The largest branch of the U.S. military has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers and 
weaponry to Iraq


3rd Infantry Division

Soldiers: 19,000

Home forts: Fort Stewart, Hunter Army Air Field, and Fort Benning, Georgia

Deployed to: Iraq. The entire division returned home by the end of September 2003 but 
redeployed in January 2005 to relieve the 1st Cavalry Division in and around Baghdad. 
After a yearlong deployment, the division was relieved by the 4th Infantry Division in 
January 2006. 

Units: Since its first deployment to Iraq, the division has been expanded to include a 
fourth brigade, transforming into what the Army calls a "modular division." Each brigade 
is now a self-sustaining brigade combat team that can operate outside of the full division. 
During its second Iraq deployment, the division's headquarters commanded two brigades 
of the division and the 256th Infantry Brigade of the Louisiana National Guard. The other 
two brigades came under command of the 42nd Infantry Division. 

Duties: With its second deployment, the 3rd became the only Army division to have 
completed a second full tour in Iraq. It assumed responsibility for the Baghdad area on 
February 27, 2005, and conducted security and humanitarian missions while fending off 
insurgent attacks. During its second tour, the division lost 103 soldiers that were assigned 
or attached to the division before turning over its duties to the 4th Infantry Division. 

The 3rd Division is a highly mobile, rapid-response unit of the Army's XVIII Airborne Corps. 
Its weaponry includes the M1A1 Abrams battle tank, the M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle 
and the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. In March and April 2003, the division led the drive 
to Baghdad from the southwest and was the first to reach the Iraqi capital. Expected to 
return home after Saddam Hussein's government was toppled, the division instead remained 
to deal with the surge of anti-U.S. violence in Baghdad and central Iraq in the aftermath of the 
war. The division lost 33 soldiers before it was relieved by the 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne 
Division and elements of the 82nd's headquarters in August and September 2003. 



172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team

Soldiers: 3,800

Home fort: Fort Wainwright, Alaska

Deployed to: Northern Iraq

Units: The brigade includes the following units: 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment; 
2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment; 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment; 4th 
Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment; 172nd Brigade Support Battalion; 52nd Anti-Tank 
Company; 562nd Engineer Company; 21st Signal Company; and the 572nd Military
Intelligence Company.

Duties: Known as the "Arctic Wolves," the 172nd is the Army's third Stryker Brigade 
Combat Team. The brigade fields the Army's new Stryker armored wheeled vehicle, 
designed to maneuver more easily in close and urban terrain while providing protection 
in open terrain.

In Iraq, the 172nd Stryker Brigade is responsible for combat operations in northern 
Iraq, including the city of Mosul. The brigade relieved the the 25th Infantry Division's 
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team in September 2005. 



3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment

Soldiers: 5,200

Home fort: Fort Carson, Colorado

Deployed to: The regiment returned to Iraq in February 2005 for its second tour. 
After a yearlong tour, the regiment was relieved by the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored 
Division, on February 19, 2006. The regiment's first tour in Iraq began in mid-April 
2003. It was relieved by the Army's new Stryker Brigade in March and April 2004. 

Units: The regiment consists of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Squadrons, the 4th Aviation 
Squadron, a support squadron and the regiment's headquarters troop. 

Duties: The 3rd ACR was assigned to Al Anbar Province in western Iraq, and includes 
the cities of Ramadi and Falluja. The regiment is familiar with the area, having served 
there in its first tour in Iraq along with units of the 82nd Airborne Division. During its 
second tour, the regiment took back the town of Tal Afar from insurgents that were 
using the town as a base to launch attacks. 

The regiment's 5,200 soldiers make up a highly mobile force equipped with more than 
320 armored vehicles, including M1A1 Abrams tanks and M3A2 Bradley Fighting 
Vehicles, and more than 80 aircraft, including AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. 




11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

Soldiers: 2,200

Home fort: Fort Irwin, California

Deployed to: Iraq 

Units: The regiment consists of 1st and 2nd Squadrons, a Support Squadron, and the 
regiment's headquarters troop. 

