3rd Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)

The 3rd Infantry Brigade (Lebanon) is a Lebanese Army unit that fought in the Lebanese Civil War, being active since its creation in January 1983 until its disbandment in December 1984, being subsequently re-formed in June 1991.

Origins
In the aftermath of the June–September 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, President Amin Gemayel, convinced that a strong and unified national defense force was a prerequisite to rebuilding the nation, announced plans to raise a 60,000-man army organized into twelve brigades (created from existing infantry regiments), trained and equipped by France and the United States. In late 1982, the 3rd Infantry Regiment was therefore re-organized and expanded to a brigade group numbering 2,000 men, mostly Sunni Muslims, which became on January 18, 1983 at the southern port city of Sidon, the 3rd Infantry Brigade.

Emblem
The Brigade's emblem consists of a silvered sword that symbolizes law and strength, emerging from the brown soil of the country, held firmly by the hands of the 3rd Brigade soldiers in the defense of their homeland. The sword is embraced by the blazing flame of sacrifice which enlightens Lebanon's blue sky and burns the enemy with his flames, so that the green cedar tree remains eternal, uniting all Lebanese in its heart, the same as the Indian numeral (3) inserted at the center of the cedar. The emblem also bears the motto "Our land is ours" in Arabic script.

Structure and organization
The new unit grew from an understrength battalion comprising three rifle companies to a fully equipped mechanized infantry brigade, capable of aligning a Headquarters' (HQ) battalion, an armoured battalion equipped with Panhard AML-90 armoured cars, AMX-13 light tanks (replaced in the 1990s by T-55A tanks donated by Syria) and M48A5 main battle tanks (MBTs), three mechanized infantry battalions (31st, 32nd and 33rd) issued with M113 armored personnel carriers (APC), plus an artillery battalion fielding US M114 155 mm howitzers. The Brigade also fielded a logistics battalion, equipped with US M151A2 jeeps, Chevrolet C20 and Dodge Ram (1st generation) pickups, and US M35A2 2½-ton (6x6) military trucks. Headquartered at the Mohamed Zogheib Barracks near Sidon, it was initially commanded in 1983 by Colonel Nizar Abdelkader, later replaced by Col. Said al-Qaqur.

The Lebanese Civil War
Commanded by Colonel Nizar Abdelkader, the Third Brigade during the Mountain War was divided and deployed at different locations: half of its units were positioned in east Beirut, at the Hadath and the Faculty of Sciences sectors leading to the southern suburbs of the Lebanese Capital, while the units comprising the other half remained stationed at Sidon. During the Battle for west Beirut on 6 February 1984, the Third Brigade's battalions stationed at Beirut's eastern sector provided support to the other Lebanese Army units deployed in the western sector of the city fighting the anti-Government Muslim militias. In late February-early March 1984, the Third Brigade was placed under the command of Col. Said al-Qaqur and its units previously stationed at east Beirut were transferred back to Sidon. At that time, it was presumed that the Brigade would eventually patrol the Southern regions along the Israeli border. Until early 1983, the units in Sidon assigned to this Brigade could not leave Israeli-controlled areas for training, but that was no longer the case by mid-year. Forced into inactivity, the Third Brigade was finally disbanded on December 1, 1984 by order of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Command in east Beirut and by 1987 its units had been dispersed.

The post-civil war years 1990-present
Upon the end of the war in October 1990, the LAF Command proceeded to reorganize and expand the Lebanese Army's battered mechanized infantry brigades structure, and the Third Brigade was officially established once again in Sidon on June 1, 1991.