56th Guards Air Assault Brigade

56th Guards Air Assault Brigade (56 Guards. Odshbr), is a military unit of the Russian Airborne Troops of the Russian Armed Forces and formerly the Soviet Armed Forces. It was created on June 11, 1943. The brigade is stationed in Kamyshin.

History
The unit traces it's history back to the 4th, 6th and 7th Guards Airborne Brigades.

World War II
First the units were involved in the 4th Ukrainian Front. They were to take part in the Crimean Offensive.

In December 1943, the 4th and 7th Guards Airborne Brigade were relocated to the Moscow Military District.

January 15, 1944 in accordance with the order of the commander of the Red Army Airborne number 00100 from 12.26.1943, in Stupino Moscow region the 4th, 7th and 17th Separate Guards airborne brigades (stationed in Vostryakovo, Vnukovo, Stupino) were reformed as 16th Guards airborne Division. The new Division numbered around 12,000 soldiers.

In August 1944, it was relocated to Mogilev region and August 9, 1944 joined the newly formed 38th Guards Airborne Corps. In October 1944, the 38th Guards Airborne Corps became part of the newly formed Guards Airborne Army.

December 8, 1944 the army was reorganized into the 9th Guards Army, 38th Guards Airborne Corps became Guards Rifle.

With Order of the Supreme Commander of the number 0047 from 18.12.1944, the 16th Guards Airborne Division was reorganized into the 106th Guards Rifle Division of the 38th Guards Rifle Corps. 4th Guards Separate Airborne Brigade was reorganized into the 347th Guards Rifle Regiment, 7th Guards Airborne Brigade to 351th Guards Rifle Regiment, 17th Guards Separate Airborne Brigade to 355th Guards Rifle regiment.

The composition of the 106th Guards Rifle Division was:
 * 347th Guards Rifle Regiment
 * 351 Guards Rifle Regiment
 * 356th Guards Rifle Regiment
 * 107th Separate Guards anti-aircraft artillery battalion
 * 193rd Signal Battalion Separate Guards
 * 123rd Separate Guards antitank battalion
 * 139th Separate Guards Battalion
 * 113th Guards separate reconnaissance
 * 117th Guards separate chemical company
 * 234th Medical Battalion Separate Guards

In January 1945, as part of the 38th Guards Rifle Corps relocated by rail to Hungary, by February 26 it's operations focused east of Budapest near Szolnok, Abony, Soya, Teriel and in early March and became part of the 3rd Ukrainian Front.

March 16, 1945, breaking through the German defense, 351 th Guards Rifle Regiment came to the Austro - Hungarian border.

In March - April 1945, the division participated in the Vienna Offensive. Division, in conjunction with the compounds of the 4th Guards Army, broke through enemy defenses north of Szekesfehervar and flanked the rear forces of the 6th SS Panzer Army, wedged in the defense of the troops between Lake Balaton and Velence.

In early April, the division attacked in a northwesterly direction in conjunction with the 6th Guards Tank Army, broke through resistance and advanced to the Danube, cutting off the enemy escape route to the west.

Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR from 03.29.1945, for participating in the defeat of the eleven divisions of the enemy in the south- west of Budapest, and the capture of Mor, the Division was awarded the Order of Kutuzov II degree.

By breaking through for fortified defense line and successfully occupying city Mor, entire personnel received the thanks from the Supreme Commander.

Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR from 26.04.1945, for the "participation in the capture of Vienna", the Division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Since then, April 26 is considered part of the annual holiday for the unit.

During the Vienna Offensive, the Division gained over 300 kilometers. On some days it reached the rate of advancement of 25-30 kilometers per day.

From 5 to 11 May 1945, as part of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, it took part in the Prague Offensive.

May 5, the Division was alerted and made a march to the Austro- Czechoslovak border. Coming into contact with the enemy, on May 8, it crossed the border into Czechoslovakia and immediately took the city of Znojmo.

Through May 9, the Division continued fighting for the prosecution of the enemy and successfully developed an offensive against Retz, Pisek.

Division marched in pursuit of the enemy, and for 3 days gained 80-90 kms. At 12.00 May 11, 1945 the vanguard of the division came on the Vltava river and near the village Oleshnya met with American troops and concluded combat operations in World War II.

Cold War
With the end of combat operations in Czechoslovakia, the division marched back to Hungary, where rom May 1945 to January 1946 it camped in the woods south of Budapest.

On the basis of the Decision of the Council of Ministers on 06.03.1946 1154474ss number of directives and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR from 07.06.1946 № org/2/247225 At June 15, 1946 106th Guards Rifle Division was reflagged 106th Guards Airborne Division.

Since July 1946 the division was stationed in the city of Tula. The division was part of the 38th Guards Airborne Corps Vienna.

December 3, 1947 the division was handed Guards Battle Banner.

Based on the directives of the General Staff of the September 3, 1948 and from January 21, 1949 106th Guards Airborne Division joined the Army Airborne.

In April 1953, Airborne Army was disbanded.

