The 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) is known by several nicknames—"Prairie," "Illinois," and "Golden Cross"—because it inherited the history and lineage of the 33rd Infantry Division, which picked up those sobriquets over the course of its five decades of service. But the history of some of the units that were involved in the constitution of the 33rd IBCT—and there are quite a few—actually goes back all the way to 1832.
An element of the Illinois National Guard, the 33rd IBCT lineage traces back to the 33rd Division, constituted in July 1917 and credited with two World War I campaigns (Somme Offensive and Meuse-Argonne) and two World War II campaigns (New Guinea and Luzon).
The 33rd Infantry Division remained active until 1968 when the 33rd Infantry Brigade was formed as a separate unit. After being inactivated during 2005, the 66th Brigade was recommissioned as the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), attached to the 35th Division.
The 66th previously had been associated with both the 33rd and 44th divisions and eventually transferred as part of the 47th Infantry Division before joining the 35th. It served as homeland security in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks and saw action in Afghanistan during 2008 and 2009.
The 33rd IBCT served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Its service began with a December 2008 deployment and was followed by another during August 2009.
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33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Unit Patch (SSI)
33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Unit Crest (DUI)