The Brigade: A History, Its Organization and Employment in the US Army

This work studies the evolution, organizational structure, and employment of the maneuver brigade. In passing, it will also discuss other army brigades, such as those consisting of field artillery, aviation, and engineer units, not usually used in a maneuver role.As an organization, the brigade has a long history in the US Army going back to the very first organization, the Continental Army. General George Washington established the first brigades on 22 July 1775.7 The term brigade itself first entered the English language, like most military terms, from the French language. The word is first attested in the 15th century as a term for a larger military unit than the squadron or regiment and was first adopted when English armies began to consist of formations larger than a single regiment. The term's origin is found in two French roots, which together meant roughly "those who fight."8 It is totally fitting that the brigade be designated as "those who fight" because the organization has, throughout most of its existence in the US Army, been a purely tactical, or combat, organization, and currently is where the combat power of the US Army is found.At the start of the 21st century, debates on the future of warfare and the transformation of the US Army to adjust to this future environment are ongoing. The brigade is usually at the center of transformational organizational structures, either as a replacement for the division as the basic building block for projecting combat power or as the Unit of Action (UA), a flexible organization designed to fight and win battles. While debates and final decisions on this structure are ongoing as of the publication of this work, it is vital that planners understand the history and theory behind the evolution of the US Army maneuver brigade.This special study outlines and illuminates the history and evolution of the brigade as an organization in the US Army, from the earliest days to the current era. The work follows both the organizational structure and how it was actually employed on the battlefield.