Duties: In Iraq, the 11th ACR is part of Task Force Freedom, which responsible for Mosul, 
Tal Afar, and the rest of the Ninevah Province in northern Iraq. The 11th ACR, known as 
Task Force Blackhorse when deployed, is stationed there to train Iraqi security forces. 

At Fort Irwin, home of the Army's National Training Center, the regiment is the opposing 
force that battles against visiting Army and National Guard task forces, which deploy to 
the center to conduct training exercises under near-combat conditions. A Nevada-based 
Army Reserve unit, 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry Regiment, will be the opposing force 
while the 11th is deployed to Iraq. 




101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

Soldiers: 20,000

Home fort: Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Deployed to: Northern Iraq

Units: The division includes three brigades plus two aviation brigades, an artillery unit 
and several supporting units, totaling 20,000 soldiers.

Duties: The 101st Airborne, known as the "Screaming Eagles," patrols northern Iraq, 
including the city of Mosul. It was relieved by the 1st Infantry Division, the 30th Infantry 
Brigade and the 2nd Infantry Divison's 3rd Brigade in March 2004. 

The division bills itself as the "only air assault division in the world" and has the ability 
to conduct air assault operations and long-range helicopter assaults. The division is 
armed with 270 helicopters, including thee battalions of Apache attack helicopters. 

In Afghanistan, the 101st Airborne soldiers fought in Operation Anaconda, the March 
2002 battle in the Shah-e-Kot valley. Apache helicopters from the 101st Airborne fired 
the first shots in the Persian Gulf War, destroying Iraqi early-warning radar sites 22 
minutes before the air war began on January 17, 1991. The 101st Airborne also 
penetrated deep into Kuwait to cut off Iraqi forces fleeing toward the Iraqi-Kuwaiti 
border.



4th Infantry Division

Soldiers: 20,000

Home fort: Fort Hood, Texas

Deployed to: Baghdad area 

Units: Since its first deployment to Iraq, the division has been expanded to include 
a fourth brigade, transforming into what the Army calls a "modular division." Each 
brigade is now a self-sustaining brigade combat team that can operate outside of 
the full division. It is organized with seven brigade-sized elements: 4 brigades, a 
multifunctional Aviation brigade, Fires Brigade and Support brigade. 

Duties: The division relieved the 3rd Infantry Division on January 8, 2006, and 
assumed responsibility for military operations in the Baghdad area. The division 
will focus on training the Iraqi Army and building Iraqi force capability to assume 
responsibility for their own security. 

Previous Iraq deployments: The 4th was initially ordered to deploy in January 2003 
before the war began, but did not arrive in Kuwait until late March. The delay was 
caused by the inability of the United States and Turkey to reach an agreement 
over using Turkish military bases to gain access to northern Iraq, where the division 
was originally planned to be located. Units from the division began crossing into 
Iraq on April 12, 2003. 

The division was first sent to Baghdad to take over security duties from 1st Marine 
Expeditionary Force. It later took over command of the area north of Baghdad, 
including the cities of Kirkuk and Tikrit. On December 13, 2003, approximately 600 
soldiers of the division's 1st Brigade participated in Operation Red Dawn, which led 
to the capture of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein near Tikrit. (Full story) The 
1st Infantry Division and an attached Army National Guard infantry brigade relieved 
the division in April 2004. 

The 4th Division is a mechanized division armed with M1A2 Abrams tanks, Bradley 
fighting vehicles, 155 mm howitzers, anti-tank and anti-armor AH-64 Apache attack 
helicopters, and UH-60 Black Hawk transport helicopters. The division's 3rd Brigade 
is based at Fort Carson, Colorado, with the rest of the division in Fort Hood, Texas. 




2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division 

Soldiers: Approximately 3,600

Home fort: South Korea

Deployed to: According to the Pentagon, the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division will 
deploy to Iraq for one year as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom 3. 

