199th Infantry Brigade (United States)


The 199th Infantry Brigade is a unit of the United States Army which served in the Army Reserve from 1921–1940, in the active army from 1966 to 1970, briefly in 1991–1992 at Fort Lewis, and from 2007 as an active army training formation at Fort Benning.

Early history

The brigade was first formed in the West Virginia Organized Reserve in 1921, as part of the 100th Infantry Division. It incorporated the 398th and 399th Infantry Regiments. However, with the reorganisation of the Army from four-regiment to three-regiment divisions as World War II approached, the brigade was disbanded in 1940.

Vietnam War

The unit was formed for the second time. It trained at Fort Benning, Georgia and Camp Shelby, Mississippi from September to November 1966 in preparation for deployment to Vietnam from Fort Benning, Georgia. The 199th was the only combat unit to train at Camp Shelby during the Vietnam War.
Nicknamed "the Redcatchers", the unit was hastily moved to Sông Bé, Vietnam on 10 December 1966 to provide an increased U.S. presence in the III Corps Tactical Zone and remained there until its return to Fort Benning on 11 October 1970, where it was inactivated. The unit was briefly reactivated at Fort Lewis Washington from the remains of the 9th Infantry Division.
The brigade was conducting Operation Uniontown in Đồng Nai Province when the 1968 Tet Offensive began. It immediately began a defense of U.S. II Field Force headquarters at Long Binh Post against attacks by the VC 275th Regiment. One battalion was moved by helicopter to attack a Viet Cong command post at the Phu Tho racetrack inside Saigon, then engaged in house-to-house fighting in Cholon.
During 1969, the 199th was responsible for the security of the region north and east of the capital, and in 1970 moved into the "Iron Triangle" when other units participated in the Cambodian Incursion.
  1. 754 killed in action
  2. 4,679 wounded in action

    Recent history

During the drawdown of the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis in 1991–1992, a residual brigade, based around the division's 3rd Brigade, was briefly active as the 199th Infantry Brigade from 16 February 1991 before being reflagged on 16 July 1992 as the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
The structure of 199th Infantry Brigade at that time was:
On 27 June 2007, the 11th Infantry Regiment was reflagged as the 199th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning. In October 2013, the brigade underwent changes to its task organization as part of restructuring within the Maneuver Center. The brigade was designated as the Leader Development Brigade and reorganized to contain both Armor and Infantry BOLC, OCS, and the MCCC.
, a retired lieutenant colonel, served a tour in Vietnam with the Redcatchers as a lieutenant. He reported to Vietnam where as a second lieutenant he served as an infantry platoon leader and reconnaissance platoon leader. After his promotion to first lieutenant, he commanded a rifle company, Bravo Company of the 2d Battalion, 3d Infantry. He wrote two books about his experiences there: The Only War We Had: A Platoon Leader's Journal of Vietnam ; and Vietnam 1969-1970: A Company Commander's Journal.