81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team

[13] Like many National Guard units, the 81st Brigade has been activated for state duty several times to respond to disasters and disorder.It responded to floods in December 1975 and November 1990, the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, forest fires in 1994 and many other years, and the WTO Riots of 1999.[13] The 3,600-member 81st, one of the United States Army's 15 National Guard "enhanced readiness" or E-brigades, was federalized in November 2003 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom under Brigadier General Oscar Hilman.[15] The brigade was broken up, and its components extensively reorganized under the 13th Corps Support Command (COSCOM) to meet the mission requirements: A total of ten brigade soldiers died from enemy action over the course of the deployment,[16] the majority of those from the 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry, the unit most directly involved in day-to-day combat operations.The 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry was responsible for the security and combat operations of a densely populated area of southeast Baghdad known as Al Zafranaya and Jsr Diayla.The brigade was led into Iraq by Colonel Ronald Kapral and State Command Sergeant Major Robert Sweeney.
3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, fire a M224 mortar during Rifle Forge, a live-fire exercise at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, Nov. 7, 2021.
81st Brigade Combat Team Command Sergeant Major meets with his soldiers in Iraq.
Shoulder Sleeve InsigniaUnited StatesWashingtonUnited States ArmyMechanized infantryBrigadeWashington Army National GuardSeattleOperation Iraqi FreedomDistinctive unit insigniaUnited States Army National GuardOregonCaliforniaStryker7th Infantry Division36th Infantry DivisionM224 mortar161st Infantry RegimentSpokaneWenatcheeMoses LakeBremerton185th Infantry RegimentCalifornia National GuardSan BernardinoBakersfieldPortervilleColtonPalmdaleMadera82nd Cavalry RegimentOregon National GuardInterbay, SeattlePrineville, OregonMarysvilleTumwaterEphrataBarstow, CaliforniaMilitary Intelligenceannual trainingYakima Training CenterYakima, Washington41st Infantry Division25th Infantry Division9th Infantry Division4th Infantry Division2nd Infantry DivisionRepublic of Korea1980 eruption of Mount St. HelensWTO Riots of 1999Oscar HilmanFort Lewis, WANational Training CenterLSA Anaconda1st Cavalry DivisionBaghdadTacoma1st Infantry DivisionValorous Unit AwardNinevah Province, IraqKuwaitSaudi ArabiaForward Operating BaseGreat Coastal Gale of 200740th Infantry DivisionLaverne ParrishMedal of HonorJames Dalton IIDistinguished Service CrossSilver StarPurple HeartMatthew SheaRyan G. AndersonFacebook