Units: The brigade includes the 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 9th Infantry Regiment, 
1st Battalion (Air Assault), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion (Air Assault), 506th 
Infantry Regiment, Long Range Surveillance Detachment, 2nd Battalion, 17th Field 
Artillery Regiment, 2nd Forward Support Battalion, 44th Engineer Battalion, and 
Battery B, 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment. 

Duties: The 2nd Infantry Division is the major U.S. ground combat unit in Korea. The 
2nd Brigade is the Army's only light/heavy brigade, with two air assault battalions. 
Its primary mission is to deter war on the Korean Peninsula by maintaining a high 
state of combat readiness and vigilance. 

The brigade's deployment to Iraq marks the first time any unit from the 2nd Infantry 
Division has deployed since the Korean War. About 37,000 U.S. troops have been 
stationed in South Korea since the Korean War armistice in 1953. Roughly 14,000 
troops from the 2nd Infantry Division are spread along the border between North and 
South Korea. The move to tap its forces in South Korea is an historic one by the 
Pentagon, as the Korean Peninsula is the Cold War's last remaining flashpoint. 



42nd Infantry Division

Soldiers: Approximately 3,000

Home fort: Various installations

Deployed to: North central Iraq

Units: In Iraq, 42nd Division soldiers will provide the command and control, logistics 
and operational base for Task Force Liberty, which is responsible for the Iraqi provinces 
of Salah Ah Din, Diyala, Kirkuk and As Sulaymaniyah. Besides the 42nd's units, the 
task force will include the Idaho Army National Guard's 116th Cavalry Brigade, the 
Tennessee Army National Guard's 278th Regimental Combat Team, and the 1st and 
3rd Brigades from the Fort Stewart, Georgia-based 3rd Infantry Division. The task force 
is part of the Army's third rotation for Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

Duties: The 42nd relieved the 1st Infantry Division and take control of north central Iraq 
by the end of February 2005 for a yearlong tour of duty. The division is the first National 
Guard contingent to be in charge of an entire area of operation in the Middle East. 

The division was organized in 1917 from National Guard units from 26 states. At that 
time, it received the nickname "Rainbow Division" from a comment made by the 
division's chief of staff, then-Col. Douglas MacArthur. Reviewing the National Guard 
units, MacArthur said "the 42nd Division stretches like a rainbow from one end of 
America to the other." 42nd Division soldiers have served in all wars since World War 
I and the modern 42nd was created in 1993 when it consolidated with elements of the 
26th and 50th Divisions to form one National Guard division. 




278th Armored Cavalry Regiment

Soldiers: More than 3,000 

Home fort: Tennessee

Deployed to: The Tennessee Guard's 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment will roll 
into Iraq beginning in November. 

Units: In Iraq, the regiment includes the following units: • Headquarters Troop
• 1st Squadron
• 2nd Squadron
• 3rd Squadron
• 4th Squadron
• Support Squadron
• 386th Engineer Battalion
• 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment
• Headquarters, 128th Infantry Regiment 

Duties: The regiment is part of Task Force Liberty, which also includes the Idaho 
Army National Guard's 116th Brigade Combat Team and the 1st and 3rd Brigade 
Combat Teams from the Fort Stewart, Georgia-based 3rd Infantry Division. The task 
force is commanded by the division headquarters of the New York National Guard's 
42nd Infantry Division. The division headquarters will command Task Force Liberty. 
All together, the task force includes the basic makeup of the division task force of 
more than 18,000 Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers. 

The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment received its mobilization orders on May 11, 
2004 and it will begin activating on June 7. The unit will begin heading to Iraq by 
November. For its deployment to Iraq, the regiment was renamed the 278th Regimental 
Combat Team. When it redeploys home, the unit will revert back to being the 278th 
Armored Cavalry Regiment. 

The three Cavalry troops of each squadron are each equipped with nine M1A1 
Abrams tanks, 13 M3A2 Bradley fighting vehicles, and two 120mm mortar carriers. 
The howitzer battery, is equipped with six of the 155mm howitzers. The tank 
company is equipped with 14 M1A1 Abrams tanks. An armored cavalry regiment 
is organized for the specific purposes of reconnaissance, surveillance, and security. 




