Spartan Brigade converts from Infantry to Armored

Photo By Master Sgt. Nikki Glanton | The 2nd Brigade Combat Team of 3rd Infantry Division hosted a conversion ceremony Oct. 20, 2017, at Fort Stewart, Ga. The conversion ceremony highlighted the U.S. Army's strategic decision to convert the brigade from an infantry brigade combat team to an armored brigade combat (ABCT) team making the Spartan Brigade its 15th ABCT with an effective date of Oct. 16. (U.S. Army photo by Catherine Johnson)  

FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES

10.16.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Nikki Glanton 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

FORT STEWART, Ga. – Dog Face Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division converted from an Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) to an Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) Oct. 16, 2017, at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

The U.S. Army announced its decision to build the 15th ABCT last December. The decision to convert was based on the Army’s need to execute contingency plans in response to potential future adversaries.

During the 2nd ABCT conversion ceremony held Oct. 20, Col. James K. Dooghan, 2nd ABCT commander said, “The world has continued to change. The overmatch the U.S. Army has enjoyed for the last 70 years is closing quickly across all domains of warfare. To keep pace, the Army continues to adapt its ways of thinking, executing, and organizing.”

The brigade’s re-organization centers on three combat vehicle platforms: the Abrams tank, the Bradley fighting vehicle, and the Paladin self-propelled howitzer.

“We will be mounted on incredibly sophisticated combat equipment,” said Dooghan. “Lethality is not merely about platforms -- it is about capabilities. And it is our well-trained Soldiers who are at the root of our lethality.”

The brigade also re-designated two of their battalions from pure infantry formations to a mixture of armored and infantry, known as combined arms battalions. Third Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment deactivated to become 3rd Combined Arms Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, and 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment deactivated to become 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment.

“We have and will continue to operate in a complex world,” said Dooghan, as he addressed the audience at the conversion ceremony. “This brigade will become the most lethal and fit ABCT in the Army and will fight and destroy the nation’s adversaries with overwhelming combat power if called to action.”

The brigade will continue to train on the fundamentals – shoot, move, communicate, and survive by focusing on the four readiness pillars: Manning, Training, Equipping, and Leader Development.

Dooghan said, “The character and resolve established today and tomorrow will define the next century of Spartan history.”

Both the Marne Division and the Spartan Brigade will be celebrating their 100 years of service to the nation this November.

• Date Taken: 10.16.2017
• Date Posted: 10.24.2017 15:06
• Story ID: 252832
• Location: FORT STEWART, GA, US