Descended from the 32nd Infantry Division, the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) is linked to one of the proudest lineages in U.S. military history. The 32nd Infantry Division had a storied heritage before earning distinction during World War I and World War II, with a history of combat dating as far back as the Black Hawk War and predecessor units that fought in the Civil War and Spanish-American War.
During the Civil War, soldiers from Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana comprised the “Iron Brigade,” which earned fame—and the respect of its Confederate opponents—at a series of major battles, including the Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and Appomattox Court House. The brigade suffered one of the highest casualty rates among all Union units. When the 32nd Infantry Division was formed shortly after the U.S. declared war on Germany in 1917, it drew heavily from the Wisconsin National Guard, which in turn was linked to the Iron Brigade.
During October 1996, the Red Arrow Infantry Bridge, which had been an independent unit for the previous 25 years, was attached to the 34th Infantry Division. In October 2001, the brigade was again separated back to the Wisconsin National Guard. Joining six other Wisconsin National Guard units during January 2009, the 32nd Infantry Brigade underwent three weeks of training for a one-year deployment to Iraq. The final members of the brigade combat team arrived home from Operation Iraqi Freedom on January 24, 2010.
The design of the brigade’s CSIB (Combat Service Identification Badge) is based on the unit’s Shoulder Sleeve nsignia, or unit patch, which pays tribute to the brigade’s 32nd Infantry Division pedigree. A vertical red line intersecting a horizontal line symbolizes the 32nd’s combat during World War I, where it earned a reputation for penetrating every defensive line the Germans placed before them. This also inspired the unit’s nickname—actually an official Special Designation—as the “Red Arrow” division. The brigade’s motto, “Forward,” is found on its unit crest.
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32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Patch (SSI)
32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Unit Crest (DUI)