25th Infantry Division (Light)

Soldiers: More than 8,000

Home fort: Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. The 1st Brigade is based at Fort Lewis, 
Washington

Deployed to: The 2nd Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) deployed to Iraq in 
February 2004 to relieve the 173rd Airborne Brigade in northern Iraq. The deployment 
was scheduled to last one year but was extended on December 1, 2004. The division's 
1st Brigade relieved the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, in Mosul, Iraq, in November 
2004. 

Units: The 2nd Brigade is composed of three infantry units: 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry 
Regiment; 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment; and 1st Battalion 14th Infantry 
Regiment. Also deploying with the brigade are soldiers from the division's Aviation 
Brigade and 45th Corps Support Group. The Aviation Brigade includes the following 
units: 3rd Battalion, 4th Cavalry Regiment; 1st and 2nd Battalions, 25th Aviation 
Regiment; and the 68th Medical Company. The 45th Corps Support Group includes the 
following units: 524th Corps Support Battalion; 29th Engineer Battalion; 84th Engineer 
Battalion; 17th Corps Support Battalion; and the 125th Finance Battalion. 

The 1st Brigade includes the following units: 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment; 
1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment; 2nd 
Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment; and the 17th Corps Support Battalion. 

Duties: In Iraq, the 2nd Brigade is attached to the 1st Infantry Division and is part of Task 
Force Danger. The brigade is responsible for the provinces of At Tamim and As 
Sulaymaniyah provinces in northern Iraq. 

The 1st Brigade is part of Task Force Olympia, based in Mosul, Iraq. The brigade is the 
Army's second Stryker Brigade, fielding the new Stryker armored wheeled vehicle. The 
vehicle is designed to enable a Stryker Brigade Combat Team to maneuver more easily 
in close and urban terrain while providing protection in open terrain. 




256th Infantry Brigade

Soldiers: Approximately 3,500

Home fort: Various Louisiana installations

Deployed to: Baghdad, Iraq

Units: In Iraq, the 256th Infantry Brigade of the Louisiana Army National 
Guard is under the command of the 3rd Infantry Division. The brigade is 
composed of the following units:
• 2nd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment
• 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment
• 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment
• 1st Battalion, 141st Field Artillery
• 256th Military Intelligence Company
• Troop A, 108th Cavalry Regiment
• 1088th Engineering Battalion
• 199th Support Battalion
• 2nd Battalion, 202nd Air Defense Artillery 

Duties: In 1995, the 256th Infantry Brigade was selected as one of 15 
enhanced combat brigades by the United States Army, and thus become 
one of the Guard's highest priority combat units, receiving better training 
and newer equipment. The 256th Infantry Brigade was alerted for likely 
deployment to Iraq on March 1, 2004, and began arriving in Iraq in 
November 2004. 



1st Infantry Division

Soldiers: 13,000

Home fort: Vilseck, Germany

Deployed to: After a yearlong deployment, the 1st Infantry Division turned 
over authority over north central Iraq to the 42nd Infantry Division on February 
14, 2005. The division deployed to northern Iraq in February 2004 to relieve the 
4th Infantry Division. 

Units: The division includes the following units:

• 1st Brigade Combat Team (Based at Fort Riley, Kansas): 1st and 2nd 
Battalions, 34th Armor Regiment; 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment; 
1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment; 1st Engineer Battalion; C 
Company, 4th Battalion, 3rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment; and D 
Company, 121st Signal Battalion. 