Based on the directives of the General Staff on January 21, 1955 to April 25, 1955, the 106th Guards Airborne Division withdrew from the 38th Guards Airborne Corps Vienna, which was disbanded and moved to a new state of the regiment with three cropped battalion (not the whole ) in each parachute Regiment. From the disbanded 11th Guards Airborne Division, the 106th Guards Airborne Division was strenghtenned by the 137th Guards Airborne Regiment, located city of Ryazan.

In 1956, the 38th Guards Airborne Corps was disbanded Vienna and became a division report directly to the commander of the Airborne Forces.

In 1957, the regiment held demonstration exercises with the landing of military delegations to Yugoslavia and India. Based on the directives of the Minister of Defense of the USSR March 18, 1960 and Commander of the Land Forces of the June 7, 1960 to November 1, 1960. From the 105th Guards Airborne Division, the 106th Guards Airborne Division absorbed the 351 th Guards Airborne Regiment.

105th Guards Airborne Division (without 331th Guards Airborne Regiment) has been relocated to the Turkestan Military District in the city of Fergana Uzbek SSR. 351th Guards Airborne Regiment was stationed in Chirchik, Tashkent region.

In 1961, after the earthquake in Tashkent, personnel of the 351st Regiment assisted the residents of the city affected by the disaster, helping local authorities in maintaining order.

In 1974, the 351th Regiment was involved in large-scale exercise TurkVO in Central Asia.

On the basis of the Directive of the General Staff from August 3, 1979 to December 1, 1979 105th Guards Airborne Division disbanded. From the Division remained in Fergana, the 345th Separate Guards Airborne Regiment with a much larger than usual and 115th separate military transport aviation squadron. The rest of the personnel of the Division appealed to fill the shortage in other Airborne units and filling the newly formed air assault brigades.

Based on the 351th Guards Airborne Regiment was formed 56th Guards Separate Air Assault Brigade.

To form teams were urgently mobilized reservists stock, so-called "partisans". At this point the inhabitants and the Central Asian republics south of the Kazakh SSR made up 80% of personnel in the brigade troops.

Afghan War
In December 1979, the brigade was relocated to the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and joined the 40th Field Army.

The initial task was to guard the brigade units and defense of thelargest motorway near the Salang Pass, providing advance of Soviet troops in the central and southern regions of Afghanistan.

From 1982 to June 1988 the 56th Air Assault Brigade stationed near Gardez, conducting combat operations throughout Afghanistan. It operated in Bagram, Mazar-i- Sharif, Khanabad, Panjshir, Logar, Aliheyl (Paktia). In 1984, the unit for the successful performance of combat missions was awarded the Red Banner of TurkVO.

In 1986, the unit was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War I degree.

On December 16, 1987 to the end of January 1988, the brigade took part in the Operation Magistral. In April 1988, the brigade participated in Operation Barrier.

The personnel of the 56th Guards on December 1, 1986 was 2452 soldiers (261 officer, 109 warrant officers, 416 sergeants, 1666 privates). After the international duty, through 12–14 June 1988 the brigade withdrew to Yolotan Turkmen SSR.

Late years of the Soviet Union
January 15, 1990 the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR after a detailed study of the situation made the decision "On the declaration of a state of emergency in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region and some other areas."

In accordance with the Airborne Troops launched the operation, carried out in two stages. In the first stage, from 12 to 19 January at the airfield near Baku landed part of the 106th and 76th Guards Air Assault Divisions, the 56th and 38th airborne brigade and the 217th Parachute Regiment and in Yerevan, the 98th Guards Airborne Division. 39th Separate Air Assault Brigade entered the Nagorno-Karabakh.

From January 23, Airborne launched operations to restore order in other parts of Azerbaijan. In the area of Lankaran, Prishipa, Dzhalilabad together with border troops, restored the border.

In February 1990, the brigade returned to the place of permanent deployment.

From March to August 1990 Brigade units were used to maintain order in the cities of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

June 6, 1990, the 104th Parachute Regiment of the 76th Airborne Division, 56th Airborne Brigade, from June 8, the 137th Parachute Regiment of the 106th Airborne Division, began to land at airfields near Fergana and Osh. On the same day, they marched through the mountain passes border of the two republics, paratroopers took Osh and Uzgen. The next day, 387th airborne regiment and units of the 56th Airborne Brigade took control of the situation in the region of Andijan, Jalal- Abad, took Kara-Suu, mountain roads and passes throughout the conflict.

Russian Federation
In October 1992, the Brigade was relocated to Zelenchukskaya, Karachay-Cherekessii, where the march had become the place of permanent deployment in the village near the town of Podgory Volgodonsk, Rostov region.

From December 1994 to August - October 1996 combined battalion brigade fought in Chechnya. On 29 November 1994, the brigade was ordered the formation of composite battalions that were transfered to Mozdok. Artillery battalion participated in late 1995 - early 1996 in an operation under the Chateau. In October and November 1996 brigade was withdrawn from Chechnya.