two mechanized infantry
companies; the deleted armored company was reflagged to the Cavalry Squadron.

Cavalry Squadron

Headquarters and headquarters troop

Reconnaissance troop (×3)

Tank Company[7]

Field Artillery Battalion

Headquarters and headquarters battery

Target acquisition platoon

M109 155mm self-propelled howitzer battery (x3)

Brigade Engineer Battalion

Headquarters and headquarters company

Military intelligence company

Signal network support company

Combat engineer company (×2)

Brigade Support Battalion

Headquarters and headquarters company

Distribution company

Field Maintenance company

Medical company

Headquarters platoon

Treatment platoon

Medical evacuation platoon

Forward support company (Cavalry)

Forward support company (Combined Arms) (×3)

Forward support company (Field Artillery)

Forward support company (Combat Engineer)

Modernization

Main article: Reorganization plan of United States Army

The U.S. Army plans to implement elements of the BCT Modernization program in 2010. This program
utilizes elements from the Future Combat Systems Program that was canceled in early 2009.

The program comes in two segments. The first to be implemented would be the Early Infantry Brigade
Combat Team Capability Package (Early IBCT Package), which would modernize infantry brigade combat
teams. The second to be implemented would be the Follow-on Incremental Capability package, which
could modernize all brigades.

Downsizing

After the 2013 reform's round of de-activations and downsizing, the below numbers represent the
number of BCTs that will be left in the US Army's Active Component. (Numbers after the brigade re-
organization in brackets)
Combat brigades: 45 (32)[8][9][10][11]

17 (10) armored brigade combat teams

8 (8) Stryker brigade combat teams

10 (6) infantry brigade combat teams

6 (5) infantry brigade combat teams (airborne)

4 (3) infantry brigade combat teams (air assault)

In July 2015, the Army announced the reduction of 2 additional BCTs as part of ongoing reductions to an
endstrength of 450,000. In addition to the reduction, one active Stryker BCT will convert to an infantry
BCT, and its vehicles will be used to convert an Army National Guard BCT from armored to Stryker.

In April 2017, the Army confirmed[12] that the proposed downsizing of 4-25 (Airborne) BCT was being
reversed, and the BCT retained. After the reductions, the 31 active BCTs will be composed of:[13]

10 armored brigade combat teams

7 Stryker brigade combat teams

6 infantry brigade combat teams

5 infantry brigade combat teams (airborne)

3 infantry brigade combat teams (air assault)

National Guard brigade combat teams have same TOE as active army BCTs. The National Guard consists
of 27 BCTs:

5 armored brigade combat teams

2 Stryker brigade combat teams

19 Infantry brigade combat teams

1 infantry brigade combat team (mountain)

See also

British Army Future of the British Army (Army 2020 Refine), for comparison

256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)

Reorganization plan of the United States Army

Regimental combat team

USMC Marine Air-Ground Task Force, for comparison

Notes

"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
Organization: Operational Unit Diagrams:Brigade. Accessed 22 October 2016.

"MCOE Supplemental Manual 3-90 (2015)" (PDF). U.S. Army. January 2015. Retrieved 2 September
2017.

Limardo, Jessica (12 February 2014). "Army unit trains to handle CBRNE threats". BioPrepWatch.
Retrieved 20 April 2014.

Ashton, Adam (17 February 2014). "Stryker crews find ways to defeat armored enemy". Stars and
Stripes. Retrieved 20 April 2014.

Dompierre, Mike (1st Lt) (1 July 2015). "2-1 Cav. stands up new weapons troop". Fort Carson
Mountaineer. Retrieved 6 January 2017.

Abrams Dieselization Project: Doing the Math - Defensemedianetwork.com, 7 November 2013

"Cavalry Brigade Combat Team assumes new design, transition nearly complete". U.S. Army. 17 February
2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.

http://www.army.mil/article/106373/Brigade_combat_teams_cut_at_10_posts_will_help_other_BCTs_g
row/

"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2014.

http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/2015/07/01/2nd-infantry-division-anniversary-korea-
brigade-inactivation/29562787/

http://www.stripes.com/news/2nd-id-unit-in-korea-to-deactivate-be-replaced-by-rotational-force-
1.312557

"Army intends to retain entire 4-25 brigade, deploy troops overseas". Retrieved 13 July 2017.

http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2015/07/09/army-outlines-40000-cuts/29923339/

References

FM 3–20.96 Reconnaissance and Cavalry Squadron

FM 3–21.20 The Infantry Battalion

FM 3–90.6 Brigade Combat Team

FM 3–90.61 The Brigade Special Troops Battalion

Categories: Brigade combat teams of the United States ArmyMilitary units and formations by sizeTables
of Organisation and Equipment
Navigation menu

Not logged inTalkContributionsCreate accountLog inArticleTalkReadEditView historySearch

Search Wikipedia

Main page

Contents

Featured content

Current events

Random article

Donate to Wikipedia

Wikipedia store

Interaction

Help

About Wikipedia

Community portal

Recent changes

Contact page

Tools

What links here

Related changes

Upload file

Special pages

Permanent link

Page information

Wikidata item

Cite this page

Print/export

Create a book

Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Deutsch

Español

한국어
日本語
Norsk

Русский

Українська
中文
Edit links

This page was last edited on 12 February 2018, at 10:59.

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may
apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Privacy policyAbout WikipediaDisclaimersContact WikipediaDevelopersCookie statementMobile

viewEnable previews

Wikimedia Foundation Powered by MediaWiki