• 2nd Brigade: 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 18th 
Infantry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment; 

• 3rd Brigade: 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment; 2nd Battalion, 63rd Armor 
Regiment; and 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment 

• 4th Brigade: 1st and 2nd Battalions, 1st Aviation Regiment 

• Division Artillery: 1st Battalion, 33rd Field Artillery Regiment; 1st Battalion, 
6th Field Artillery Regiment; 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment 

• Division Engineer: 82nd Engineer Regiment and 9th Engineer Regiment 

• Division Support Command: 201st and 299th Forward Support Battalions; 
601st Aviation Support Battalion; and 701st Main Support Battalion 

• Additional Units: 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment; 601st Cavalry Support 
Detachment; 1st Military Police Company; 12th Chemical Company; 101st 
Military Intelligence Battalion; 121st Signal Battalion; and 4th Battalion, 3rd 
Air Defense Artillery Regiment. 

Duties: Nicknamed "The Big Red One," the 1st Infantry Division is the oldest 
continuously serving division in the United States Army. The division successfully 
fought battles against Iraqi insurgents in Baquba, Najaf, and Samarra and joined 
the Marines in the second successful assault on Falluja. The division formed the 
backbone of Task Force Danger, which was responsible for northern Iraq, and 
included the 2nd Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division and the North Carolina Army 
National Guard's 30th Heavy Separate Brigade. 

Elements of the division's 3rd Brigade previously deployed to northern Iraq in 
March 2003 as Task Force 1/63, including the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry 
Regiment, the 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment, and the 101st Forward 
Support Battalion, and returned to Germany in February 2004. 





1st Armored Division

Soldiers: Up to 17,000

Home fort: Wiesbaden, Germany

Deployed to: On July 4, 2004, the division cased its banners and flags, signifying 
its departure from the Iraqi area of operations. 

Units: The division includes four brigade-sized units plus a division artillery unit and 
a division support command.

Duties: The 1st Armored Division spent an unprecedented 15 months in Iraq, The 
longest deployment of a division there. The division was the largest division-based 
task force in U.S. Army history, according to division officials. The division was initially 
assigned to provide security in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. The division was scheduled 
to be relieved by the 1st Cavalry Division but the division's tour of duty was extended in 
April 2004 for three months after attacks by Iraqi insurgents increased. After turning the 
city over to the 1st Cavalry Division April 15, the task force headed south to pacify the 
cities of Najaf, Diwaniya, Kut and Karbala before heading back to Germany in July. 

Known as "Old Ironsides," the 1st Armored is the U.S. Army's oldest armored division. 
The division led the attacks on Iraqi Republican Guard divisions in the 1991 Persian 
Gulf war and also participated in peacekeeping operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and 
Kosovo. The division's firepower includes M1 Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, 
the Paladin field artillery system and Apache Longbow attack helicopters. It is based 
in Europe under the command of the Army's V Corps. 





82nd Airborne Division

Soldiers: 1,500

Home fort: Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Deployed to: Iraq

Units: The 2nd and 3rd battalions of the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, the 82nd's 
Division Ready Brigade, began deploying to Iraq on December 3, 2004. The roughly 
1,500 paratroopers will be in Iraq for roughly four months to support security efforts 
during the election period.

Duties: The 3rd Battalion is attached to 1st Cavalry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team 
in Baghdad. The 2nd Battalion is attached to the 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade 
Combat Team in northern Iraq. 

The division's traditional role is speedy insertion -- either by parachute or by helicopter -- 
of soldiers on or near a battlefield. During major combat in Iraq, the 325th Airborne 
Infantry Regiment protected supply lines, eliminated resistance bypassed by the main 
attacking units and launched a successful April 3 assault on Iraqi paramilitary forces 
attempting to organize north of the southern city of Samawa. 




10th Mountain Division

Soldiers: 2,600

Home fort: Fort Drum, New York

Deployed to: Iraq

Units: The division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq in July 2004 for 
one year. The combat team consists of Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade; 2nd 
Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment; 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment; 2nd 
Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment; 210th Forward Support Battalion; B 
Company, 10th Signal Battalion, and elements of 110th Military Intelligence 
Battalion. 

Approximately 700 soldiers from 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Squadron, 
17th Cavalry Regiment, and 548th Corps Support Battalion are already serving in Iraq. 

Roughly 600 10th Mountain soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 
and 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, returned home in April 2004 after an 11 
1/2-month deployment in Iraq. 

