Under the UMS concept, the battalion would be formed and manned with over 760 personnel that would remain as a cohesive organization for almost 4 years before any personnel transfers would be authorized.Īs part of the UMS initiative, we were extremely fortunate to be able to stand up, man, equip, train, deploy, fight, endure a combat extension and redeploy with the same incredibly talented battalion command group, that included CSM Dennis Zavodsky, XO MAJ Pat Mangin, S3 MAJ Clint Baker and the OPS SGM Cliff Doctor. In addition to becoming one of the newest combat formations in the Army’s arsenal, with the newest combat organization and equipment we would also be designated and organized as a COHORT Battalion (Cohesion, Operational Readiness and Training) as part of the US Army Unit Manning System (UMS). It was not optimal but it supported our requirements as best as could be expected under the circumstances. The 4-23IN battalion HQs was located inside a barracks building on one of the barracks floors sharing building spaces with some garrison staff offices. A permanent facility solution collocated with the brigade at Ft Wainwright would not be fully available until the battalion redeployed from combat in 2006. Due to the unforcasted requirements and the arrival of new soldiers and Ft Richardson’s limited facilities, US Army Alaska (USARAK) leadership curtailed some barracks and buildings scheduled for demolition and provided them to the battalion as an interim solution. For the duration of the activation, transformation, train up and deployment to Iraq we would operate as a geographically separate infantry battalion.įt Richardson our designated location was not without facility challenges as well. Lack of facilities at Ft Wainwright where the 172 nd SBCT was located was a critical factor driving the decision to locate 4-23IN at Ft Richardson AK over 300 miles south of the brigade. This was in name only, nothing existed, no soldiers, no equipment, nor were there any assigned buildings. The battalion activation would not officially take place until 16 March 2004 but the stand up and activation of this battalion actually began in June 2003 when I arrived to Alaska as a MAJ(P) and informed that I would take command of 4-23IN, stand it up and establish the third infantry battalion of the 172 nd SBCT. This is the requirement that necessitated the activation of 4-23 Infantry. In 2003 the 172 nd Infantry Brigade was a light infantry brigade with only two organic infantry battalions and required three stryker battalions in accordance with the SBCT modular structure so the brigade would need one more battalion that did not exist. This was the third SBCT in the Army transformation process and fielded the newest Army combat vehicle, the Stryker combat vehicle. The SBCT was the medium BCT solution and the 172 nd Infantry Brigade re-designated from a light infantry brigade to become the 172 nd SBCT. The modular brigade transformation included heavy, light and medium brigades. Although similar, this stryker transformation would be significantly different.Ĥ-23IN transformation was part of the Army’s larger transformation efforts to transform the Army to a modular brigade structure. 4-23 IN is no stranger to transformation, forty years earlier on 25 January 1963 another transformation took place, 4-23 assigned to the 172 nd Light Infantry Brigade activated and transformed during combat operations from a light infantry organization to a mechanized infantry battalion. In 2003 the 4 th Battalion 23 rd Infantry located in Anchorage Alaska as part of the 172 nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) started their incredible journey to activate the battalion, stand it up from the ground, transform it, equip it with the Stryker combat vehicle, train, deploy and fight in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom earning the Valorous Unit Award.
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