Duties: The 10th Mountain Division is a specially tailored infantry division that is 
expected to be ready to deploy by air, sea or land 96 hours after being notified of 
deployment orders.

10th Mountain soldiers, including those from the 4th Battalion, participated in 
Operation Anaconda in March 2002 in southern Afghanistan. Soldiers from the 
division also provided security at an airfield in Uzbekistan that is being used by 
the U.S. military, and other 10th Mountain units are currently serving in Afghanistan. 




2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment

Soldiers: 3,700 

Home fort: Fort Polk, Louisiana

Deployed to: Iraq

Units: The 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment is a light armored regiment 
consisting of three Humvee-mounted cavalry squadrons, an aviation squadron 
and a combat support squadron. 

Duties: In Iraq, the regiment is responsible for patrolling the area east of 
Baghdad. The unit was scheduled to be relieved by a brigade from the 1st 
Cavalry Division in March and April 2004, and the regiment's 2nd Squadron 
has returned home to Fort Polk, Louisiana. But the tour of duty for about 2,800 
soldiers of the regiment was extended by three months in April 2004. The 2nd 
Brigade, 10th Mountain Division or the 11th and 24th Marine Expeditionary Units 
will deploy to relieve those soldiers sometime in 2004. 

An armored cavalry regiment is a separate maneuver unit used by an army 
division or corrps for reconnaissance, security and other missions. The 2nd 
Armored Cavalry Regiment is the oldest serving Regiment on continuous active 
duty in the United States. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, it led the VII Corps 
advance into southern Iraq. 




1st Cavalry Division

Soldiers: 17,000

Home fort: Fort Hood, Texas

Deployed to: An official III Corps statement released on March 3, 2003, said the 
soldiers are being deployed to "support the global war on terrorism" but those 
orders were later canceled. The division is now deploying to Iraq as part of Operation 
Iraqi Freedom II to relieve the 1st Armored Division and 2nd Armored Cavalry 
Regiment in Baghdad.

Units: The 1st Cavalry Division includes seven brigade-sized units plus an air 
defense artillery battalion, signal battalion, military intelligence battalion, 
chemical company and military police company.

Duties: The 1st Cavalry Division is a heavy-armor division that employs M1A2 
Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, artillery and AH-64 Apache Longbow 
attack helicopters. The division is the Army's largest and its only armored 
contingency force. It also served in the 1991 Persian Gulf war. 



173rd Airborne Brigade

Soldiers: 1,800

Home fort: Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy

Deployed to: Northern Iraq

Units: The brigade includes two airborne infantry battalions, one engineer 
detachment, one reconnaissance company, one field artillery battery and one 
forward support company.

Duties: The brigade parachuted into northern Iraq the night of March 26-27, 2003, 
to seize the Bashur airfield. Once the Hussein regime fell, the brigade was 
charged with providing security in the city of Kirkuk. The brigade returned to 
Italy on March 12, 2004.

Nicknamed "Sky Soldiers," the 173rd serves as the U.S. European Command's 
only conventional airborne rapid-reaction force. 173rd Airborne soldiers fought in 
World War II and Vietnam but the unit was deactivated in 1972. In June 2000, 
the brigade was reactivated under U.S. European Command, giving the command 
the ability to provide an immediate response to crisis situations throughout Europe. 




V Corps

Soldiers: More than 8,000

Home forts: Heidelberg, Germany

Deployed to: Kuwait and Iraq. V Corps held a ceremony on March 19, 2004, to 
mark the official end of its yearlong deployment in Kuwait and Iraq

Units: Soldiers from the following units deployed: 

• 11th Attack Helicopter Regiment, including the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry 
Regiment

• 12th Aviation Brigade, including 3rd and 5th Battalions, 158th Aviation 
Regiment, and elements of 3rd Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment

• V Corps Artillery, including 41st Field Artillery Brigade and the 1st 
Battalion, 27th Field Artillery

• 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, including the 6th Battalion, 52nd Air 
Defense Artillery

• 22nd Signal Brigade, including 17th, 32nd and 440th Signal Battalions

• 130th Engineer Brigade, including the 94th and 54th Engineer Battalions 
and brigade headquarters

• 18th Military Police Brigade, including elements of the brigade headquarters 
and elements of the 709th and 793rd Military Police Battalions

• 205th Military Intelligence Brigade, including the 165th Military Intelligence 
Battalion and elements of the 302nd Military Intelligence Battalion

• V Corps Headquarters and elements of 3rd Corps Support Command
• 30th Medical Brigade, including the 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital 
Battalion

Duties: These U.S. Army units under V Corps command serve a variety of 
combat and support roles, including clearing minefields and building bridges, 
command-and-control and helicopter-led assaults. The 11th Aviation Regiment is 
equipped with Ah-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters and the 12th Aviation 
Brigade is equipped with UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. 

A corps is the Army's largest tactical units, the instruments with which higher 
echelons of command conduct major operations and battles. Corps contain all 
the combat, combat support, and combat service support capabilities required to 
sustain operations for a considerable period and are commanded by a lieutenant 
general. At the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, V Corps was in command of all 
Army ground units in Iraq, which at one time included more than 170,000 soldiers, 
19 separate brigades, and eight of the 10 active Army divisions. V Corps 
transferred the command authority to III Corps on February 1, 2004.


Army Forces Central Command 
Camp Doha

Location: Ad-Dawhah, west of Kuwait City.

Personnel: Estimated 9,000 U.S. military.

Units: This base is the regional headquarters for the U.S. 3rd Army and the Army 
component of U.S. Central Command and the Coalition/Joint Task Force-Kuwait. In 
addition, the 201st Military Intelligence Battalion, 54th Signal Battalion and 831st 
Transportation Battalion are based here, according to the military research group 
Globalsecurity.org.

Weapons: Force includes 100 M1A1 Abrams tanks, 30 Bradley fighting vehicles, 
80 armored personnel carriers, 12 Paladin 155mm howitzers, nine multiple launch 
rocket systems, 48 armored command vehicles, 30 bulldozers and bridge layers, 
and 150 trucks and Humvees.

Role: The camp was established after the liberation of Kuwait in 1991. In late 2002 
and early 2003, tanks, heavy artillery, bombers and AC-130 gunships were moved 
here from other regional bases, including those in Saudi Arabia.



Army Reserve

Soldiers: More than 10,000 

Deployed to: Kuwait and Iraq 

Units: Reserve units from all 50 states have been called up in support of U.S. 
military operations in Iraq. 

Duties: According to "Operation Iraqi Freedom -- By the Numbers, a document 
released April 30, 2003, by the Combined Forces Air Component Command, 
10,863 Army Reserve soldiers participated in the war in Iraq. As of October 1, 
2003, there were 127,208 Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers on 
active duty around the world. 

According to the Army Reserve, 54 percent of reserve units are combat service 
support units, including medical, finance, supply, quartermaster, transportation, 
judge advocate, petroleum/water, logistics, administrative services, civil affairs 
and fixed-wing aviation units; 18 percent are combat support, including signal, 
chemical, military police, engineer, military intelligence, psychological operations 
and medium helicopter support units; 27 percent are mobilization base expansion 
units, including training divisions, garrisons, schools, hospitals, depot support and 
port operations units; and 1 percent are combat units, either infantry or attack 
aviation units. 




Army National Guard

Soldiers: 160,013

Deployed to: Kuwait and Iraq 

Units: National Guard units from all 50 states have been called up in support of 
U.S. military operations in Iraq. 

Duties: According to "Operation Iraqi Freedom -- By the Numbers, a document 
released April 30, 2003, by the Combined Forces Air Component Command,
8,866 Army National Guard soldiers participated in the war in Iraq. The soldiers 
were from perform a variety of combat and support roles, including military police 
duties, transportation and logistics and engineering units. As of December 22, 
2004, there were 160,013 Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers on 
active duty around the world. 









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